Current:Home > MarketsVisitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site -Wealth Evolution Experts
Visitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site
Will Sage Astor View
Date:2025-04-07 00:44:22
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Federal authorities are asking for the public’s help in tracking down two men seen damaging rock formations at a national recreation site in Nevada.
Officials at Lake Mead National Recreation Area said the damage happened during a recent weekend near the Redstone Dune Trail on the north side of the lake. The petrified red dunes found there make it one of the most popular hiking spots in the park.
A video shows two men shoving chunks of sandstone off the edge of an outcropping as a girl screams. Park officials called the behavior appalling, saying the damage can’t be fixed.
“It’s one of my favorite places in the park and they’re up there just destroying it. I don’t understand that,” John Haynes, public information officer at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, told television station KVVU.
Destruction like this at federally protected sites can result in felony charges that come along with potential fines and jail time, Haynes said.
Spanning 2,344 square miles (6,071 square kilometers) of mountains and desert canyons, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area just outside of Las Vegas draws around 6 million visitors every year. Officials said staffing levels mean park officials often rely on the public to also keep watch over resources within park boundaries.
Authorities said visitors can use their cellphones to capture any video or photos of suspicious activity if it’s safe to do so and to collect any information, such as a license plate, that might help to identify offenders. The National Park Service operates a tipline that receives thousands of submissions each year.
“It’s really important to let us know,” Haynes said.
There also have been others cases of vandalism on federal land across the West over the past decade, with visitors defacing petroglyphs, toppling rock features and pounding climbing bolts into centuries-old rock art.
veryGood! (86)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Nebraska governor seeks shift to sales taxes to ease high property taxes. Not everyone is on board
- Bissell recalls more than 3.5 million steam cleaners due to burn risk
- The Best Plus Size Summer Dresses for Feeling Chic & Confident at Work
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Seattle police officer fired over ‘vile’ comments after death of Indian woman
- Dominican activists protest against a new criminal code that would maintain a total abortion ban
- Trump’s convention notably downplays Jan. 6 and his lies about election fraud
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Shelter provider accused of pervasive sexual abuse of migrant children in U.S. custody
Ranking
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Bob Newhart, Elf Actor and Comedy Icon, Dead at 94
- Lou Dobbs, conservative pundit and longtime cable TV host for Fox Business and CNN, dies at 78
- Montana seeks to revive signature restrictions for ballot petitions, including on abortion rights
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Is Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight in jeopardy if Paul loses to Mike Perry?
- Some GOP voters welcome Trump’s somewhat softened tone at Republican National Convention
- Trump shooter's online activity shows searches of rally site, use of encrypted platforms, officials say
Recommendation
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
Comedian Bob Newhart, deadpan master of sitcoms and telephone monologues, dies at 94
Harvey Weinstein due in NYC courtroom for hearing tied to upcoming retrial
Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Francis Ford Coppola to receive Kennedy Center Honors
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Hunter Biden seeks dismissal of tax, gun cases, citing decision to toss Trump’s classified docs case
Some GOP voters welcome Trump’s somewhat softened tone at Republican National Convention
Foo Fighters' Citi Field concert ends early due to 'dangerous' weather: 'So disappointed'