Brett Nelson's viral vigilantism against a trio of alleged vandals at Tumalo Falls has made headlines nationwide.

But compared to other cases of criminal mischief on public lands, a man and two teens reportedly etching their names into a railing at the Bend area waterfall is small potatoes.

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Deschutes National Forest rangers have seen far worse.

Here are a few of the most common issues rangers face, according to forest spokeswoman Kassidy Kern:

Graffiti

Deschutes National Forest officials launched a major investigation after discovering that a group of partying teenagers had defaced the popular pictograph-filled Hidden Forest Cave. The teens had covered the ancient drawings in spray paint. After they were caught, they faced fines in excess of $20,000.

Trailblazing

"We have a lot of creation of new trails," Kern said. "They don't like where our trail ends, so they want to make a loop." Doing so damages the landscape and can speed up erosion.

Similar problems arise when people drive their vehicles off-road, Kern said. Once illegal roads are blazed, well-meaning public lands visitors often mistake them for real roads, worsening the problem and sometimes causing people to get lost.

Bullet holes

"We get a lot of shooting issues," Kern said. "People shooting road signs or shooting trees to essentially cut them down." Trees struck by bullets present a safety hazard, and signs cost a hefty sum to replace.

Illegal dumping

The Deschutes National Forest is often used as a dumping ground for area residents' trash, Kern said, posing a host of problems for rangers. The Deschutes' location near highly-populated areas such as Bend worsens the issue, she said.

-- Kelly House

khouse@oregonian.com

503-221-8178

@Kelly_M_House