Vandalism found at High Cliff State Park, authorities are asking the public to come forward with tips to locate suspects. PC: Fox 11 Online
SHERWOOD, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A natural wonder, millions of years in the making in Wisconsin, has been struck by vandalism.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is now asking for the public’s help in locating suspects for the incident at High Cliff State Park.
Authorities say graffiti was found on the cliffs facing Lake Winnebago, near the Indian Mound Trail.
“Really sad. I mean, really sad that someone would do that,” Friends of High Cliff State Park board member Beth Braun said.
The vandalism comes just days after the non-profit group posted photos of the cliffs on Facebook.
“We’re worried that somebody saw that and then went ahead and marked it up, so it makes us sad that we’re trying to promote the park, and get people to come to the park, and enjoy the park, and then someone does something like this,” Braun said.
Braun said it’s frustrating to see the unique cliffs vandalized. The cliffs are part of the Niagara Escarpment, which spans from Wisconsin to Niagara Falls. It began its life nearly 400 million years ago under a tropical sea.
The friends of High Cliff State Park say while the vandalism is heartbreaking to see, it’s not going to stop them from promoting and caring for the park they love.
“Do we continue to post our treasures, our park treasures? On one hand, I sure don’t want to be held hostage by those people who are here to do it harm,” Braun said.
The vandalism was discovered Sunday by a hiker. Right now, the case is an active investigation by the Wisconsin DNR and the Calumet County Sheriff’s Office.
The DNR said while they do occasionally find vandalism in the park, this incident is much more significant and will be hard to remove.
“It is kind of a challenge with where the graffiti is at because it is on the cliff face, so it’s not necessarily the most accessible,” Wisconsin DNR conservation warden Daniel Denault said.
Denault said the graffiti will be removed once they determine who did it. As far as the penalty for state park vandalism goes, it could be a fine, or more, depending on the investigation.
“It is kind of a big deal because it is a state natural area and they are destroying or defacing the natural area,” he said.
If you have any information or tips about who is responsible for the vandalism, please call the Wisconsin DNR at (800) 847-9367.
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