Las Vegas — Federal authorities are seeking assistance from the community to locate two individuals who were observed causing harm to rock formations at a national recreation site in Nevada.
According to officials at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the incident occurred recently near the Redstone Dune Trail on the north side of the lake. The petrified red dunes in this area attract many hikers, making it a popular spot in the park.
A video shared by CBS Las Vegas affiliate KLAS-TV, which has gained significant attention, shows two men pushing pieces of sandstone off a cliff while a girl can be heard screaming. The park management described the actions as shocking, emphasizing that the damage is irreversible.
"It's one of my favorite places in the park and they're up there just destroying it. I don't understand that," commented John Haynes, the public information officer at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in an interview with television station KVVU.
Haynes mentioned that destructive acts like this in protected federal areas can lead to felony charges, accompanied by potential fines and imprisonment.
Spanning 2,344 square miles of mountains and desert canyons, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area just outside 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 and to collect any information, such as a license plate, that might help identify offenders. The National Park Service operates a tip line that receives thousands of submissions each year. That number is 888-653-0009, and there's an online version.
"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.
