Existing comment:
Just One Piece at a Time:
"One of the wonders of this part of the world is the 'Petrified Forest'... between Colorado Springs and Fairplay. This remarkable relic... bids fair to disappear very shortly, unless the... tourists cease their work of destruction. Everyone must needs take a specimen, and some of the stumps are 'growing smaller' at a very rapid rate." -- Colorado Springs Out West, June 13, 1872
Early accounts describe the valley as being littered with petrified wood. As word spread, the Florissant area became a popular tourist destination. Exploitation, constant collecting, and thoughtless destruction continued for nearly 100 years. There is no way to assess the damage done or the rare scientific evidence lost during this period.
Today, shelters protect some of the remaining stumps from weathering, and laws strictly prohibit fossil collecting. A variety of methods of stabilizing and preserving the stumps have been proposed and tried over the years, and the National Park Service continues to work toward the best solution. |