Vandals Graffiti Forest Restrooms

Tuolumne County, CA —  Vandals recently hit the Riverside Day Use Facility northeast of Tuolumne, resulting in an anticipated costly cleanup.

The facility is located on Buchanan Road/Forest Route 2N09 in the Mi-Wok Ranger District in Tuolumne County (see map below). Pictures in the image box show how the taggers used bright blue and black spray paint on the outside and just blue paint on the inside of the restrooms. Stanislaus National Forest officials are turning to the public for help to catch the taggers. Anyone who may have seen the vandals during the crime, or maybe just suspicious activity or anything unusual around the restroom area, is asked to call (209) 532-3671.

Cleaning up will be costly, with forest officials noting that the forest service is not flush with cash.

“We don’t have huge, federally allocated budgets (relative to the task), and our coffers are not overflowing from the minimal fees charged at facilities. So, when vandalism strikes (or an abandoned car or washing machine is left on public lands), it means we have to tap into already thin resources to clean it up; this in turn means there are less dollars available to improve facilities, to hire people to manage facilities, and overall, your experience is degraded,” advised forest officials.

Visitors are encouraged to help protect the forest by adopting a “land ethic” when in the forest. This list of helpful actions was provided by forest officials:

• If you pack it in, then pack it out.
• If garbage cans are full, take the trash with you.
• When you spot vandalism, please let us know immediately.

Forest officials added, “Perhaps together we can keep the places we love and cherish beautiful and available to everyone.”