HIRE A FUCKING PALEONTOLOGIST
112 million-year-old dinosaur tracks in Utah damaged by construction equipmentThe damage at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite is minor but some footprints had fractures around the rims, U.S. officials said.
April 2, 2022
By The Associated Press
MOAB, Utah — Dinosaur tracks from 112 million years ago have been damaged in southeastern Utah by heavy machinery used to rebuild a boardwalk at the popular tourist area, U.S. officials say.
The damage at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite is minor but some footprints had fractures around the rims, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management recently said in a report.
The agency also said an area where a prehistoric crocodile crossed a mud flat appeared to have been driven over multiple times by a backhoe, causing fracturing, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The site is considered among the most important dinosaur track areas in the nation, containing tracks from at least 10 different species.
The agency in the report said the project should be reevaluated, the area clearly marked and work crews briefed on where they can and can’t go.
The report also noted that the agency should fill a vacancy for a regional paleontologist that has been vacant since 2018.
“To ensure this does not happen again, we will follow the recommendations in the assessment, seek public input, and work with the paleontology community as we collectively move forward on constructing boardwalks at the interpretive site,” the agency said.
That revised report should be done this summer.
“It’s good that we stopped more damage from happening,” said Jeremy Roberts, among those who sought to have the Bureau of Land Management pause the project. “But this will continue to plague the state until we get a paleontologist.”
By The Associated Press
MOAB, Utah — Dinosaur tracks from 112 million years ago have been damaged in southeastern Utah by heavy machinery used to rebuild a boardwalk at the popular tourist area, U.S. officials say.
The damage at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite is minor but some footprints had fractures around the rims, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management recently said in a report.
The agency also said an area where a prehistoric crocodile crossed a mud flat appeared to have been driven over multiple times by a backhoe, causing fracturing, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The site is considered among the most important dinosaur track areas in the nation, containing tracks from at least 10 different species.
The agency in the report said the project should be reevaluated, the area clearly marked and work crews briefed on where they can and can’t go.
The report also noted that the agency should fill a vacancy for a regional paleontologist that has been vacant since 2018.
“To ensure this does not happen again, we will follow the recommendations in the assessment, seek public input, and work with the paleontology community as we collectively move forward on constructing boardwalks at the interpretive site,” the agency said.
That revised report should be done this summer.
“It’s good that we stopped more damage from happening,” said Jeremy Roberts, among those who sought to have the Bureau of Land Management pause the project. “But this will continue to plague the state until we get a paleontologist.”
100 million-year-old dinosaur tracks damaged to build boardwalk in Utah
2022/4/2
© New York Daily News
2022/4/2
© New York Daily News
Marek Uliasz/Dreamstime/TNS
They didn’t have backhoes in the Cretaceous period.
Dinosaur tracks from 112 million years ago in Utah were damaged in January by construction equipment building a boardwalk at a tourist attraction.
The dino footprints at Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite have been drawing visitors since they were discovered in 2009. But people noticed in January that some of the tracks had been damaged, and there was heavy construction equipment at the site.
The Bureau of Land Management, which operates the site, claimed at the time that no equipment was in the protected area near the dinosaur tracks. However, they had to backtrack on that claim and launch an investigation.
On Wednesday, the BLM shared the report from that investigation, which confirmed that construction equipment had caused irreversible damage to some of the tracks.
The new, metal boardwalk was commissioned because the current, wooden boardwalk is in rough shape, having been warped by the eastern Utah desert sun.
For several years, the local BLM office had a paleontologist on staff. But in 2018, that paleontologist left for a different job and was not replaced. No paleontologists were consulted prior to the construction project, according to the report.
Despite the problems, construction of the new boardwalk is expected to resume later this year. However, the BLM said it would create a new plan and actually talk to a paleontologist or two this time.
In addition to being a popular tourist location, Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite is a significant prehistoric location. It’s one of the 10 most important dinosaur tracksites in the U.S.
They didn’t have backhoes in the Cretaceous period.
Dinosaur tracks from 112 million years ago in Utah were damaged in January by construction equipment building a boardwalk at a tourist attraction.
The dino footprints at Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite have been drawing visitors since they were discovered in 2009. But people noticed in January that some of the tracks had been damaged, and there was heavy construction equipment at the site.
The Bureau of Land Management, which operates the site, claimed at the time that no equipment was in the protected area near the dinosaur tracks. However, they had to backtrack on that claim and launch an investigation.
On Wednesday, the BLM shared the report from that investigation, which confirmed that construction equipment had caused irreversible damage to some of the tracks.
The new, metal boardwalk was commissioned because the current, wooden boardwalk is in rough shape, having been warped by the eastern Utah desert sun.
For several years, the local BLM office had a paleontologist on staff. But in 2018, that paleontologist left for a different job and was not replaced. No paleontologists were consulted prior to the construction project, according to the report.
Despite the problems, construction of the new boardwalk is expected to resume later this year. However, the BLM said it would create a new plan and actually talk to a paleontologist or two this time.
In addition to being a popular tourist location, Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite is a significant prehistoric location. It’s one of the 10 most important dinosaur tracksites in the U.S.
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