Two young men were sentenced to 10 days in jail for walking on the cone of Old Faithful Geyser last September/NPS, Jacob W. Frank file
Two young men who paid no attention to signs to stay off the travertine cone of Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park will have ten days in a jail cell, and a $500 fine, to reconsider their transgression.
Eric Schefflin, 20, of Lakewood, Colorado, and Ryan Goetz, 25, of Woodstock, each received that punishment for walking onto the cone last September 10 shortly after sundown, according to court records.
When they appeared in U.S. Magistrate Court at Mammoth Hot Springs on December 5, they each pleaded guilty to trespassing on the cone.
According to park officials, employees and visitors spotted the two on the cone and reported it to park dispatch, which in turn sent a ranger to the geyser to cite the men.
Under the terms of their punishment, both Schefflin and Goetz are to serve 10 days in jail by March 1, pay a fine of $500 plus $40 in court costs, serve five years of unsupervised probation, and stay out of Yellowstone for five years.
“Visitors must realize that walking on thermal features is dangerous, damages the resource, and is illegal," said Chief Ranger Sarah Davis in a statement released Thursday. "Law enforcement officers take this violation seriously. Yellowstone National Park also appreciates the court for recognizing the impact thermal trespass can have on these amazing features.”
The ground in the park's hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface. Park officials say visitors must always remain on boardwalks and exercise extreme caution around thermal features.
Comments
You reap what you sow
Housing them in jail is probably more expensive than their fine.
In general National Park fines aren't rigorous enough of a deterent - they should be x10 what they are, and yes either ban the person for a length of time, or make them do community service in a NP to help with the upkeep as the NP Can be struggling with that as funds are lacking. Sadly just met an "independent" videographer who was contracted by a company to use a drone in a NP - he got fined at the rate of an individual, but that was paid for by the company and they used that in marketing and avoided the much more expensive professional fine of drone usage in NP. Both should be fined and penalized
First, I'm glad they were caught and punished - BUT, I don't think the punisnment went far enough - a conviction for this sort of offense needs to send a clear and sharp message - "DO NOT MESS WITH OUR PARKS" - it should be seen as a deterrent.
This is not punishment enough. This case should have been used to set an example that natural treasures are not for the personal use of these people who feel that rules do not apply to them.
Should have to be taught how prescious these natural wonders are to others...like most of us!
I agree with most here that punishments need to be more severe and meaningful. Much of that, I believe, is beyond the NPS' ability to impose. The lawmakers and the judges are all outside of NPS. Many DA's or judges are elected and hence pliable to mercurial public opinion.
Whimpy fine! Should be at least doubled! .... if not TRIPLED !!
Unfortunately, we don't have enough rangers to enforce existing regulations. As a Volunteer in Parks for the last 4 years, I have seen many violations, but rangers can't be everywhere.