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Top Ten Most-Endangered Public Lands
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Petrified wood presents quite a temptation to Petrified Forest visitors: People illegally disturb or steal up to 12 tons of it each year. While theft of petrified wood is being reduced, the park desperately needs a boundary expansion that was originally proposed in 1992 (although Congress did recently set aside $2 million for the purchase of sensitive lands next to the park). The 97,800-acre expansion would incorporate a world-class fossil formation and significant archaeological sites, and would protect the park's magnificent scenic views, which are now threatened by changing land use and commercial mining of petrified wood.
Recommended solution: Expanding the park's boundaries and increasing funding for law enforcement would save park resources for future generations.
Details mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication
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