Volunteers provide needed pick-me-up when Bush's conservation budgets fall short

by Editorial staff, Las Vegas SUN

When it comes to the upkeep of places such as Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, federal officials say they rely heavily on community volunteers.

A story by the Las Vegas Sun's Phoebe Sweet on Saturday said 100 volunteers were expected to turn out over the weekend to help spruce up the conservation area that is just west of Las Vegas and sees about 1 million visitors a year.

Like other federal agencies that oversee the nation's public lands, the Bureau of Land Management, which manages Red Rock Canyon, struggles with ongoing budget cuts, agency officials said. One BLM ranger routinely is assigned to cover tens of thousands of acres of open land, making it virtually impossible to control visitors who dump trash or who vandalize facilities and cultural sites.