A Public Awareness Campaign to Eliminate the Looting and Vandalism of Archaeological and Paleontological Resources in Utah

Since the early 20th century, Utah has had a long and well-documented history of archaeological, paleontological, and other natural resources being looted and vandalized on federal, state, and tribal lands. Unfortunately, these issues have continued to the present day, and numerous incidents on BLM-administered public lands have recently received national and international media attention. In order educate the public about the consequences of these behaviors and promote more responsible outdoor ethics, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah State Office and Tread Lightly! have initiated a partnership to develop and implement a statewide public awareness campaign called “Respect and Protect” to engage the public in the stewardship of our nation’s priceless cultural and natural heritage.

To date, 2 Native American tribes, 7 federal agencies, 10 state government agencies, 2 county governments, 11 universities and colleges, 9 museums, 22 non-profit organizations, 21 private sector businesses, and 38 individuals have participated in an online survey and/or regional stakeholder meetings to identify the key issues and messages the public awareness campaign should emphasize. The Respect and Protect Communications Plan is meant to serve as a living document and will be updated as additional partners begin supporting the initiative, communication strategies and tactics are refined, additional target audiences are identified, and the various phases of the public awareness campaign are implemented. Click to download the full overview.

For more information email: RespectandProtect@treadlightly.org

Videos

Campaign Materials

The following materials are available to help integrate the Respect and Protect campaign into outreach opportunities. To order materials, go to our online store or contact RespectandProtect@treadlightly.org.