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Protecting the Past

Interview with Mark Connolly Conservation Officer, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Nancy Green: What are some of the hazards, the most dangerous aspects, for visitors in Range Creek?

Mark Connolly: I think probably one of the most dangerous aspects of Range Creek is not having enough water to drink while you're hiking or riding horseback. It's pretty important to have. A second thing that is pretty important is having suntan lotion, sunscreen, because you'll get really pink if you don't.

Nancy Green: Have you run into people that have been in trouble?

Mark Connolly: Ah, three individuals, three guys riding mules. They were probably down the canyon about 8 miles and it was really hot -- no wind that day, and they had no suntan lotion, no hats, so they were kind of lobster looking, bright pink. And this was 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It was kind of late to put suntan lotion on by then, so, I didn't offer them any. However, I did give them all the water that I had. They were pretty happy to see that.

Nancy Green: So, what do visitors think about he archaeological sites in Range Creek? What are their reactions?

Mark Connolly: So far, the people that I've talked to have been hiking in the canyon are somewhat disappointed, because they're expecting to see villages like in Chaco Canyon or Mesa Verde and it's just isn't that kind of villages here. There're pit houses, which are pretty hard to find in the sagebrush. And I think the people I've talked to are expecting just to walk down the road and there's going to be a nice walled building that they can look at and it's just not here.
I get several phone calls a day from people asking about it and they say, "Are all the sites marked so we'll know where they're at and we can just walk to them and look at them?" And they think there's drinking water provided here and so I just have to tell them it's really a rough environment and they really need to be prepared. And all the archaeological sites are just out there and they're just gonna have to search for them because they're not marked.

Nancy Green: So what is here? What can people expect to find?

Mark Connolly: If you get off the road and do a little looking you can find some nice petroglyphs and pictographs. If you take your time to look and kind of beat around the brush a little bit and there are the pit house dwellings--simply a circle of rocks and old foundation and the wood has all rotted away. So, there's really not a whole lot to look at unless you really get excited about that sort of thing. You might be a little bit disappointed.

Nancy Green: Explain to me what a conservation officer does, what is your day like?

Mark Connolly: I start out each day with an updated list of the permitee's that will be coming into the canyon, which has their name and address and sometimes we, we're lucky enough to get a vehicle description and then I come in and I just look for 'em and, ah, check their permits and we know exactly who is supposed to be in the canyon every single day of the year. And while I'm in on foot or I'll be on, doing some horseback patrols and vehicle patrols and everybody I see in the canyon I stop and talk to 'em. And if they didn't have a permit then we have a little conversation to find out why they're there without a permit--who they are and what they're up to.

Nancy Green: What's your role in Range Creek?

Mark Connolly: I feel like I'm the steward of this national treasure in Range Creek and my function is to protect the cultural resources here.

Nancy Green: Do you think without adequate patrolling, without adequate safeguards such as your presence, that this location could be a risk?

Mark Connolly: This location could definitely be at risk. There are sites on the internet now where there's Freemont artifacts being sold and there's always a chance that somebody's going to come in and, and take some of these artifacts. Sell 'em online and then it would be up to us to try to investigate it. So, I just, I feel like it's very important to have a presence here and we do have a presence 7 days a week year round. There's law enforcement presence in this canyon.

Nancy Green: So why do you love this canyon?

Mark Connolly: It's just, I don't know how to explain it, it just feels good to be here, and I've always had an interest in Anasazi, and the opportunity to come here and be involved with the Fremont culture is just a great, great opportunity for me. I think another thing is as a conservation officer I spent almost 25 years protecting natural resources and now I'm protecting cultural resources so it's, it's a lot similar, it's the protection that I enjoy.

Nancy Green: What are you protecting the resources from?

Mark Connolly: From looters. There's a pretty good market for selling these antiquities , and my sole job is to try and keep that from happening. Investigate any possible leads or anybody that might be trying to loot any of these sites. I'm gonna be putting my best effort into stopping that. And every agency that I've been involved with, every supervisor that is involved with this area, they're all totally committed to protecting it. Each supervisor that I've dealt with, they really want to protect this cultural resource. The Division of Wildlife Resources really has a strong commitment to protect it. The Department of Natural Resources has an equal commitment. The Bureau of Land Management, all the way to Washington D.C., they all have a strong interest in protecting what's here. Several legislators, senators--there's a lot of interest in this place, in making sure that no one's taking advantage of it.

Nancy Green: Earlier you were saying this canyon's really special to you. Why is this region so special?

Mark Connolly: There's something about, when you come up Horse Canyon and come over the pass and look down in Little Horse Canyon, it's almost like going back in time. It's like a land that's been lost in time and it's just, it just seems to speak to your soul. It's very peaceful and the serenity here is, is unparalleled.