Re: Graffiti near DCHS

Slapping on a coat of rock-color paint temporarily removes the problem, but it's unnatural and provides taggers a new canvas.Washing the paint with cleaning solution could poison plants or animals or contaminate nearby waterways with solvents, including toluene, ketones or methylene chloride.

Because rocks are porous, spray paint seeps deep into the boulders and canyon walls. The most effective way to erase paint on rocks is with a high-pressure sandblaster.

But getting a 50-pound sandblaster and an air compressor into a backcountry canyon can be a challenge. At Sequoia and Kings Canyon crews recently used a helicopter to lower a sandblaster into the backcountry to remove graffiti.