J-tree graphitti

[HkNewman]

Signed by well known street "ar-tist"

http://www.adventure-journal.com/2015/03/joshua-tree-national-park-defaced-by-well-known-street-artist/

It should be noted the graphetist claims its on private property. Just an indication to me we need to roll the trailheads and access back.

Ed: deng sp.

[D M]

Nope we just need to raise the fines and punish the buggers. He says his works are all about "love" that's garbage. Complete lack of respect for our natural resources. It's shameful. Defacement is ugly.

[Ken Thompson]

Dork. Not art. BS.

[David Moreno]

I've seen this problem in Cuyahoga Valley NP here in Ohio.

Trash everywhere, damage to the sculpted sandstone cliffs from illegal climbing, and illegal carving of symbols / graffiti on the cliff walls is normal to see.

They better hope I don't catch them in the act. They'll probably wind up at the hospital before going to jail.

Part of the problem is with the people who use the trails.

I've seen multiple people complain about trash on the trails as they walk right past it. They seem to feel that they have no responsibility in picking up the garbage when they see it. They think that it's solely the responsibility of the park workers, even though the parks budgets have been slashed to the bone.

I always take a trash bag or 2 with me, and pick up trash along the way. When others see me do this, I get one of 3 responses.

1) I get weird looks as if I'm doing something alien to the passers by.
2) I get crappy comments like, "It's about time you guys clean this s*#t up, it's disgusting!" As though they think I work for the park.
3) The passers by praise me for what I'm doing, yet never join in or offer to help.

Really makes you think, doesn't it?

[Steofan M]

No David, don't think anymore.
Just be sure to always carry a couple of extra trash bags, a scrubbie sponge or two and rubber gloves because you can expect to be the only person collecting trash and cleaning latrines like I do when I spend relaxing days-off-work in my local state parks and NRD areas: hiking, camping and picking-up other peoples' messes.

[HkNewman]

Update: apparently defacing downtown is passé, so there's more. According to the article, provoking outrage is part of the game.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-graffiti-20150427-story.html#page=1

[Nico .]

We've been having a growing problem with graffiti in certain parts of Los Padres National Forest for the last decade or so. There's a few canyons with popular swimming holes that have become increasingly plagued with trash and graffiti as they've been discovered by the masses. One of these areas, which was technically closed to the public already but not ever enforced, is now enforced regularly with significant fines for those who disregard the closure warnings. The change in the enforcement efforts is specifically a result of the trash, graffiti, human waste, etc. left behind by visitors. Another popular trail that relies on passing through private property to access the upper watershed is threatened with being closed off by the property owner due to similar antics. As seems to often be the case, a few bad apples ruin it for everyone else.

As an aside, our local USFS folks have discovered a successful method for removal of the graffiti (perhaps others use the same). They use a product called Soy Gel. The Soy Gel is applied to the painted area with a paint brush, then let sit for 10-15 mins, after which you "scrub" the painted area with a wire brush, and then rinse with water. If necessary, a second application can be applied to remove any residual paint. In particularly sensitive areas, the Soy Gel is wiped up using rags to minimize runoff. From all accounts, it seems to work pretty well.

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