Rep. Paul Cook introduced HR 3176, the Protecting Our National Parks Act. This bill will punish those who vandalize National Parks and other National Park Service land. In recent years, vandalism has grown at our national parks, destroying ancient Native American petroglyphs, defacing boulders and other natural structures with graffiti, and looting irreplaceable natural treasures. The Protecting Our National Parks Act explicitly makes these behaviors into a crime. According to Cook’s press release announcing the bill, current there is no current law explicitly against vandalizing National Park Service land. This bill sets penalties of up to ten years in prison, a $1,000 fine, and the cost of repairs for the park lands.
