Graffiti and Vandalism

Words and symbols spray-painted and carved into a wooden guard rail on the parkway

NPS Image O. Burke

Designers of the Blue Ridge Parkway gave careful consideration to every part of the experience when they laid out the route in the 1930s. Landscape architects thoughtfully located structures, overlooks, and natural and cultural features of the park in order to provide an incomparable experience. Many park features, including overlooks, use signs to identify the area and provide helpful information. Over time, park signs have become an important part of the parkway experience, as well as a signature feature of the designed landscape.   

Unfortunately, in recent years, vandalized or stolen signs have become all too common an occurrence across the park. Nearly every day, park rangers find words or images drawn, painted, or carved into signs, fences and infrastructure. Each sign–whether providing location and elevation information at an overlook or highlighting unique aspects of the park story–is custom and the replacement or repair of signs is expensive, time consuming, and labor intensive. Wooden informational signs cost $750 to replace.

Dozens of park rangers and volunteers regularly remove graffiti, using time and resources that could go toward other parkway projects that would better benefit local communities and visitors. A single graffiti removal project on concrete sections of the Linn Cove Viaduct cost the park service approximately $450 for labor and materials. And in the first few months of 2022 alone, there were three major clean-up projects at the Linn Cove Viaduct. Other surfaces prove to be more challenging–graffiti removal on exposed rock costs nearly three-times as much due to chemicals, labor, and the specialized equipment needed.

The Blue Ridge Parkway gets over 15 million visitors a year. Unfortunately, many may not know that graffiti in the park is considered vandalism, no matter how small or superficially drawn. Vandalism in any setting is a crime. In the National Park Service, it is a class B misdemeanor with punishment up to a $5,000 fine and six months in jail.

In recent years there has also been an uptick in theft of parkway signs. This is also an illegal act. Theft of parkway signs is a crime punishable under Federal Code of Regulations 36 CFR, as well as 18USC, and could be charged as a felony.

In the 21st century there are many different ways to express oneself and many ways to communicate with Blue Ridge Parkway that doesn’t involve vandalism. There are also many other ways to mark your journey through Blue Ridge Parkway such as immersing yourself in nature during a hike, taking a spectacular photo, or journaling. The National Park Service’s mission statement reads: “to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” Please work together with us to leave the Blue Ridge Parkway a better place then we found it.

We want to remind park visitors and neighbors that if you are on the parkway and witness someone taking a sign or vandalizing park property, take down license plate information, leave the area, and call 1.800.PARKWATCH (1.800.727.5928) to report the incident to park dispatchers.  

 

Spray-painted graffiti on the Linn Cove Viaduct

NPS Image