Arch climb a selfish stunt

Deseret Morning News editorial
Published: Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:21 a.m. MDT
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The National Park Service regulation is abundantly clear: "Climbing is prohibited on any arch identified on current USGS 7.5 minute topographical maps."

Delicate Arch is on the map. Thus it is off-limits.

But for some reason, Dean Potter, a world-class climber and ambassador for outdoor equipment company Patagonia, climbed the arch in the predawn hours of last Sunday. National park officials have since clarified the regulation prohibiting the climb and a review is under way to determine whether Potter damaged the famous landmark. There is a reason why the word "delicate" is part of the arch's name.

Potter's free climb appears the stuff of a publicity stunt. The climb was photographed and filmed, copies of which were distributed to the media.

Last fall, Potter and two companions strung ropes between the Three Gossips, another popular formation in Arches National Park. The group left their ropes tied to the tops of the formations for several days, which was brought to the attention of park rangers.

Many people use the national parks for recreation. That's all well and good. But the primary function of a national park is to protect natural resources so they can be enjoyed by all in this and future generations. Any recreational activity that compromises natural resources in these settings cannot be permitted.

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This is particularly true in a place as breathtakingly beautiful as Arches National Park. The arches and other rock formations there were formed over thousands of years of exposure to wind, water and weather. They cannot be replaced. To scale these formations on a whim — or worse yet, a shameless publicity stunt — can compromise their structural integrity. Worse, it demonstrates a lack of respect for an arch that Utahns, if not most Americans, consider a natural wonder and a national treasure.

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