Woman pleads guilty to defacing rocks at 7 national parks
FRESNO, Calif. — A San Diego woman who painted and drew on treasured natural rock formations at national parks across the West and shared her work on social media pleaded guilty Monday to defacing government property.
Casey Nocket, 23, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Fresno, California to seven misdemeanors for the autumn 2014 painting spree at seven national parks including Yosemite in California and Zion in Utah.
She also admitted to defacing rocks at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
Nocket used Instagram and Tumblr to document her trip and her graffiti-like work, which led to broad outrage on social media.
She was sentenced to two years’ probation and 200 hours of community service.
The vandalism in September and October of 2014 caused serious cleanup problems at the national parks. The sandblasting and chemical stripping used to remove paint can cause even more damage to irreplaceable natural features.
At two parks, Crater Lake and Death Valley in California, the cleaning has yet to be completed nearly two years later.
A later hearing will determine how much restitution Nocket must pay to help with the cleanup.
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