1. Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

2. Problem: depreciative behavior Management Strategies: reducing the impact of use; increase the supply Management Practices: information/ education; rules and regulations; law enforcement

5. Petrified Forest National Monument - 1906 Antiquities Act (Theordore Roosevelt) Designated Petrified Forest National Park (1962) Greatly expanded in 2004 More than 200,000 acres 50,000 acres of designated wilderness Hundreds of species of shortgrass prairie plants and wildlife Trees that grew 200 million years ago Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

6. Approximately 600,000 visits annually Small percentage of visitors (perhaps 1%) elect to take petrified wood from the park Tons of petrified wood disappears each year Loss of scientific knowledge Aggressive information/education program Minimum fine of $325 Visitors are reminded at the entrance gate not to remove petrified wood Visitor center displays, website Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

7. Petrified wood from outside the park is offered for sale at gift shops in the park (Xanterra) Legend of bad luck Trail and road signs Monitoring program (including cameras) Check station Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

8. Petrified Forest National Park

15. Close-up of Petrified Wood

22. The Tourist, the Ranger, and the Petrified Forest (5:53)The Tourist, the Ranger, and the Petrified Forest Petrification 101 video (13:09)Petrification 101 video Park struggles to keep petrified wood from sticky-fingered visitors (Cronkite News)Park struggles to keep petrified wood from sticky-fingered visitors Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing