- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, October 2, 1989
- Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1989
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Monday, October 2, 1989
NOTICE: There will be no Morning Reports on October 3rd, 4th or 5th.
Morning Reports will continue on Friday, October 6th.
INCIDENTS
89-299 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Bear Mauling
On the evening of the 28th, P.M., 43, and her husband J.M., both
of Blanchester, Ohio, were picnicking in the Chimneys Picnic Area when a
black bear approached them. They withdrew to their van until the bear
appeared to wander off, then got back out again. P.M. walked down to a
river and squatted down to pick up some rocks. She heard a noise behind her
and turned to find a bear about ten feet away. As she stood, the bear
charged her. She attempted to run, but fell. The bear grabbed her on the
back of the neck with his teeth and began shaking her. P.M. screamed for
help; her husband and another visitor went after the bear with rocks and
sticks and chased him off. P.M. was taken to an area hospital, where she
is being treated for a fractured scapula and scratches and puncture wounds
on her back and neck. The bear, known to park rangers as Bear #79, was
caught and locked up. Bear #79 is six years old, weighs 200 pounds, and has
a history of aggressive behavior. He was captured and released elsewhere in
the park on June 18th, then again on August 12th. The picnic area, which is
in the midst of prime bear habitat, has been the scene of considerable bear
activity and visitor feeding of bears over the past few years. The future
disposition of Bear #79 is undecided at present; the possibility of distant
relocation is complicated by the local county commission, which refuses to
let the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency remove bears from the county.
Because of the bear's history, there is a high degree of local media
interest in the incident and in the park's bear management policies.
(Telephone report from Steve Smith, RAD/SERO; CompuServe message from Pete
Hart, CR, GRSM).
89-300 - Chattahoochee River (Georgia) - Suspected Homicide
Just after noon on the 30th, a park visitor discovered a motor vehicle in
the pond at Island Ford and reported it to the park. Responding rangers
found the partly clad body of a woman in the vehicle, which had been driven
off a dam and fallen 30 feet to the pond. The car is registered to a woman
from Decatur, Georgia, but the victim has not yet been identified.
Circumstances strongly suggest the possibility that the woman was a homicide
victim. Rangers and Fulton County officers are investigating the incident.
(Denny Beach, Superintendent, CHAT, via telephone report to RAD through Park
Police dispatch).
89-301 - Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Resource Violation
On July 28th, Grant Village ranger Kim Carry observed a woman walking off-
road in the Back Basin of the West Thumb thermal area. The woman appeared
to be spreading something on the ground. Concession employee Joyce Vonneida
said she believed that the park could not recover from the fires, so she had
"adopted" the Back Basin as a project. The plant species she possessed was
Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens), one of the 100 or so exotic species
listed in the park. She was charged with introducing non-native plants to
the park; she received a $100 fine, which was suspended. (Courtesy of "The
Buffalo Chip", resource management newsletter, YELL).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Planning Level I.
The NIFCC fire situation report is not available this morning.
2) NOTES - The NPS Wildland Fire Situation Report has been completed for the
period from September 21st to September 27th:
- Fire Danger:
ARO Low
MAR Low
MWR Low-High Very High: Scotts Bluff NE
NCR Low
NAR Low
PNR High Very High: Coulee Dam, North Cascades, Olympic WA
RMR Low-High Very High: Bryce Canyon UT
SER Low-Mod
SWR Low-High Very High: Carlsbad Caverns KM
Extreme: Big Bend TX
WRO Low-High Very High: Lava Beds, Santa Monica CA,
- Wildfires:
Region Park # Fires # Acres
Midwest Indiana Dunes IN 1 1.1
Pacific NW Mount Rainier WA 1 0.1
Olympic WA 4 0.4
Western Sequoia-Kings CA 1 0.1
Yosemite CA 1 0.1
---- ----
Total 8 1.8
- Prescribed Natural Fires:
No prescribed natural fires are being conducted pending revision
and approval of area fire management plans.
- Prescribed Burns:
Southeast Everglades FL 3 540.0
Southwest Big Thicket TX 1 55.0
Western Grand Canyon AZ 1 carry-over 50.0
Lava Beds CA 1 700.0
Yosemite CA 1 0.1
---- ----
Total 7 1,345.1
- National Situation:
A lightning storm in the Pacific Northwest ignited five small fires
in Olympic and Mount Rainier during the period. Most of the National
Park Service fire activity during the week was in the management of
prescribed burns. Three burns were successfully conducted at
Everglades in conjunction with a prescribed burn boss course being
conducted there. A large burn was also conducted at Lava Beds with the
assistance of the Alpine Interagency Hotshot Crew. Saguaro reported
that they will soon be hiring four small crews to begin rehabilitation
work in the areas damaged by this year's Chiva Fire.
- Fire Occurrence, Year-To-Date:
Fire Type # Fires # Acres
Wildfires 687 173,600
Natural Outs 67 2,103
Prescribed Natural Fires 0 ---
Prescribed Burns 97 42,033
False Alarms 58 ---
Mutual Aid by NPS 149 45,105
Support Actions 429 ---
(NPS Wildland Fire Situation Report prepared by Judi Zuckert, BFM/Boise).
CALENDAR
Asterisks indicate new or revised entries:
October 11 - 13 - International Symposium on the Columbus Quincentennial,
Santa Fe, NM. Jointly sponsored by the NPS and the University of New
Mexico. Announced as an NPS training opportunity. Further information can
be obtained from the Spanish Colonial Research Center (FTS 474-8743 or
commercial 505-766-8743).
October 16 - 20 - Desert Parks Workshop, Tucson, Arizona. For further
information, contact Frank Bono at Albright.
October 16 - 20 - Southwest Regional Chief Rangers' Workshop, Hot Springs,
Arkansas.
October 22 - 27 - Rendezvous XIII, joint meeting, Association of National
Park Rangers and Employee and Alumni Association, Arlington Resort Hotel and
Spa, Hot Springs, Arkansas.
October 24 - 27 - "The Scientific Challenges of NEPA: Future Directions
Based on 20 Years of Experience", symposium, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Sponsored by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Address inquiries to Dr.
Stephen Hildebrand, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National
laboratory. Post Office Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6036 (615-574-
7329).
November 5 - 10 - "Homespun to High Tech: Interpreting for Urban Audiences",
workshop, National Association of Interpretation, St. Paul/Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Contact NAI, PO Box 1892, Fort Collins, CO 80522 (303-491-6434)
November 6 - 9 - Employee Development Officers' Workshop, FLETC, Glynco,
Georgia.
November 6 - 8 - Regional Fire Coordinators' Meeting, Denver, Colorado
(tentative). Key topics will include FY 90 FIREPRO financial management, FY
90 recruitment, rewriting NPS-18 and an FMO orientation session for the
spring of 1990.
November 7 - 9 - "Symposium on the Interpretation of Literary and Visual
Arts Sites", Concord, Massachusetts. Sponsored by NARO Interpretive Skills
Team. The symposium will examine the relationship between the creative
process, writers and artists and their works, and the physical resources
through which they are interpreted. Contact David Day, NARO, Division of
Interpretation (617-223-5073).
November 10 - 11 - Fourth Annual Wilderness Emergencies Conference, Los
Abrigados Resort, Sedona, Arizona. Topics include wilderness improvisation
and rescue, management of backcountry trauma, long term care of the injured,
environmental illnesses, and survival and medical equipment. The
registration fee is $75 ($135 for physicians). For further information,
contact Sharon Rarbeck, R.N., Flagstaff Medical Center (602-779-3366,
extension 4185).
November 13 - 17 - Law Enforcement for Managers, training session, FLF7TC,
Georgia. Rescheduled from October 30 - November 3. The course is targeted
at the management level and is intended to familiarize participants with
recent changes in Federal law, NPS authority and jurisdiction, policy and
guidelines, and civil liability. Contact Bill Supernaugh (FTS 230-2246 or
912-267-2246).
November 28 - 30 - Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program (SLETP)
Curriculum Conference, FLETC, Georgia. School coordinators will meet with
NPS staff to review curriculum in light of NPS-9 revisions and Servicewide
needs. Field input and suggestions welcome. Contact Bill Supernaugh (FTS
230-2246 or 912-267-2246).
November 28 - 30 - "Interpretation of Critical Resource Issues", Sheraton
Ocean Park Inn, Eastham, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the NARO Interpretive
Skills Team. The workshop will focus on the issues and techniques involved
in the interpretation of critical cultural and natural resource management
issues. Contact David Day, NARO, Division of Interpretation (617-223-5073).
March 19 - 23 - Fire Management for Managers, 36-hour course, Branch of Fire
Management, Boise, Idaho. The course has been rescheduled from December to
March due to on-going major revisions in NPS-18 and other national inter.
agency policies and activities.
(Calendar appears in each Monday's morning report. If you know of a
conference, meeting or training session with Servicewide interest and
implications, please provide the specifics to Bill Halainen in Ranger
Activities).
STAFF STATUS
Dabney in Jackson Hole at RMR CR conference.
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: FTS 343-4874/6039 or 202-343-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 343-5977 or 202-343-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER
SEAdog: 1/650 (Phone:343-6014; BAUD:2400)