Scout Leaders May Face Charges Over Boneheaded Boulder Blunder
A group of Boy Scout leaders may be facing some serious charges after filming themselves toppling a boulder in Utah's Goblin Valley State Park.
According to a report from the Salt Lake Tribune, three Scout leaders who destroyed the formation could face felony charges. The video clearly shows the leaders having an uproarious time altering the natural landscape and ridding the world of a geological artifact.
"It's not only wrong, but there will be consequences," a Utah State Parks spokesman told the Tribune.
The unique features of Goblin Valley, mushroom-shaped rocks, took millions of years to form, dating from the Jurassic Era. "Because of the uneven hardness of sandstone, some patches resist erosion better than others. The softer material is removed by wind and water, leaving thousands of unique, geologic goblins. Water erosion and the smoothing action of windblown dust work together to shape the goblins," reads the park's Website.The men involved are now claiming that it looked as if the rock were about to fall, and could have endangered a passing child or hiker. It's a thin excuse at best. After all, if they were serious they would have had to tip every rock in the park at some point.
Not only are the leaders facing fire from the authorities, but they're violating the basic tenants of the Boy Scouts. "Leave No Trace" is the mantra Scouts are taught as they head into and out of camping areas. There's even a section of the Scouts' "No Trace" practices on "Leave What You Find.""Allow others a sense of discovery by leaving rocks, plants, archaeological artifacts, and any other objects as you found them," says the Scouts guidance on the subject.
