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Texas Man Sentenced To Jail For Carving Initials Into Roosevelt Arch At Yellowstone National Park

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A Texan was sentenced to three days in jail for carving his initials into the rock inside the passageway of the Roosevelt Arch at Yellowstone National Park/NPS

Dakota D. Tipton was so proud of his name that he carved his inititals into the Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately for the Texan, someone saw him and now he'll spend three days in jail.

Park officials said the 26-year-old from Joshua, Texas, was sentenced Tuesday for the vandalism. U.S Magistrate Judge Mark Carman ordered Tipton to serve three days in jail, pay a $250 restitution fee for repairs, and $40 in court fees. 

On June 10, 2016, park dispatch was notified by a visitor that Tipton was carving his initials into a keystone above a small walkway arch adjacent to Arch Park. When contacted by law enforcement, Tipton admitted to using a multi-tool to carve into the arch, calling it “a bad decision," a park release said Wednesday.

The man's scratched initials can be seen on the inside of the passageway/NPS

Tipton was issued a mandatory appearance citation for vandalism and appeared before the court at the Justice Center in Mammoth Hot Springs via phone on Tuesday. He will likely serve his jail sentence near his home in Texas. This location is determined by the U.S. Marshal Service and/or the Bureau of Prisons, Yellowstone officials said.

The Roosevelt Arch, situated at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park, was constructed out of local columnar basalt. Dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt, who laid the cornerstone on April 24, 1903, the arch greeted early visitors who arrived in Gardiner, Montana, via the Northern Pacific Railroad. At 50 feet high, the Roosevelt Arch is, and has been, a favorite photo point for visitors.

The Roosevelt Arch is part of the Fort Yellowstone National Historic Landmark District. National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States.

It is difficult to measure the actual cultural resource loss that Mr. Tipton’s actions cost the park. The sentence passed down by the judge reflects the egregious nature of such an action.

The keystone of the central arch is engraved with the words, “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

“Let this unfortunate act be a reminder to all that the cultural treasures of Yellowstone National Park require our care and protection to ensure that generations to come will enjoy their presence on the landscape,” said Yellowstone Deputy Superintendent Steve Iobst. 

Comments

3 days in jail not enough for defacing the iconic entrance to our national treasure.


I agree....three days and $250 fine is not enough punishment .... the Code of Federal Regulations is 3 - 6 months!

Under the Code of Federal Regulations, it is prohibited to destroy, injure, deface, or damage national park property. Vandalism of national parks is a federal misdemeanor, and is punishable by three to six months in prison and as much as a $500 fine.

 

- See more at: http://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2015/07/vandalize-a-national-park-go-to...

In place of prison, community service, while in an ankle bracelet, serving in National Parks for three to six months, plus the actual cost of restoration, when restoration is actually possible, would be much, much more productive. 


Would have liked to see him ordered to clean up his own damage as well as spending at least a week working with park staff to clean up other grafitti, litter, toilets, whatever.


What a thoughtless act. Three days is not enough time for him to think about his destructive  behavior.


He gets 3 days in jail which isn't enough but the same amount of time a guy 2 weeks ago for kicking a dog to death....


I think that he should serve his 3 days in the local county jail. Make those 3 days inconvenient. 


...any day is "inconvenient". Good on the folks At Yellowstone. The published embarrassment is enough punishment, but 3 days will do. Those calling for harsher may or may not have done more stupid things in their young adult lives to warrant a punishment they may or may not have received. I know I did. 

From a Texan.


get used to it . You soon may see the word trump caraved into all our national treasures


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