Trent gets a big fine but no time

Trent takes a plea deal on his ARPA/vandalism case. Apparently he has pleaded guilty to the charges, and now has to pay a $10,000 fine but will do no jail time. According to the article it is estimated to take about $9,000 to mitigate the damage to the Descending Sheep panel. Well I'm not terribly great with math, but that leaves only $1,000 in punitive damages. Admittedly $10,000 is a fair chunk of change (I certainly couldn't come up with that much scratch), but since it will barely covered the repair work, it doesn't seem as impressive as upon first blush.
None the less, it is a step in the right direction. I'm glad to see this thing through to a successful end. Let's make sure no more damage occurs!
I would also like to say "thanks" to those that showed up to yesterday's Site Patrol Training. Demonstrated some site patrol techniques and generally had fun.

Gear

So today, we've got a little update on gear. Specifically today we're going to be talking about the gear that one should consider having on a site patrol. The idea, again with a patrol, is to observe a site or area for a period of time without being noticed. For this reason, I prefer to use camouflage to remain hidden from prying eyes. I personally prefer ACU camo, as it seems to blend in well with the high desert sage/blackbrush/rabbitbrush environments where most of the ruins I patrol are found. Your preferred camouflage may vary - you may not even want to wear any. The choice is yours.

What should be noted is that a site patrol is more than just a dayhike and you should be prepared for more than just dayhiking conditions. I have some pictures here of my Rothco medium daypack from Amazon.com ($41+shipping). The camouflage pattern is pretty good, but it does not show up under IR illumination (I tested this :( ). It does seem to carry weight well, though if you are wearing a load-bearing vest under the pack, it can feel awkward. It does have lots of space, however, and the compartments are mostly useful (except for the outer bottom one - permanently strapped in).

So here is the loadout that fits into the pack. As you can see, its nothing too fancy. I'll start from the upper step and work my way down so that you can get a sense of what I feel is important to have on a site patrol.

• Mission-Related Gear:
• Compass
• GPS
• Binoculars
• Hand-crank flashlight/weather radio
• Pen
• Hex tool
• Rope
• FRS radio (on side of pack - looking to upgrade eventually)
• Not pictured - Rite-in-the-Rain notebook, Leatherman tool (on belt or in vest)

• Survival Gear:
• Snacks
• Water filter and spare filter
• Emergency Food
• ACU duct tape
• Underwear and socks
• Emergency poncho
• Survival blanket
• Extra baggies
• Emergency fire starter
• Extra boot laces
• Not pictured - lighter, 3L Camelbak bladder, SPOT GPS messenger, electrolyte drink mix
• First Aid:
• Safety pins
• Nitrile gloves
•  Two widths of self-adhesive tape
• Large bandages
• Medium and small bandages + butterfly closures
• Hydrocortisone
• Ibuprofin
• Antidiarheal
• Rolled gauze
• Nail trimmer
• Iodine and purifying tablets
• Not pictured - dental floss, small bottle of alcohol, shears.

As you can see, there's a big difference between this loadout and my normal dayhiking pack: a Camelbak Lobo w/3L bladder and only a few snacks. None the less, the load is not too heavy, even with the water. Thankfully the pack does have a good strap system so it is easy to get things loaded in and tightened down. I wish the hip straps had a bit more padding, but they certainly do their job - and over a vest the padding would certainly get in the way. I'm hoping to be able to get out and make a video this weekend of this pack in action at a site patrol - stay tuned, as always. Keep sending in those site reports - we're starting to build up a decent database. I'll update y'all with that status next time. I'll send you off with some pics of the pack against some Buffaloberry and oak to give you an idea how well ACU works in this area of the desert.

 

 Pack in an oak tree by a seep.

Pack in an Buffaloberry at 1, 25, and 50 yards.

2011 - So Far, So Good

Well, the site visitation reports have been coming in fairly regularly. Maybe people are making a New Years Resolution to fill them out, I don't know. I do know that I am pleased with the results. These early submissions will help establish a baseline for damage. As results continue to come in, it will allow us to monitor damage!
On a related note, Deer Valley Rock Art Center is hosting a panel on rock art vandalism - things like the Keyhole Sink spray-painting or Trent from the Descending Sheep panel.
Let's keep up the good work for this year! Expect some more updates after this weekend.

Ring in the New Year right!

Let's make a New Year's resolution - when we are out and about and see some damage, report it. AAI has developed a site visitation form that you can use after you visit an archaeological site that helps you do that quickly and easily. Doesn't matter if you're doing a patrol, site visits, or just out on a hike. The form is super easy and quick to fill out. It will help us keep track of damage and looting at fragile sites - there are way more casual hikers out there than there are backcountry LEOs. If we can note when things happen, it can help protect these sites we all love.
AAI Site Visitation Form
Let's make 2011 a better year for archaeology than 2010!

Trent is going down

Well I happened to see my friend in the know yesterday and received some good news: Trent has been convicted of a felony under ARPA! Trent, you may remember from an earlier Facebook posting, was the chump who scrawled his name across the "Descending Sheep" panel in lower Glen Canyon, a popular stop for half-day rafting trips. According to my source, this case is also going to be setting a prescident for other ARPA cases across the West, including some in Grand Canyon! This is a good day to celebrate for those of us who love and protect archaeological resources here in Arizona!
In other good news (slightly belated): Keyhole Sink Vandalism Treated
The Keyhole Sink petroglyph vandalism has gotten remediation. Apparently the Trent inscription has received a similar treatment, but I have not been down into the canyon since.
Let's keep up the good fight!

CBS 5 Report on Looting

Okay, so I just finished watching CBS 5's report about looting and archaeological site damage. They headlined it as "Grave Robbers."
They talked about the tourist draw versus "macabre crime scene" in the Tonto NF. It seems odd that these folks have never heard of the pothunting epidemic in Arizona. Tammy Leitner appears to have never been in a backcountry ruin - Morgan Lowe perhaps has. There were some nice plainware sherds, and some serious tunneling under a wall by looters.
They interviewed 3 TNF Law Enforcement Officers and archaeologists. They explained how painted ware is the most valuable, and found primarily in graves. The TNF archaeologist talked about how looting for pots is a form of grave robbery. It is unclear, despite the archaeologist talking about disturbing human remains, if they came across any bones. They probably wouldn't show it on the news even if they had, however.
One interesting point made was that pothunting increases when the economy tanks (which also is when protection drops as well). The claim was made that dozens of sites have been looted. I think you can probably go much higher with that number. If only a couple dozen sites on the TNF have been looted, I will eat my hat.
As volunteers, we need to do everything we can to protect these sites - not just in the TNF. I'm looking at a serious site patrol day up here soon. I hope that others join me across the state and make the statement that we aren't going to let looters ruin our ruins!

Site Damage on CBS

If you are in Arizona and get the Phoenix news, CBS 5 is having an investigative report about looters damaging our cultural resources. Will watch and provide a review. Too bad they didn't see fit to contact AAI for the story... :-S