RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION MORNING REPORT Attention: Directorate Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC Ranger Activities Division Information Network Day/Date: Thursday, November 21, 1991 INCIDENTS 91-160 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Follow-up on Pollution Case Last spring, an acid mine runoff in Wolf Creek, which runs through the park, killed over 500 fish and threatened water quality for area residents. The U.S. attorney subsequently asked the NPS and FBI to conduct a joint investigation of the incident. On November 15th, L.L. and his company, Mine Management, Inc., were found guilty by a federal jury on 16 felony counts of violating the Federal Clean Water Act. L.L. faces both fines and possible sentences of three years in prison on each count. The case is being viewed as a significant shift in the use of the Clean Water Act. Rangers, FBI agents and members of the U.S. Attorney's Office - all members of an environmental crimes task force - are now investigating two additional environmental crimes involving water quality in the park. Arrests are expected. [Telefax from Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 11/20] 91-628 - Kennesaw Mountain (Georgia) - ARPA Investigation Ranger Rick Black was on patrol near Cheatham Hill on November 18th when a park visitor advised him that a man was using a metal detector and digging holes below the Illinois Monument. Black investigated, and came upon W.S.M., 32, of Lancaster, Texas, who was carrying a metal detector in one hand and ear phones in the other. Black asked him if he'd found anything, and W.S.M. showed him a minie ball. Black then accompanied W.S.M. back to the monument, where W.S.M. showed him several holes he had dug. Ranger Frank Graham arrived on scene, interviewed W.S.M., then contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office. They advised that W.S.M. be arrested. He was therefore jailed and brought before a U.S. magistrate for an initial appearance the following morning. He was subsequently released on a $10,000 bond. SEAC archeologist Kenneth Wild has conducted an archeological damage assessment and will be completing a report. W.S.M. is scheduled to appear in court in late December or early January. This is the third ARPA case which has occurred in the park in the past six weeks. [Telefax from Frank Graham, Acting CR, KEMO, 11/20] 91-629 - Delaware Water Gap (Pennsylvania) - Assist on Felony Arrests Early on the evening of November 9th, the Pennsylvania State Police advised rangers that two men had committed an armed robbery just outside the park and that they were fleeing in a stolen vehicle toward the park. Rangers Deborah Forbes, Mitch Williams and Greg Jablonski responded; while in the process of doing so, they were advised that the stolen vehicle had crashed within the park. Forbes arrived at the scene first, secured the weapon which had been used in the robbery (a starter's pistol), then helped local EMS responders provide medical assistance to the vehicle's driver, M.C., 26, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Forbes then detained M.C. until state troopers arrived and took him into custody. The second suspect, a juvenile runaway from Philadelphia who'd left the scene of the accident on foot, was picked up by a passing motorist and taken to the post office in Bushkill. Williams accordingly headed for the post office and contacted the juvenile. Williams found that he had sustained a gunshot wound in the hand and provided first aid, then detained the juvenile with Jablonski until the state police could arrive on scene. Both suspects were treated, released to the state police, and imprisoned pending the filing of multiple felony charges. NPS and state investigators have since determined the sequence of events prior to the accident. After the two men committed the first armed robbery, they fled in the victim's vehicle, which soon broke down. A passing motorist stopped, helped the two men push the vehicle off the road, then gave the men a ride. Once in the vehicle, the juvenile drew his gun on the driver and told him to get out. As they drove off in the second victim's vehicle, the two men got into an argument and crashed. The incident is believed to be drug related. The state police are continuing the investigation. [CompuServe message from DEWA, 11/20] RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Archeological Excavation Emergency archeological field work resumed this week at the prehistoric site discovered on the beach last year. Dunes up to ten feet high covered the unexcavated portion of the site prior to the passage of the severe coastal storm late in October. That storm leveled the dunes, destroyed about 40 percent of the known site area, and left the balance vulnerable to destruction by forthcoming winter storms. A series of 100 shovel test pits will be excavated in order to verify the existence of the site and to define prehistoric habitation and activity areas. Once a site map has been developed and the data from the test pits is analyzed, a determination will be made regarding the need for further excavations. Rangers will be on site around the clock for the duration of the project in order to protect and interpret the site. [Dennis Burnett, CACO] STAFF STATUS Division Chief: Brady on annual leave (11/18-11/22). Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin instructing at safety for line managers course, Beckley, WV (11/18-11/20); Kreis at regional fee coordinator meeting, WASO (11/19-11/22). Branch of Fire and Aviation: Norum at meeting of prescribed fire and fire effects working team, Charleston, WV (11/17-11/22); Gale serving as incident commander for 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, HI (11/25-12/9); Botti at Western Region FMO meeting, Yosemite, CA (11/18-11/22); Broyles at training working team meeting, White River, AZ (11/7-11/22). Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities Telephone: All Offices - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039 Telefax: Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756 Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977 CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO-FIRE-WO SEAdog: Branch of R&VP - 1/650 Branch of F&A (WASO) - 1/655