Current:Home > StocksVisitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site -ProfitEdge
Visitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site
View
Date:2025-04-14 11:00:05
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! (2)
Related
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Two rescued after car plunges 300 feet off Arizona cliff, leaving passenger 'trapped upside down'
- Holocaust museum will host free field trips for eighth graders in New York City public schools
- Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- New to US: Hornets that butcher bees and sting people. Humans are fighting back.
- The Extravagant Way Cher and Boyfriend Alexander Edwards Celebrated Her 78th Birthday
- 30 years of clashes between Ticketmaster, artists and fans
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- The doomsday glacier is undergoing vigorous ice melt that could reshape sea level rise projections
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Deaths deemed suspicious after bodies were found in burned home
- North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoes first bill of 2024 legislative session
- Get Summer-Ready with These Old Navy Memorial Day Sales – Tennis Dresses, Shorts & More, Starting at $4
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Sean Kingston's home raided by SWAT, mom arrested for 'fraud and theft'
- Do you need a college degree to succeed? Here's what the data shows.
- Pregnant Michigan Woman Saved After Jumping From 2-Story Window to Escape Fire
Recommendation
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Jon Lovett, 'Pod Save America' host and former Obama speechwriter, joins 'Survivor'
Ohio governor calls special session to pass legislation ensuring President Biden is on 2024 ballot
Trump aide Walt Nauta front and center during contentious hearing in classified documents case
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
Rapper Sean Kingston’s home raided by SWAT; mother arrested on fraud and theft charges
Get 50% Off Old Navy, 60% Off Fenty Beauty, 70% Off Anthropologie, 70% Off Madewell & Memorial Day Deals
When does the College World Series start? Top teams set their sights on Omaha