09/27/06 Someone is stealing rocks

A lot of people seem to think its okay for them to remove rocks from BLM lands, especially in southwest Idaho. The Bureau of Land Management's Lee Kliman says commercial dealers often go onto public lands looking for landscaping rocks, sometimes the bigger the better. KLIMAN "They use a lot of power equipment, hoists, and Bobcats and loaders and a lot of other such equipment to move boulders of significant size." In the process hills have been damaged and Kliman says there's always a risk that Native American sites can be damaged or wiped out. With the tremendous boom in housing in the Boise Valley Kliman says he understands the demand for decorative rock but a permit from the BLM can save everybody a lot of headaches. KLIMAN "When you purchase a permit for ten to 15 dollars a ton they give you the map to the site so that you have it and make sure that you get there correctly and so forth." Kliman says if you see someone removing rock especially under the cover of darkness try to get a license number that can help investigators track down that vehicle and its owner. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott