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SALT LAKE CITY — Should people be allowed to dig on Utah’s state lands?
That’s the question some state residents are asking after state archaeologists used a giant hole found on the old Saltair location as a public service announcement about digging on public lands.
To recap, Christopher Merritt, deputy state historic preservation officer with Utah Division of State History, spotted the hole last week. He and other Utah Division of State History officials went back to the location on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake Friday to measure the hole and others nearby. They believe someone or a group of people dug the hole looking for artifacts of the old building that burned down in 1970.
They measured the largest hole at 34 feet by 31 feet, and as far as 2 feet deep in some areas. In all, they measured about 2,000 square feet of dug-up ground.
The group also placed signs encouraging anyone who spots metal detecting, digging or bicycle riding near the Saltair location to contact the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, which oversees the area.
Digging of any sort on the land, or other state lands, is prohibited without a permit. A violation of the law is considered a misdemeanor offense.
However, Andrew Benson, a Draper resident who enjoys metal detecting as a hobby, is among those who argue small digging for little treasures found on the land should be allowed. He recalls times of going there as a child with his dad, and he’s seen other families out there digging for bottles, as well. He figured all of it was innocuous.
In addition, he estimates 95 percent of people he knows in the metal detecting field have no idea that taking bottles, caps or other artifacts from the historic Saltair site is prohibited because there were previously no signs or indications about it.
Related:
Archaeologists warn public about digging on state lands after large hole found at Saltair
State officials are reminding the public digging and looting on public lands is illegal after a massive hole dug into the ground was found at the historic Saltair site on Monday.“I know tons of people who have gone out there and dug there and the state hasn’t done anything to preserve it,” he said.
And Benson isn’t alone. Since KSL.com published the story Friday, several comments have been made with similar sentiments.
“I have no problem with people looking for treasures on public land,” one person commented. “They have just as much right to it as anybody else. But please just fill in the holes. This wouldn't even be a story if people leave things the way they found it.”
“The old Saltair might be considered 'historic' but there's nothing there to commemorate it,” another person commented. “People don't go out to the old site to pay their respects and admire the ground where a building once stood.”
“I know tons of people who have gone out (to Saltair) and dug there and the state hasn’t done anything to preserve it." — Andrew Benson, Draper resident
Other state and federal officials, historians and archeologists say they find those ideas troubling. They say not only are the arguments moot because the activity is illegal, but it's another example of people disregarding public lands in the state.
Digging into land and taking objects hasn’t necessarily been a problem at Utah state parks, according to park officials. However, they have dealt with an uptick in people prying up dinosaur fossils and throwing them into the reservoir at Red Fleet State Park near Vernal.
"At the time, we had at least 10 more-prominent tracks (pried up) within that six-month period and since then it's happened a couple more times," Utah State Parks spokesman Devan Chavez said. "It is a big concern and the people doing it, I genuinely believe the majority of them, are unaware of what they're doing, just like how much of (the KSL) readers and commenters were unaware that digging in these areas could constitute illegal activity."
Benson agrees that people shouldn’t dig into Native American burial grounds, dinosaur tracks, around old buildings or anything else dating back hundreds of thousands of years. However, he doesn't believe the old Saltair land should be held in the same regard. As he sees it, it’s a dried-up lake bed.
“We know what went on there. It was Saltair. People went there and swam, there are books written about it,” he said. “They’re not going to learn anything new by going out there digging out there.”
Historians and state archaeologists counter that they’re preserving future history.
While the old resort is something many Utahns are still alive to remember, that won’t always be the case. In fact, the state historical archaeology department mostly centers around preserving various parts of the state’s history for future generations.
“We need the context in which all the material occurs in together to get a picture,” said Jody Patterson, president of the Utah Professional Archeological Council. “History is usually written by the folks in power at the time. The historic archaeological record actually provides a different perspective of what’s in the history books, but in order to do that, it needs to be left intact before it can be excavated by somebody at some point.
"If we want to just go in and tear stuff up and dig things up, we’re not going to have these things in the future."
In the case of the fossils, Chavez said since bringing the issue to the public, cases of people picking up dinosaur tracks — illegal because they are considered antiques — has subsided. He said he believes education has helped curb the problem.
That's exactly what Utah Department of State History officials hope will happen after they placed their signs on the Saltair land Friday.
The only thing both departments are afraid of is that awareness will eventually wear off.
"Who knows, it could happen again in a few years," Chavez said. "We did have this problem a number of years ago, this exact same problem at Red Fleet State Park. A lot of years passed by and here we are again. Hopefully, it's done for (good) and we can keep this message out there for many years to come."
Officials on state lands say if people are unsure if digging or collecting things from an area is legal, it's better to reach out to them before doing anything.
