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In this issue...

The Red Rock Canyon world came to a tem- Please make the time to welcome back Josh
porary halt in mid-March as the pandemic sped Travers, our new BLM Assistant Field Manager
across the nation and altered our lives. Our (AFM) for Red Rock Canyon NCA. Travers
deepest hopes are that you, your family, loved was with us, too briefly, in 2014 and 2015 and
ones and friends have weathered the storm and he officially returned as AFM on May 4. I be-
are regaining a sense of safety again. lieve he will make an incredible difference. The
Rock is lucky to have him at the helm.
The Friends members and volunteers have
continued to amaze me. The Tortoise Habitat Again, our members and community friends
and the hummingbird feeding volunteers have are amazing. May 5 was GivingTuesdayNow
continued to come out, twice weekly, to care and you came through for Friends. The fund-
for our little creatures. Members, crazy about raising drive, led by Executive Director Erin
the Rock, are continuing to safely hike, report McDermott, had a lofty (we thought) goal of
damages and clean the area while they’re on $5,000. Your donations exceeded $6,600 and
site. we couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you!
I assure you that your donations will be used in
George Phillips of the Southern Nevada Rock the best possible way.
Art Association has shared his experiences
with this wonderful group. I think our rock art
enthusiasts will appreciate his story. Pat and the Rock team members

Staying safe while we return to Red Rock.

At press time (May 28), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will reopen the Scenic Drive
and trails on June 1. The operating hours will be reduced from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for both the
public’s and Red Rock Canyon’s staff safety. There will also be capacity controls, similar to those
implemented during peak visitation periods, to limit the cars and people using the parking areas and
trails. The Visitor Center and the Administrative Building will remain closed to the public until the
next stage in the pandemic mitigation and reopening plans.

The Board of Directors and the Friends executive staff have developed new operating procedures
that will be in place until the pandemic craziness ends. These include:
• The staff will work staggered days to limit personal interaction.
• No more than two visitors are allowed in the Friends office at any one time.

• Office visitors, again no more than two at a time, must be masked and maintain the appropri-
ate distance. Hygiene rules will be in effect, so please don’t be offended if Erin McDermott or
Susan Gonzalez sound like your mother: “Did you wash your hands?” It’s for your safety and
for theirs.

• We (Friends and the BLM) are resuming capacity controlled volunteer group activities such
as Light Trail Maintenance, Graffiti Removal, Canyon Cleanup, Native Plant and the Natural
Resources crews. Volunteers working in groups will be required to wear masks or face cover-
ings. Again, this is for everyone’s continued well-being. We’d like to keep you around for a
long, long time.
Stay safe. Practice those rules you learned in Kindergarten: Be polite. Say “please” and “thank
you.” Wash your hands often. And always be kind.

Background Image: “Sunset at Badger Pass” by Carole Swearingen