RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Thursday, May 16, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-162 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Conviction for Property
Theft
In January of 1990, rangers discovered that a computer and
printer had been stolen from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center.
J.C., a seasonal employee who was off for the winter,
was suspected of the theft, and enough evidence was gathered to
obtain a search warrant of her residence. During that search,
rangers found the printer and a number of other items taken from
the park, including computer software and SAR equipment. The
total valuation of all items was placed at just over $2,000.
J.C. confessed to having stolen a total of nearly $5,700 in
government property during the twoyear period she was employed
in the park. The computer was recovered from her parents'
residence in Loraine, Ohio, shortly thereafter. J.C. was
arraigned and later pled guilty to the theft of government
property (18 USC 641). On May 6th, J.C. appeared in U.S.
District Court and was sentenced to five months in prison, two
years' probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $2,000
fine. Her prison time will be spent in a halfway house or
community treatment center, where she will work days and be
detained at night. Community service will be undertaken during
the probation period. [Telefax from Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 5/15]
91-163 - Bandelier (New Mexico) - Poaching Convictions
On November 24, 1990, two residents of Santa Clara, New Mexico,
were arrested by park rangers and Los Alamos police department
officers on charges of attempting to take wildlife and
possessing and/or discharging weapons within the park. On May
14th, both were found guilty of all charges in Magistrate's
Court in Santa Fe. They were each fined $1,000 and ordered to
perform four days of community service in the park. Three
hunting rifles were forfeited. The pair still face state
charges on driving under the influence of alcohol, assault on an
officer, and unsafe use of firearms while under the influence of
alcohol. A minor who accompanied the two men was not charged.
[CompuServe message from Jim Radney, RLES, RAD/SWRO, 5/15]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Cape Cod is beginning a field project to inventory and
produce a map of all existing ground water observation wells
throughout the outer cape, and is very interested in acquiring
and utilizing a handheld LORAN unit which automatically gives
latitude and longitude coordinates for given locations. Dave
Manski, the supervisory resource management specialist at Cape
Cod, would like to hear from anybody who has had experience with
such a unit in a terrestrial environment and in nonmarine or
aviation applications, such as in locating longterm monitoring
plots, underground storage tanks, or archeological sites. He'd
also appreciate any recommendations you might be able to make on
which units have been useful and dependable and which ones to
avoid. You can reach him via his CompuServe address (CACOCR) or
at 508-349-3785. [Dave Manski, CACO]
THIS DAY IN NPS SAR HISTORY...
May 16, 1954 - Ranger Elton Thayer died on the summit of Mt.
McKinley after having reached the peak the day before. A
companion was seriously hurt, but was rescued after a major,
weeklong effort. Thayer was on an approved trip but was off
duty. [Butch Farabee, PAIS]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Dabney on annual leave (5/14-5/17).
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Martin at FLETC, Glynco, GA
(5/16-5/17).
Branch of Fire: Gale at fire program review of parks in Dakotas
(5/13-5/17); Broyles at training working team meeting, Nashville, TN
(5/13-5/17).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
SEAdog: 1/650