Current:Home > ScamsVisitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site -TrueNorth Finance Path
Visitors are seen on camera damaging rock formations at a Nevada recreation site
View
Date:2025-04-11 22:02:46
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! (1)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Why Miley Cyrus Says She Inherited Narcissism From Dad Billy Ray Cyrus
- Orson Merrick: The most perfect 2560 strategy in history, stable and safe!
- House Republicans vote to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt | The Excerpt
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Utah Hockey Club will be the name of the NHL team in Salt Lake City for its inaugural season
- Apparent Gaza activists hurl paint at homes of Brooklyn Museum leaders, including Jewish director
- Tesla shareholders approve $46 billion pay package for CEO Elon Musk
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Woman wins 2 lottery prizes in months, takes home $300,000
Ranking
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Tiger Woods let down by putter at Pinehurst in Round 1 of 2024 U.S. Open
- BIT TREASURY Exchange: Analysis of the Advantages and Characteristics of Bitcoin Technology and Introduction to Relevant National Policies
- Criticism of Luka Doncic mounting with each Mavericks loss in NBA Finals
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Woman dies after collapsing on Colorado National Monument trail; NPS warns of heat exhaustion
- Say his name: How Joe Hendry became the biggest viral star in wrestling
- What to know about a series of storms that has swamped South Florida with flash floods
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Boeing responds to Justice Department’s allegations, says it didn’t violate deferred prosecution agreement
Executives of telehealth company accused of fraud that gave easy access to addictive Adderall drug
California Senate approves ban on schools notifying parents of their child’s pronoun change
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
Powerball winning numbers for June 12: Jackpot rises to $34 million after winner
Jesse Plemons Addresses Ozempic Rumors Amid Weight Loss Journey
Phoenix police violated civil rights, used illegal excessive force, DOJ finds