Environmental group attacked or Publicity stunt

The Petroglyph just did a story titled “Bears Ears National Monument Proposal “Dirty Ticks” Exposed” exposing the dirty tricks that environmental groups use to draw attention to their agenda. After publishing the story we received some further information that we wanted to present.

Ross showing off the mask in Indian Creek

In September 2012 the Great Old Broads for Wilderness (GOBs) a radical environmental group out of Durango Colorado filed a complaint with the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office claiming that locals had threatened their group while camped in Indian Creek Utah on a retreat. High Country News out of Colorado ran a story about the alleged incident.

“It’s a brilliant Sunday morning in southeast Utah, and a hag mask hangs on the fence before me. Gray hair askew, she gapes at red cliffs through dripping fake blood. The vandal who mounted the mask has also locked the gate to our campsite. No one can get in or out — a dangerous prospect, since most of the 50 or so folks here are senior citizens.

The mask comes with an ominous note: “Get out of San Juan County. This is your last warning.””

In June just three months prior to this incident in Indian Creek, Utah a story was published showing a member of the Great Old Broad for Wilderness wearing a Halloween mask and riding a horse in the back-country.

Great Old Broad wearing a Halloween Mask

It appears that the GOBs don’t mind having some fun with Halloween masks so was the mask in Indian Creek just a publicity stunt or what?

One source that was involved in the Indian Creek investigation stated that law enforcement wanted the group to leave their sign up on the gate. So that law enforcement could put up some cameras to monitor the sign and anyone coming or going in the area. They were hoping they might get lucky and the vandals would return to destroy the sign on the gate even more.

Unfortunately, the Great Old Broads refused to leave their sign up to hopefully catch the alleged vandals. With Ross Chilcoat posing with the threatening mask and the group refusing to work with law enforcement it really begs the question was this really the work of vandals or was it just another publicity stunt orchestrated by the Great Old Broads for Wilderness?

Great Old Broads for Wilderness Sign