Page 2 - winter 2018 the Rock

his issue of the Rock focuses on the ac- Friends of Red Rock Canyon also co-sponsors
T complishments and contributions of you, various community events through the year. The
our members and volunteers. Together, we do- work accomplished at the most recent events,
nated more than 28,300 hours of our talent and National Public Lands Day and Make a Difference
lives to improve Red Rock Canyon. Our unpaid, Day, are highlighted as well.
but much-appreciated, work was the equivalent
of having an additional 10 full-time employees We also annually recognize and honor the work
who worked eight-hour days, every day, for the and donated time of volunteers by hosting an
past year. No days off for holidays, no time off for appreciation banquet for them. There were a lot of
illness – just 156 volunteers who believe in taking people and accomplishments to acknowledge.
care of what we own.
I hope you enjoy reading about how our
You can find out more about our newest team, members have made this portion of the world a
Light Trail Maintenance, on page 6. This dedicated much better place.
group meets twice monthly and accomplishes a
great deal that subliminally enhances our visitors Thank you for everything you do for the Rock!
hiking experiences.
Pat Williams

Thank You, Howard. being proactive. At one point as Vice President of
the Nevada Open Spaces Council, he petitioned
his past August, Red Rock Canyon and for the state of Nevada to purchase Red Rock
T Friends of Red Rock Canyon lost a long- Canyon and turn it into a state park. Howard was
time champion in Howard Booth. His obituary not a big man, but he had a big heart and would
summarized his devotion in one sentence, “How- not back down from any cause he believed in. He
ard was a fierce defender of natural places, espe- was someone you definitely wanted on your side
cially Red Rock, and an active environmentalist in any fight.
until his death.”
On October 13,
A native of Pennsylvania, 1984, Howard was
Howard attended Rensselaer one of 14 charter
Polytechnic Institute and served members attend-
in both World War II and the ing the first general
Korean War. With a degree in meeting of the Red
Meteorology, he spent his career Rock Canyon Soci-
at the Nevada Test Site and ety. Later the Society
developed a love for Nevada and became Friends of
the environment. Red Rock Canyon
and Howard became
As a member of the Sierra Club, Howard was the first chair of the Trail Maintenance Commit-
very active helping Red Rock Canyon obtain tee. Howard continued to speak out and fight for
protection as a National Recreation Area in 1967. conservation issues throughout Nevada, testifying
Howard continued to fight for additional Red in support of public lands bills this past spring at
Rock protection, even taking on the Bureau of the age of 90. Our condolences to his wife Ursula
Land Management when he felt they were not and the Booth Family.
By Chuck Williams