Friday April 30, 2021
The Bureau of Land Management completed some minimal emergency treatment on the Birthing Rock petroglyph panel on Wednesday. The site is at least 1,000 years old and was found marred by obscenities earlier this week. So what do conservators consider before attempting to mitigate damage at a cultural site like Birthing Rock? Today on the news, we speak with former BLM Moab archeologist Don Montoya. He currently works as a consultant with land management agencies and has plenty of experience in damage assessment. Montoya says this is not the first time the Birthing Rock panel has suffered vandalism.
And later, our Weekly News Reel where we speak with other reporters about the stories they most recently covered. Times-Independent editor Doug McMurdo (15:00) discusses local reactions to the Birthing Rock vandalism, the city’s new noise ordinance, an auction to help support women’s health at the Moab Free Health Clinic, and the new middle school move-in. Moab Sun News reporter Rachel Fixen (23:30) talks about the recent vandalism highlighting tensions in outdoor recreation and land management, Moab City’s strategies on sustainability efforts, and some highlights on local youth.