- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, January 30, 1992
- Date: Thurs, 30 Jan 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Thursday, January 30, 1992
INCIDENTS
91-609 - Glacier (Montana) - Follow-up on Poaching Arrests
On January 13th, D.M., 38, and J.R., 34, of Columbia Falls,
Montana, pled guilty to charges associated with the killing of a mountain
goat in the Walton area of the park last November. They were convicted on
charges of hunting in the park, conspiracy to hunt in the park, and
possession of a weapon in the park. The following NPS sentencing
recommendations were accepted by the court:
- sixty days in jail with credit for time already served (four days for
D.M. and three days for J.R.), with the balance suspended contingent on
fulfillment of probation requirements;
- fines of $2,500 for each defendant;
- restitution of a total of $3,500 (combined) by the defendants to the park;
- forfeiture of D.M.'s Remington model 700 .338 rifle, which was used
in the crime;
- forfeiture of J.R.'s 1990 Dodge Dakota four-by-four pickup, which was
used in the crime;
- prohibition of both from entering the park for two years;
- loss of hunting privileges in Montana for both for two years; and
- two years of unsupervised probation, during which time there must be no
violation of any state or federal law.
The convictions stem from an incident which occurred on November 9, 1991, in
which an adult female mountain goat was shot and killed in broad daylight a
few hundred yards north of U.S. Highway 2 near the Walton Goat Lick. The
incident was initially reported to ranger Kyle Johnson by two park visitors.
Johnson began an investigation and organized a round-the-clock surveillance
of the crime scene after he determined that the goat carcass had not yet
been retrieved and a rifle had been stashed in a nearby tree. Rangers
Johnson, Curt Frain and Charlie Logan arrested D.M. and J.R. the
following afternoon when they returned to the scene to pick up the goat
carcass and rifle. The two visitors who initially reported the incident
will share a $500 reward from the NPS for providing information which led to
the arrest and conviction of the two men. [Telefax from Bob Andrew, CR,
GLAC, 1/29]
92-19 - Yosemite (California) - Successful Search and Rescue
E.L.W., 33, of San Francisco, was found in Tenaya Canyon late on
the afternoon of January 27th after a two-day search. E.L.W. was reported
missing by family members when he failed to return home from the park as
planned on January 24th. Investigators learned that he had spent four
nights in Yosemite Lodge before leaving on a hike on the 24th. They also
found that he was a psychiatric patient with a history of substance abuse,
that he believed he was being persecuted by satanic cults, that he had been
depressed lately, and that he'd stopped taking his prescribed anti-psychotic
and anti-depressant medications. Although he apparently planned to stay out
for several days, he had no camping equipment and took only food and alcohol
with him. Wilson survived three nights by seeking shelter under overhanging
rocks and building fires. He was found uninjured in extremely hazardous
terrain in lower Tenaya Canyon, approximately two and a half miles from
Yosemite Valley. He was flown by helicopter to the valley, then taken to a
local hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Approximately 50 people and a
helicopter were employed in the search, including a ten-person investigative
unit. U.S. Park Police officers from the San Francisco field office also
assisted with the investigation. [Dave Brennan, YOSE, via CompuServe
message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 1/29]
92-20 - Olympic (Washington) - Shooting Fatality
On January 28th, a Seattle woman, L.A.G., was found dead of an
apparent gunshot wound to the right temple in a Kalaloch Lodge cabin. The
34-year-old woman had checked into the lodge the previous afternoon. Her
body was found on the bed of her cabin around 1:30 p.m. the following day.
A large caliber revolver was found in her lap. The case is currently under
investigation. [SEAdog message from Cat Hoffman, OLYM, 1/29]
92-21 - Chickamauga/Chattanooga (Georgia) - ARPA Case
Ranger Dennis Curry was working at the visitor center in the park's Lookout
Mountain unit on the afternoon of January 26th when a visitor notified him
that he'd personally observed a man using a metal detector on park property.
Curry and ranger Everette Correll went to the location and observed D.D.
operating a metal detector with head phones just above Dogwood Springs,
a point about a half mile inside the park's boundaries. The site is within
the area where the battle of Lookout Mountain was fought, and is rich with
archeological information and artifacts. The two rangers watched D.D. for
the better part of an hour. During this time, D.D. operated his metal
detector for at least 2,000 feet, during which time he stopped about eight
to ten times to dig into the ground with a pick-like tool. Curry then
contacted D.D., whose first spontaneous comment was "I thought there would
be a fence at the start of the park." After escorting D.D. to a nearby
road, Curry asked him for any artifacts in his possession. D.D. gave him
two minie balls, which he said were dug outside the park. The metal
detector and headphones, digging tool and a web belt and pouch were seized,
but a citation was not given pending contact with the U.S. attorney's
office. D.D. said that he had walked to the park from his home, which was
several miles from the spot at which he was contacted, and declined the
offer of a ride home. After he was released, the rangers found a Jeep
Cherokee parked about 30 feet from a sign identifying the park; a check of
the vehicle's registration showed that it was D.D.'s. At that time, D.D.
emerged from the woods. The rangers asked for permission to have a consent
search performed on the vehicle, but he denied such authorization, saying
that he did not want to have anything further seized from him. The
investigation into the incident is continuing. [Dennis Curry, CHCH, via
telefax from Steve Alscher, LES, RAD/SERO, 1/29]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto at environmental law
meeting, WASO (1/28-1/29); Marriott at meeting with First Army staff,
Indianapolis, IN (1/29-1/30).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Entire staff at regional fire management
officers' meeting, San Antonio, TX (1/27-1/31).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5572/5573 or 202-208-5572/5573
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