- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, September 21, 1992
- Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Monday, September 21, 1992
Release: 0830 EDT
INCIDENTS
92-451 - South Florida Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Andrew
The ARM team moved into trailer facilities over the weekend, and Everglades
park staff will return to their offices this morning. Trailers and other
structures at Chikika in the East Everglades are being demolished and
removed with the assistance of the military. Efforts are being made to
contract a helicopter sky crane to remove a sailboat which was marooned at
Biscayne. Facilities at Everglades City reopened yesterday. The
concessioner resumed boat tours, and the backcountry was opened for day use
only. Opening Shark Valley will be the next objective, but no target date
has yet been announced.
The NPS resource assessment team has devised a way to measure the ecological
"vital signs" of south Florida parks to determine their health. A group of
23 scientists has begun to assess the geographic limits of the storm's
influence on coral reefs, seagrass beds, hardwood hammocks, mangrove
forests, sawgrass marshes, pine forests, historic shipwrecks, and
archeological sites. They will attempt to determine the status of
populations and habitat of both endangered species, such as panthers,
crocodiles and bald eagles, and the more common species that reside in the
parks. They will examine the quality of air and water, and measure organic
debris and sediments that shape biological communities. The scientists will
also identify immediate actions required to stabilize threatened resources
and long-term activities which will have to be undertaken to assure the
continued health of park ecosystems.
Donations to the relief fund managed by ENP&MA have been considerable -
about $100,000 to date. The superintendents of the south Florida parks and
the ARM Team management have passed on the following regarding your gifts:
"The contributions to the Hurricane Andrew Relief Fund are greatly
appreciated by the more than 300 employees in the four south Florida parks.
To date, the fund has been used for funeral expenses, to fly an employee to
see a newborn child for the first time, to cash checks, for employee loans,
and for a variety of needs. In the next few weeks, the superintendents
expect to receive a large number of requests to cover initial needs as
employees begin to move out of temporary housing. Many employees are not
yet able to accurately assess all of the effects of the hurricane on their
lives and property. Unfortunately, many of the needs will likely be
significant. A system to distribute relief funds over the next year is in
place. A portion of the fund will be made available on an equal basis to
all employees of the south Florida parks who were affected by the hurricane.
The remainder will be distributed on the basis of specific needs identified
by the individual employees. The National Park Service family's continued
support of the fund is greatly appreciated."
Because needs will likely exceed even the substantial amount donated to
date, contributions are still being accepted. Checks may be sent to Andrew
Relief Fund, ENP&MA, Attention: George Minnucci, 446 North Lane,
Conshohocken, PA 19428; they should be made out to ENP&MA with a notation
that the contribution is for the relief fund.
[Pat Tolle, Bill Gabbert, Rick Gale, ARM Team; 9/19-9/21]
92-476 - Natchez Trace (Mississippi/Tennessee) - Follow-up on Homicide
On September 6th, police in Baldwyn, Mississippi, arrested D.L.C.
and G.D. for an area burglary. During questioning, D.L.C. told
police investigators that G.D. knew who had killed T.B. at Pharr
Mounds on the parkway on September 2nd. G.D. was interviewed by a park
ranger and an FBI agent, and admitted to being with a friend named D.G.
at about 7 p.m. on the 2nd when D.G. killed T.B. With G.D.'s
approval, investigators monitored a phone conversation between G.D. and
D.G., during which the latter made several incriminating statements and
offered to meet G.D. at a local motel. When he arrived for the meeting,
he was arrested, and subsequently confessed to striking T.B. on the head
with a pipe after a dispute at the parkway exhibit shelter. D.G. and
G.D. were both drinking at the time. G.D. took T.B.'s wallet and
drove his vehicle north along the parkway to dispose of it, but ran it off
the roadway six miles north of the scene, where it was found by rangers the
following day. D.G. and G.D. have been charged with first degree murder
in federal court and are being held without bond. No trial date has yet
been set. [Len Weems, Acting CR, NATR, 9/18]
92-509 - Wrangell - St. Elias/ARO (Alaska) - Follow-up on Eruption
Wind kept most of the ash from Mt. Spur out of the city of Anchorage. The
regional office remained open, but computers were turned off and covered.
Thursday was a very dusty day until rain began falling late in the
afternoon. Power and telephone service to Wrangell - St. Elias headquarters
was restored on Friday morning, and the park reopened. [Jack Morehead,
RD/ARO, 9/18]
92-513 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - Wreckage of Missing Aircraft Found
Rangers investigating reports of unidentifiable debris on the Cowlitz
Glacier on the afternoon of September 15th came upon the remains of a small
plane which were scattered across the glacier. Information furnished by the
state department of transportation indicated that a Piper Cherokee Arrow had
been reported missing in the area on January 13, 1972 while on a flight from
Pasco, Washington, to Seattle. Rangers are continuing the search for the
remains of the three occupants. [Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 9/18]
92-514 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Ginseng Poaching Arrests
On the morning of September 15th, rangers began a stakeout of a vehicle
parked along Skyline Drive. The vehicle and its occupants had been seen
along the drive on several occasions over the preceding three days, and
illegal activity was suspected. That afternoon, three individuals dressed
in camouflage were seen searching through the understory along the
Appalachian Trail. At about 5 p.m., the rangers saw three individuals -
W.R. and J.R. and J.C., all from Charlottesville and in
their late 50s - approach the vehicle; each had bulging pants pockets and
was carrying bulging plastic containers. The trio were found to be in
possession of numerous soiled screwdrivers, soiled bags, 63 freshly dug
ginseng roots (a threatened species in Virginia), and over two and a quarter
pounds of dried ginseng. The total market value of the 463 ginseng roots
was placed at approximately $700. All three were issued mandatory
appearance citations for violations of 36 CFR 2.1, and may face Lacey Act
and other charges pending consultation with the U.S. attorney. [Glen
Knight, LES, SHEN, 9/17]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire/Incident 9/18 9/21 Status
FL NPS Everglades NP
Biscayne NP Hurr. Andrew - ARMT N/A N/A ---
FEMA Dade County Hurr. Andrew - T2 N/A N/A DM
State Agency Area Fire/Incident 9/18 9/21 Status
HI FEMA Honolulu Hurr. Iniki - T1 N/A N/A ___
OR USFS Fremont NF Robinson Spg. - T1 10,741 10,853 CND
CA CDF Humboldt
Del Norte RU * Martin - 800 NEC
USFS Los Padres NF * Milpitas - 300 CND
Notes:
* - New fire/incident (this report) T1/T2 - Type 1 or Type 2 team committed
ARMT - All-risk management team CN - Expected date of containment
NEC - No estimate of containment CND - Contained
NR - No report received DM - Demobilizing
3) FIRE ACTIVITY - 70 fires for 925 acres in the past 24 hours.
4) ANALYSIS - California and the Northwest are experiencing most of the fire
activity nationally. Very high and extreme indices persist in those areas,
and are also being reported in the Great Basin.
5) PROGNOSIS - The potential for large fires continues due to very high and
extreme fire dangers and the opening of hunting season in several areas.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 9/21]
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. Brackets at end of entry indicate source of information:
October 5 - 9 - "Ecology and Management of Larix Forests: A Look Ahead",
Grouse Mountain Lodge, MT. Contact: Center for Continuing Education,
University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812-1900, 406-243-4623.
October 6 - 9 - "Issues in the Public Interpretation of Archeological
Materials and Sites", Colorado Museum of History and Denver Museum of
Natural History, Denver, CO. Contact: John James, SERO, 404-331-2630.
[Dick Waldbauer, Archeological Assistance, WASO]
October 8 - December 17 - Basic Law Enforcement for Land Management
Agencies, Glynco, GA. Funded by LEEDC/FLETC. For application procedures,
contact your regional training officer. [Carole Pfeifer, LEEDC/FLETC]
October 14 - December 22 - Basic Law Enforcement for Land Management
Agencies, Glynco, GA. Funded by LEEDC/FLETC. For application procedures,
contact your regional training officer. [Carole Pfeifer, LEEDC/FLETC]
* October 21 - 22 - Fourteenth Annual Research Conference, Apostle Islands
NL, Bayfield, WI. The conference will focus on research conducted in the
park in 1992. Contact: Apostle Islands NL, Route 1, Box 4, Bayfield, WI
54814 or call 715-779-3397. [Margaret Ludwig, APIS]
October 25 - 28 - National Convention, Society of American Foresters,
Richmond, VA. Contact: Society of American Foresters, 301-897-8720. [Doug
Wallner, MARO]
October 26 - 30 - Archeological Curation and Collections Management, Western
Archeological and Conservation Center, Tucson, AZ. Contact: Center for
Career Education and Workshops, GWU, 2020 K Street, NW, Suite B-100,
Washington, DC 20052, 202-994-5230. [Dick Waldbauer, Archeological
Assistance, WASO]
October 27 - 29 - Ecosystem Restoration in the Great Lakes Basin, Green Bay,
WI. Sponsored by EPA. Contact: Steve Cinnamon, MWRO. [Steve Cinnamon,
MWRO]
October 28 - 29 - Conference on Accessible Technology, USGS, Reston, VA.
Contact: Amy Berger at 703-648-7124 or Bob Dwier at TTY 703-648-6017.
* October 30 - November 3 - "ANPR and the Vail Agenda", Ranger Rendezvous
XVI, Association of National Park Rangers, Sheraton Spokane Hotel, Spokane,
WA. Contact: Kathy Loux, 602-647-3824. [Nancy Wizner, CAVO]
* November 4 - 5 - Performance Management and Counseling, Sheraton Spokane
Hotel, Spokane, WA. Contact: Jeff Karraker, P.O. Box 57, Capulin, NM 88414,
505-278-2201/2565. [Jeff Karraker, CAVO]
November 1 - 4 - "Educating the Park Professional", annual conference,
Florida Institute of Park Personnel, Key Largo Sheraton Resort, Key Largo,
FL. Contact: Larry Fooks at 305-451-1202. [Larry Fooks, Florida DNR]
November 5 - 7 - Seventh Annual Wilderness Emergencies Conference, Sedona,
AZ. Contact: Sharon Harbek, RN, PreHospital Care Coordinator, Flagstaff
Medical Center, PO Box 1268, Flagstaff, AZ 86002, 602-779-3366 ext. 4185.
[Sharon Harbeck]
* November 2 - 6 - "Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Species: Traversing
the Legal and Administrative Terrain", Environmental Law Institute,
Portland, OR. Tuition: $1500. Contact: Moira Mcdonald, 202-939-3848, or
Suellen Keiner, 202-939-3839. [Margaret Osborne, Wildlife and Vegetation,
WASO]
* November 16 - 20 - "Partners in Stewardship", Seventh Conference on
Research and Resource Management in Parks and Public Lands, George Wright
Society, The Marina Hotel at St. Johns Place, Jacksonville, FL. Contact:
George Wright Society, 906-487-9722.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Schamp on AL (9/23-9/28); Sisto
at NEPA meeting, Boulder, CO (9/21-9/23) and AL (9/24-9/25).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd on AL (9/21-9/25); Gale and Broyles, ARM
Team, Everglades and Biscayne, FL (indefinite).
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
cc:Mail Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation