Not so dyno-mite
BLM charged with driving over, destroying 112-million-year-old dinosaur tracks

Dinosaur tracks outside Moab that survived millions of years were destroyed in just a few days after the Bureau of Land Management drove a backhoe over the ancient relics, leading many to ask, “How did this happen?”

“The BLM destroyed these irreplaceable treasures,” Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said. “If ever there was a paleontological emergency, this is one. They need to be held accountable.”

The situation has been unfolding all week.

Last Friday, reports started to come in that a company contracted by the BLM’s Canyon Country District was working on a construction project at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite, one of the most significant and diverse areas for dinosaur tracks in North America, located about a 20-minute drive northwest of Moab.

On Sunday, a group of paleontologists visited Mill Canyon, confirming that about one-third of the fossilized tracks in the 30-acre area had been damaged by the backhoe, which was still on site along with other equipment. As of Wednesday, it remains unclear if there’s any way to repair the ancient footprints of several species of dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds dating back 112 million years.

“No one knows why the BLM did this, and we need answers,” Jeremy Roberts, a paleontology enthusiast and volunteer who is involved in Mill Canyon, said. “We’re just in shock. How did this happen?”

That answer, however, has been difficult to come by.

Digging in dirt

The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite was first discovered in 2009 by a Moab resident and was immediately recognized by the world’s top paleontologists and researchers as a place of great significance in the study of ancient creatures who populated this once lush, marshy landscape.

Not only were the millions-years-old tracks incredibly well-preserved, the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite – in what’s known as the Cedar Mountain Formation – is the largest site of its kind. And, researchers say it’s arguably the most important relic in the world from the Early Cretaceous period (which followed the Mesozoic Era, that of “Jurassic Park” fame).

As it stands, Mill Canyon is ranked as the No. 7 most important dinosaur track site in the United States, based on the size and quality of the footprints, public visitation and diversity of species, among other factors.

A team of top paleontologists formed in 2013 to conduct the first excavation, drawing interest from international researchers. In all, about 200 tracks were discovered, but that was only the tip of the petrified primordial muck. Researchers noted, “the site has considerable potential for further excavation and future study.” As an example, tracks found on-site could not be placed to any known, documented species, opening up the possibility of future scientists solving the mystery. 

Part of solving mysteries such as those, however, require the tracks actually remain intact.

“I’m definitely concerned (the recent damage) happened so suddenly without any consultation,” Martin Lockley, a world-renowned paleontologist who led the 2013 excavation, said. “But if there are repercussions for the BLM … that’s not for me to say.”

What happened?

Here’s what we know: After the 2013 excavation, the BLM decided to open Mill Canyon to the public in a concerted way. Previously, the area was vulnerable to damage from cattle, off-road vehicles and hikers (though a fence was installed in 2011), as well as natural processes like erosion.

As a result, a 262-foot-long, 2-foot-wide raised wooden boardwalk was built over the site so visitors could “walk with the dinosaurs” without stepping on or damaging the tracks. The boardwalk, however, was not routinely maintained and fell into relative disrepair, perhaps because of chronic underfunding that plagues most federal land management agencies.

However, in October 2021, the BLM approved a $250,000 restoration project claiming the boardwalk presented a “serious trip hazard” due to warping.

The BLM, in its own Environmental Assessment, determined the project would have no significant impact on the dinosaur tracks. The agency also said it would flag any tracks, if found, to avoid driving over them. But when paleontologists visited the site last Sunday, they said no such flags were found around the damaged fossilized tracks.

Curiously, too, the BLM did not appear to consult any paleontologists when planning the project. Many believe the gross oversights that resulted in the damage during the boardwalk teardown were, in part, because the Canyon Country District never rehired a staff paleontologist after the departure of Rebecca Hunt-Foster in August 2018. 

“If we don’t have paleontologists to help manage these resources, they’re going to be compromised,” Lockley said. “I didn’t know it was going to happen and was not approached to give input. By the time I was notified of the damage, everyone was upset.”

Irreparable harm

Indeed, paleontologist circles on social media (yes, it’s a thing) have blown up as news spread.

“This is the equivalent of using a pressure washer to clean the Mona Lisa,” one very upset Twitter user said.

Just reviewing the photos posted to Twitter, it appears the backhoe drove over several dinosaur tracks (OK dino nerds, here you go: they include hadrosaurus, theropods, sauropods and iguanodons, to name a few). Tire tracks were found over where an ancient crocodile rested before dipping in a body of water for a swim. The BLM’s contractor also appears to have dropped boardwalk pieces on fossilized footprints. And, tracks from some of the earliest bird species on Earth were also destroyed.

“It’s really bad,” Roberts said. “It’s so infuriating, because it was so not necessary. All these tracks you can’t believe are still there, and the BLM drove over it.”

Upon hearing of the damage, the Center for Biological Diversity sent the BLM a “cease and desist” order to stop all work on the site. It remains unclear, however, if the BLM plans to resume the project.

“The BLM rushed this job, told a contractor to go out and didn’t provide a paleontologist to supervise, so they ended up tearing everything up,” Donnelly said. “This isn’t some intentional bad actor. This is the continued, malignant neglect of our public lands.”

Oops

So what’s the BLM have to say about all this? Not much, it turns out.

Rachel Wootton, a BLM spokeswoman for the Canyon Country District, sent a blanket statement to media late Monday, saying the heavy equipment on site was “absolutely not used in the protected area.”

“The Moab Field Office has completed a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis for this project and work is being conducted in accordance with that decision,” she said. “When work resumes, it will continue to protect the natural resources.”

This statement, however, raises a ton of questions, and the BLM has not responded to follow-up emails this week.

“The reality on the ground does not comport with the BLM’s statements,” Donnelly said. “There is photo documentation of dinosaur tracks that were destroyed.”

According to the BLM’s own NEPA analysis, heavy equipment was supposed to enter the site using an old Jeep trail, which had already been previously compromised over the years. But it is the BLM’s planned staging area, which hadn’t been damaged from historic use, that’s now in question. 

The BLM is claiming the staging area is not within Mill Canyon’s designated “protected area.” But, with the presence of fossils and tracks, the staging area should automatically become protected under federal law, such as the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act.

“The map the BLM drew for their NEPA works against them,” Roberts said. “If fossils were there, it is protected by federal law, so they didn’t do the analysis and assumed tracks weren’t there. It shows they don’t understand the site, so they destroyed it.”

Now what?

Where the situation goes from here is also unknown.

Jim Kirkland, the state paleontologist for the Utah Geological Survey, did not respond to several requests for comment. Speaking to Science magazine, however, Kirkland called the BLM’s actions a “bureaucratic screw up.” And it appears Utah’s elected officials are getting involved.

“We are very concerned to learn of the damage,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. “We spoke with the Deputy Secretary of the Interior and… we will continue to do everything we can to protect Utah’s precious fossils and ancient history.”

Lockley said many paleontologists, both inside and outside of the BLM, are hesitant to speak out, which has put him in a tough position. As the lead scientist in the 2013 Mill Canyon study, he’s most qualified to speak up for its protection, but at the same time, he hopes to maintain a respectful, working relationship with the BLM.

“I tend to be someone who doesn’t attribute dastardly motives to other people, but at the same time, I’m not so naïve to think people don’t do things, which in retrospect, were ill-advised,” he said.

To start, several interviewed for this story believe Mill Canyon should be closed to the public while the situation is sorted out and resolved. After assessing the damage, many believe the BLM should plan a complete restoration project, to save what can be saved, at the very least.

“While we don’t know why they did this, we do know who did this,” Roberts said. “We know policies were ignored, laws violated and the people who did this need to be stripped of their ability to make decisions for the BLM. The public trust has been violated, and there’s no excuse.”