RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Wednesday, April 5, 1989
INCIDENTS
89-59 - Kenai Fjords - Follow-up on Oil Spill
The weather in Seward deteriorated yesterday afternoon, with winds shifting
and now blowing out of the south. The oil patch has moved closer to the
park, and is now eight miles southwest of Granite Island (located near the
tip of Harris Peninsula) and within five miles of Aialik Peninsula. Both
peninsulas are within Kenai Fjords (see attached map for location and
configuration of spill as of Monday afternoon). NO oil has yet come ashore
on land within the park, however. Booms are in place in Humpy Cove and
Thumb Cove (outside the park) and Pederson Lagoon in Aialik Bay (inside the
park); boom placement was to have been completed yesterday on James Creek,
Tonsina Creek and Island Creek. NCAA and others have said that the wind
direction will be critical in keeping the oil offshore. The Weather Service
yesterday predicted a 75% to 80% chance for the Sunday arrival of a low
pressure system with 35 to 40 knot winds out of the south and southeast.
This will increase the likelihood of oil reaching shore in Kenai Fjords,
Katmai and Lake Clark. Two-person teams are en route to the latter two
areas to finalize details of those parks* spill contingency plans.
Logistics will be more difficult since the two parks are considerably larger
than Kenai Fjords and have no road access or city adjacent to their
coastlines. A Coast Guard lieutenant has arrived in Seward and will be
based at incident command team (ICT) headquarters. The NPS and ICT will
operate under Coast Guard direction. Resource assessment work conducted in
Kenai Fjords yesterday included collection of water and plankton samples,
surveys of high-use recreation areas and beaches, bivalve surveys and
vegetation evaluations in the intertidal areas, and evaluations of species
compositions, densities and distributions. (Dave Ames, Acting Regional
Director, ARO, and John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO).
89-63 - Organ Pipe Cactus - Burglary
Late on the afternoon of April 2nd, unknown persons broke into an unoccupied
park residence by kicking in the front door. The burglars were heard by a
neighbor and were frightened off when a patrol ranger responded to a call
for assistance. The suspects, who were heard to be speaking Spanish,
apparently fled over the border. Property stolen included a VCR, camera,
television, and a substantial amount of Mexican pesos. The television set
was later recovered in the desert. (Ed Lopez, CR, GRPI, via Herb Gercke,
RAD/SERO).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) Fire Situation -
a) National Park Service:
- No significant new fires.
b) Other Agency:
- No significant new fires.
2) Fire Activity - 70 fires for 2,0007 acres in last 24 hours.
3) Fire Weather - No weather systems expected which will
exacerbate fire situation in any area.
4) Analysis - Only minor activity occurring in the southeast.
5) Prognosis - No problem activity expected.
(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 1630 MDT, 4/3/89).
STAFF STATUS
Halainen out of office on RFP evaluation panel through next week, Healy and
Ringgold en route to Midwest Region chief ranger's conference at Pipestone,
Butts in Denver for meeting with USFS. Steve Hodapp is the acting chief,
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection.
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
FTS 343-4874/4875 or 202-343-4874/4875