Current:Home > ScamsVisitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site -FundCenter
Visitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site
View
Date:2025-04-18 00:17:15
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! (145)
Related
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Supporters, opponents of Minnesota trooper charged with murder confront each other at courthouse
- Funeral services are held for a Chicago police officer fatally shot while heading home from work
- Bird never seen in US, the blue rock thrush, reportedly spotted on Oregon coast
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Seller of fraudulent N95 face masks to refund $1.1 million to customers
- Trump hush money trial continues as prosecution calls Michael Cohen's banker | The Excerpt
- Milestone: 1st container ship arrives since Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ hits No. 1, with songs claiming the top 14 spots
Ranking
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Iconic arch that served as Iditarod finish line collapses in Alaska. Wood rot is likely the culprit
- Binance founder Changpeng Zhao faces sentencing; US seeks 3-year term for allowing money laundering
- Billy Joel's ex-wife Christie Brinkley dances as he performs 'Uptown Girl': Watch
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Binance founder Changpeng Zhao faces sentencing; US seeks 3-year term for allowing money laundering
- Ben Affleck May Have Just Made Himself Another Meme
- Horoscopes Today, April 29, 2024
Recommendation
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Workers’ paychecks grew faster in the first quarter, a possible concern for the Fed
Is Taylor Swift Going to 2024 Met Gala? Here's the Truth
Seattle Kraken fire coach Dave Hakstol after giving him an extension last summer
The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
New Mexico reaches record settlement over natural gas flaring in the Permian Basin
Billie Eilish announces 'Hit Me Hard and Soft' tour: How to get tickets
MLB's hardest-throwing pitcher Mason Miller is menacing hitters: 'Scary to see, fun to watch'