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Show Escalante Rancher Says There Are Two SidesTo The Petroglyph Story ESCALANTE Retired Escalante rancher McKay Bailey, who says that on the advice of his attorney he entered a guilty plea to federal charges of destruction of petroglyphs, also says the government govern-ment has unfairly exaggerated, in, its recent news release about the case. On Mar. 10, Bailey entered a guilty plea in federal court to a violation of the Archeological Resources Protection Act for the destruction of 21 petroglyphs in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The government news release states that Bailey's truck was valued at $12,000. Bailey said the government sold the truck for $9,000, paid off his $7,000 loan on See Escalante Rancher Page 2A Escalante Rancher Says There Are Two Sides To The Petrocrlvuh Storv From Page 1 the vehicle, and returned $1,900 to him. "When I take that $1,900 from the $3,000 equity I had in the truck, I come up with an $1,100 loss," Bailey said. In his plea bargain, the government said Bailey agreed to reimburse the National Park Service for restoration of the archeological site and for direct government expenses. He also agreed to forfeit his 1990 4x4 pickup. Bailey says he thinks Glen Canyon NRA Supt. John O. Lancaster's comparison of damage to the petroglyphs as tantamount to "someone deliberately burning the Declaration of Independence" is a grossly unfair comparison. He said that he has shown to others the petroglyphs he was accused of destroying and they say they can say they can see no difference between the petroglyphs in question and others nearby. Bailey said he simply highlighted the petroglyphs so that they would photograph better for some photos he planned to send to friends. Bailey said that, although the government had confiscated his truck, he was forced to keep making payments on it for five months, not knowing what the government would finally do. "The government has put me and my C3 H A , wife through two years of hell," he said. Bailey is due in federal court for sentencing in June, where the federal government has agreed to recommend dismissal of the second count of destruction of government property and a fine of $1,000. Lancaster's news release reminds visitors to Glen Canyon NRA that protection of irreplaceable irre-placeable natural resources on federal fed-eral lands is everyone's responsibility. respon-sibility. "If you observe someone vandalizing, damaging or removing archeological resources," said Lancaster, "record their boat or vehicle number and personal description, and give it to a ranger or call our toll-free 24-hour dispatch center at 1-800-582-4351." The information may also be reported by marine radio on channel 16 by calling the NPS dispatch. |