A hiker enjoying the serene beauty of the Colorado mountains was dismayed and angered to find something highly unnatural obstructing their view: spray paint.
"F*** YOU Jared and Ava Jojo!!" they wrote angrily in a Reddit post accompanying photos of the offending graffiti, which showed the two names. "Why can't people just enjoy nature without feeling the need to vandalize."
They added that a large amount of trash was scattered around the area. "Do better people, and tell your friends to do better too. Unfriendly reminder to leave no trace. Leave what you find and pack out what you packed in."
Other Redditors were equally frustrated by the behavior; some mentioned that they had seen similar behavior in other nearby parks, such as carving into trees.
One commenter wrote: "The lack of respect some people have for nature amazes me."
"Absolutely destroying nature," another person echoed. "Shouldn't be allowed in the parks."
Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible for park officials to enforce these rules. Too often, people who litter and vandalize in protected areas aren't caught in the act, only identifiable by what they leave behind — generally not enough to track them down.
At times, however, it is possible to intervene.
"I've had the privilege of chewing out two groups of hikers in the act of doing that," one person said. "Wish I could hand out fines for it."
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There are penalties attached to every act of littering, vandalism, and destruction of nature in parks like this, of course.
The U.S. Justice Department's website states that destruction of federal property in national parks can result in fines up to $500, as well as up to six months in prison.
Several states take things one step further in hopes of deterring this kind of behavior. In Maryland, fines for littering and illegal dumping can reach up to $30,000; in Tennessee, perpetrators can serve up to six years in prison, per the National Conference of State Legislatures.
And while not every vandal or litterer will face consequences, being on the lookout for this kind of behavior can help deter it. Oftentimes, video from bystanders has been helpful in identifying culprits and handing down sentences.
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