Those concerns were shared by another speaker, Bill Lipe, a former president of the Society for American Archaeology and professor of anthropology at Washington State University. His advice was to minimize wear on the sites by promoting education and fostering respect for what are, after all, national treasures. That is a more complicated approach than simply telling people to shut up, but in the long run it is the only one that will succeed. Americans are not about to turn over their public lands to some sort of archaeological priesthood. The situation is similar to what happens with skiing.
Ski areas are in many ways hard on the environment.
At the same time, they provide many people with their first, and perhaps only, mountain experience. As such, they have probably done more to boost support for environmental causes than environmentalists themselves. Likewise, public exposure may damage some archaeological sites. The knowledge gained, however, should translate into increased respect for the ruins and appreciation of their significance. That kind of support is the key.