- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, May 4, 1992
- Date: Mon, 4 May 1992
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Monday, May 4, 1992
INCIDENTS
92-160 - All Areas - Rodney King Assault Verdict Incidents
Several areas and operational units of the National Park Service were
directly or peripherally affected by the riots, demonstrations and other
incidents that have occurred since the verdict was handed down in the King
assault case:
* US Park Police (Washington/New York/San Francisco) - The Presidentially-
ordered dispatch of 1,000 federal officers to Los Angeles included
approximately 200 Park Police officers from around the country. About
180 officers from Washington, complete with vehicles and equipment,
were sent to Andrews AFB to fly out on military transports on Friday
evening, but were told to stand down when it was determined that the
National Guard forces sent into the city would be sufficient. Another
35 officers from FLETC and Golden Gate were en route to the city when
the stand-down order came through.
* Santa Monica Mountains (California) - Despite the park's proximity to
the rioting, no significant problems occurred there. Franklin Canyon
was closed as a precautionary measure to protect a remote facility
located there, and some public events were briefly postponed.
* Golden Gate (California) - On Friday, park rangers and USPP officers
assisted local agencies in keeping Golden Gate bridge open when a
contingent of demonstrators from Sausalito threatened to close it
down. Rangers also filled in for USPP officers dispatched to Los Angeles.
* Lake Mead (Nevada) - Las Vegas authorities asked the park to put its law
enforcement rangers and structural fire units on standby on Thursday
night. Seven structural fire engines were prepared to roll, but were
not called.
* Independence (Pennsylvania) - The scheduled, annual African American
parade and festival was held in the park on Saturday. The event
had been planned long before the outbreak of the violence in Los Angeles.
Because of the potential for problems, however, the park asked for
a regional SET team. A ten-ranger team was sent in, and a total of 18
enforcement rangers worked the parade and festival in conjunction with
city police. Between 7,000 and 8,000 people attended and the event
reportedly went off very well. Only three minor drug-related incidents
occurred. The SET team was released and sent home on Sunday.
* Southeast Regional Office (Georgia) - Demonstrations which occurred
in Atlanta on Thursday became violent and led to the closing and
evacuation of the federal building which houses the regional office.
Security was increased, and all employees returned to work on
Friday without further incident.
* Statue of Liberty (New York) - Because the possibility of demonstrations
and associated activities appeared high, the park requested a special
event team from North Atlantic Region on Friday. Five rangers were sent
to the park later that day, but they reported that the weekend was quiet.
Four will remain in the park through Wednesday because of the number of
high school groups who will be visiting the statue early this week.
[Telephone and telefax reports from Phil Ward, RAD/WRO; Bob Reid, RAD/MARO;
Bob Ditolla, RAD/NARO; Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO; Bob Byrne, CR, INDE]
92-161 - Biscayne (Florida) - Drug Seizure
On May 1st, rangers, acting on a tip from an informant, seized 60 pounds of
cocaine valued at $2.5 million on Elliott Key in the park. No further
information on the seizure is available. [Telephone report from Steve
Alscher, RAD/SERO, 5/4]
92-162 - Yosemite (California) - Falling Fatality
A.M.B., 19, a Curry Company employee, was killed on April
30th while rock scrambling with two other Curry employees in an area known
as Ranger Rock in Yosemite Valley. The three were descending through a
granite rock area when A.M.B. apparently dislodged a small boulder, slipped
and fell between 150 and 200 feet. Rangers were on scene within nine
minutes of receipt of the report and immediately began administering CPR and
advanced life support measures. They were unable to revive A.M.B..
[Telefax from Bob Johnson, YOSE, via USPP dispatch, 5/1]
92-163 - Yosemite (California) - Drowning
A.G., 18, of Redwood City, California, drowned in the Merced River
near the footbridge below Vernal Fall on April 11th. A.G. was hiking with
three companions on the trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls. When A.G.
reached the Vernal Fall footbridge, he jumped over the bridge railing to a
rock, then slipped and fell into the river. Approximately 20 people were
involved in the search for him, including foot searchers on each side of the
river, medics and personnel equipped for whitewater rescue. A.G. was found
a quarter-mile downstream from the footbridge later that morning. Medics
attempted to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful. This is the first
water-related fatality in Yosemite this year; last year, eight such
fatalities occurred in the park. [Mike LaLone, YOSE, via SEAdog message
from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 4/30]
92-164 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Felony Arrest
While attempting to locate a person wanted by Naval Intelligence for
desertion who was purportedly residing in the park's backcountry, ranger Bob
Martin contacted D.W. of Hollywood, California, at the summit of
Mary's Rock. Since a person matching the description of the deserter had
been spotted at the location earlier in the day, Martin questioned D.W. in
hopes of obtaining relevant information. Martin became suspicious of D.W.
while talking with him, however, and asked for a routine NCIC check through
park dispatch. D.W. was found to be wanted on charges of grand and petit
larceny and criminal mischief stemming from the burglary of a construction
site in New York. Martin and ranger Cliff Spencer arrested D.W. and
transported him to a state facility, where he's being held pending issuance
of the warrant from New York. [Telefax from Larry Hakel, CR, SHEN, 4/30]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level 1
No large fire activity nationally. Most geographic areas have low to
moderate fire danger. Little or no commitment of national resources.
FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 5/3 Status
HI NPS Hawaii Volcanoes *Napau 2,400 NEC
CA BLM Cal. Desert *Mesa 2,000 NEC
UT USFS Manti-Lasal *Rock Creek - T2 150 CN 5/3
NOTES:
- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). T1 and T2
indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Status - The following abbreviations are employed:
NR - No report received MS - Modified suppression strategy
CL - Controlled MN - Being monitored
CS - Confinement strategy NEC - No estimate of containment
CN (date) - Expected date CND - Contained
of containment
3) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity continues with drying conditions in
the West. Green-up is helping to reduce new starts in the South.
4) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages expected.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 5/3]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS
The following activities will be taking place in Congress this week on
matters pertaining to the National Park Service. If you would like further
information on any of these hearings or bills, please contact Dottie in WASO
Congressional Liaison at 202-208-5883:
Tuesday
Senate Appropriations Committee, Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee:
Fiscal 1993 appropriations for the National Park Service.
House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, National Parks and Public
Lands Subcommittee:
Hearing on HR-3898, to provide for the addition of the
Truman farm house to Harry S Truman NHS; HR-4382, to modify the boundaries
of New River Gorge, Gauley River and Bluestone River.
Wednesday
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee:
Hearing on global climate change.
House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee:
Mark-up of pending legislation.
Thursday
House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, National Parks and Public
Lands Subcommittee:
Mark-up of HR-4899, to establish an old-growth forest
reserve in the Pacific Northwest and northern California.
CALENDAR
Calendar appears in the morning report every other Monday. 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. Entries are listed no earlier than four months before the
event. An asterisk (*) indicates a new entry; a plus (+) indicates a
revised entry - subsequent comments explain the revision. Brackets at end
of entry indicate source of information:
May 11 - 13 - Environment Law Enforcement Symposium, Kingsborough Community
College, New York City, NY. Sponsored by Gateway NRA and the United States
Park Police New York Field Office. Cost of the symposium is $125 per
person;; lodging will be $109 per night. For further information and
registration materials, please write or call Sgt. Chris Pappas, USPP, New
York Field Office, Building 275, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, NY 11234-7097
(718-338-3988). [Chris Pappas, NYFO/USPP]
May 12 - 14 - Regional Chief Rangers' Conference, Alexandria, VA. [Bill
Halainen, RAD/WASO]
May 17 - 20 - Fourth North American Symposium on Society and Resource
Management, Madison, WI. For program information, contact Donald Field at
608-262-6968. [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
May 18 - 21 - "Ecology Management and Restoration of Intermountain Annual
Rangelands", symposium, Boise, ID. No information number available. [Steve
Cinnamon, MWRO]
May 19 - 21 - "NEPA: Current Implementation Issues", regional conference,
Anchorage, AK. For brochure and registration form, contact Kathy Jope at
FTS 399-5670. [Kathy Jope, RAD/PNRO]
May 27 - 31 - Trail Construction, Maintenance and Repair, Mt. Baker, WA.
$400 tuition. Sponsored by SCA. For further information, contact SCA at
206-547-7380. [Missi Booth Goss, SCA]
June 1 - 2 - Conference on Hazardous Waste Research, Boulder, CO. Call
913-532-6026 for further information. [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
June 5 - 9 - Trail Construction, Maintenance and Repair, Mt. Baker, WA.
$400 tuition. Sponsored by SCA. For further information, contact SCA at
206-547-7380. [Missi Booth Goss, SCA]
June 16 - 18 - Introduction to Satellite Navigation in Resource Management,
Lubrecht Experimental Forest Satellite Navigation Field Evaluation Facility,
University of Montana, Missoula, MT. For further information, contact the
Center for Continuing Education, University of Montana, at 406-243-4623.
[Kathy Jope, RAD/PNRO]
June 24 - 27 - "Site Restoration of Wilderness and Wildlands: Beyond the
Basics", workshop on site restoration, Yellowstone National Park, WY.
Focuses on current practices and practical applications in site analysis,
project planning and design, site preparation, implementation and site
management. Sponsored by SCA. $150. For further information, contact SCA
at 206-547-7380. [Missi Booth Goss, SCA]
June 23 - 25 - Introduction to Satellite Navigation in Resource Management.
See above.
July 21 - 23 - Introduction to Satellite Navigation in Resource Management.
See above.
* September 14 - 18 - "Teaching with Historic Places", training course,
Montpelier, VA. Participants will use existing lesson plans as models to
create lesson plans based on historic resources in their parks. Montpelier
is a National Trust property. The application deadline is July 1st. For
additional information, contact Beth Boland of the National Register staff
at 202-343-9549. [Marilyn Harper, WASO]
* September 21 - 25 - "Teaching with Historic Places", training course,
Waterford, VA. Participants will use existing lesson plans as models to
create lesson plans based on historic resources in their parks. Waterford
is a NHL district. The application deadline is July 1st. For additional
information, contact Beth Boland of the National Register staff at 202-343-9549.
[Marilyn Harper, WASO]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Brady at MAR chief rangers' conference, Ocean City, MD
(5/4).
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin and Henry at conference on
threats to wilderness system, Portland, OR (5/4-5/8); Coffey at meeting in
Richmond, VA (5/4-5/8).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale at site review, Mount Rainier, Ashford, WA
(5/4-5/5); Norum at prescribed fire analyst course cadre meeting, NARTC,
Marana, AZ (5/4-5/8); Botti at training course and meetings on budget, WASO
(5/4-5/8); Broyles representing NPS at NWCG working team meeting, Acadia, ME
(5/4-5/8); Clark at interagency prevention course, San Bernadino, CA (5/4-5/8);
Mattingly coordinating Alpine IHC season start-up, WICA, Hot Springs,
SD (5/7-5/20).
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