- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, July 6, 1993
- Date: Tues, 6 Jul 1993
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Tuesday, July 6, 1993
Broadcast: By 0830 ET
INCIDENTS
93-418 - Glen Canyon (Arizona/Utah) - Follow-up on Boating Fatality
The search continues for the body of twelve-year-old C.P. of
Bellvue, Colorado, who was struck by a jet ski and drowned on June 26th.
Following an ascent from a search for her body 80 feet under the lake's
surface on June 30th, Maricopa County deputy B.A., 27, of
Phoenix, Arizona, became dizzy and complained of a tingling sensation, which
soon spread from his feet up to his arms. He was airlifted by helicopter to
Bullfrog, the flown to the hyperbaric chamber at the hospital in Van Nuys,
California, where he was treated for an air embolism. He was scheduled to
be released from the hospital on July 2nd. B.A., who is a master
diver, was part of a three-person dive team that had been down only 11
minutes on its first dive before the embolism occurred on the ascent. There
was no indication that there was any problem with the air used by the
divers, as neither of B.A.'s companions suffered injuries. Recovery
efforts continue. [Larry Clark, CR, GLCA, 7/2]
93-431 - Colonial (Virginia) - Follow-up on ARPA Indictments
Further details have been forwarded regarding the indictment of R.G.,
S.T. and M.R. for ARPA violations,
conspiracy, theft and destruction of government property. R.G. met with
the owner of a Civil War museum in Williamsburg last summer and showed him a
topographical map of the Yorktown area of the park, which was the site of a
Civil War siege. On November 10, 1992, R.G., S.T. and M.R.
traveled to Yorktown and scouted the area for Civil War objects. About a
week and a half later, the men parked in an isolated area, unloaded their
equipment, then began scouring the battlefield area for artifacts. On
November 19th and 20th, they allegedly dug up 214 artifacts from the Civil
War and possibly the Revolutionary War. A search of their car by arresting
rangers led to the discovery of metal detectors equipped with headsets, hand
spades, camouflage clothing, topographical maps, Civil War artifact price
guides, a Civil War battlefield atlas, batteries and a compass. The men
allegedly planned to sell the items they dug up at a collectors' show in
Richmond last November. [Newport News Daily Press, 7/1]
93-435 - National Capital Park - Central (D.C.) - Death of Employee
Just after 11 a.m. on July 5th, maintenance worker James Allen Hudson, 43,
suffered an apparent heart attack while at work at park headquarters on Ohio
Drive. He was able to summon help by activating the building's intrusion
system, thereby bringing Park Police patrol units to the scene. Hudson was
taken to George Washington University hospital, but expired shortly after
being admitted. [Sgt. Mike Gallant, USPP, 7/5]
93-436 - Yosemite (California) - Burglary Arrests
For the past several weeks, the bungalows at the Ahwahnee Hotel have been
the object of numerous burglaries. Property stolen included expensive
camera equipment, cash, credit cards, checks, fine gold, and jewelry. All
items had been left in the bungalows while their occupants were gone. Among
the victims was an assistant United States attorney and a family member of a
person who sits on the board of directors for MCA, the former parent company
of the park concessioner. Criminal investigator Fred Elchlepp conducted an
investigation of the burglaries; on the evening of June 29th, Elchlepp and
ranger Tom Wilson arrested R.B., 23, and Edward Feistel, 19, on
several counts of burglary and possession of a controlled substance.
R.B. is a former Ahwanhee Hotel housekeeping employee and is on
probation for burglary from Texas, where he spent almost two years in
prison. Feistel is currently employed as a busboy at the Yosemite Lodge; he
had no criminal record until the time of his arrest, which was on his
nineteenth birthday. The pair had most of the property which had been
stolen in the burglaries in their possession when arrested. During
interviews, the two men implicated two other former concession employees as
burglary suspects and provided intelligence on other criminal activities in
the park. [Mariann Brantley, YOSE, 7/2]
93-437 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue
Shortly after midnight on July 2nd, the park received notification that 62-
year-old J.B. was missing. J.B. had gone for a short walk
from the Staircase campground with her dog the previous evening while her
family went on a longer hike. When the family returned, J.B. was still
not back and failed to reappear. Park hasty teams were not able to find her
or any significant clues as to her whereabouts. Forty searchers from the
park, Forest Service and Mason County SAR, a park search dog team, two
bloodhound dog teams from Northwest Search and a helicopter began looking
for J.B. at first light the next day. About three and a half hours
later, a search team found J.B. in good health in the Dry Creek area
about three miles from the campground. They learned that J.B.'s dog had
run off, and that she had gotten turned around while trying to locate it.
The dog is still missing; attempts to locate it were confined to calls on
the way out of the search area. [Larry Nickey, OLYM, 7/2]
93-438 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Drowning
G.H., 17, of Loveland, Colorado, was attempting to jump across the
stream at the top of Ouzel Falls in the Wild Basin area around noon on July
3rd when he fell against a rock face, then slipped into the falls. His body
was recovered around 5 p.m. in a pool at the base of the falls approximately
50 feet below the point where he made his jump. Rangers were assisted in
the search and recovery effort by dive teams and rescue personnel from Estes
Park, Allenspark, Larimer County and Boulder County. [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO,
7/5]
93-439 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Marijuana Eradication
On June 26th, ranger John Bailey was on patrol along the tow path in area of
Williamsport, Maryland, when he detected an unusual odor coming from an area
between the tow path and the Potomac River. A search of the area led to the
discovery of a total of 99 marijuana plants growing in a 150-foot radius.
The plants averaged 18 to 24 inches in height; they did not appear to have
been cultivated, and no evidence of cultivation was detected. The plants
were pulled, weighed (21 pounds), and burned at the Antietam Creek ranger
station. Total valuation was placed at about $21,000. Bailey located
another 138 marijuana seedlings growing wild in the Charles Mill area near
the river the next day. Once again, no evidence of cultivation could be
found. The plants were pulled, weighed (14.8 grams) and burned. Value was
placed at $1,000. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH, 7/2]
93-440 - Bryce Canyon (Utah) - Larceny
A thief or thieves cut the narrow shank of the lock on the North campground
fee canister safe around 3 p.m. on July 4th and made off with about $700.
There were many people in the area, and the nearby campground hosts
indicated that the theft occurred very quickly. It appears that the lock
was cut with a bolt-clipping device. There are no suspects or leads at
present. Area parks should be alert to such thefts, as a fee pipe safe was
also taken at Zion on July 3rd. The pipe safe involved is a Knouff and
Knouff FS836 shell with an FS836A insert. [Charlie Peterson, CR, BRCA, 7/4]
93-441 - Gulf Islands (Mississippi/Florida) - Drowning
G.D.L., 30, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, drowned while swimming
with a friend in the Perdido Key area of the park on July 4th. G.D.L., who
reportedly was a poor swimmer, began having difficulty in the waves and
current and called for help. His friend was unable to pull him from the
water and had to go to shore to save himself. G.D.L. was underwater from ten
to twenty minutes before being pulled into shore by other people in the
area. CPR was started immediately. The incident occurred about a half to
three-quarters of a mile east of a guarded beach; two park lifeguards and
subdistrict ranger Alice Ruth responded when alerted around 4:30 p.m. and
took over CPR. They were joined by Lifeflight EMS personnel, who were
unable to revive G.D.L.. He was pronounced dead at 5 p.m. G.D.L. weighed
about 280 pounds, had been drinking, and had reportedly eaten a large meal
before swimming. [Gene Phillips, CR, GUIS, 7/5]
93-442 - Whiskeytown (California) - Assist; Felony Arrests
On June 29th, rangers noticed a vehicle containing four individuals being
driven on Kennedy Memorial Drive near the dam, and also noted that the
driver could barely see over the steering wheel. They made contact with the
occupants, and subsequently determined that the vehicle had been stolen
earlier that day. The oldest of the four was a 14-year-old male; also in
the vehicle were two female juveniles, aged 12 and 13. Rangers placed one
male in custody and were attempting to place the second in custody when he
bolted and ran into thick brush. Rangers, California Highway Patrol
officers, and Shasta County deputies searched for him without success. The
second male is known to be an escapee from a local group home, which had
issued a warrant for his arrest. Another warrant was issued and will be
served by local juvenile authorities. The 14-year-old who was arrested at
the scene was also on probation; he was charged with auto theft and will be
prosecuted by local juvenile authorities. [Larry Carr, CR, WHIS, 7/2]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 7/2 7/6 Status
AZ State - * White Wing - 260 CL
* Pass - 320 CND
* Brimley - 450 CND
* Corral/Fence - 1,400 CND
USFS Coconino * Melon - 400 CND
NM USFS Santa Fe * Quemado - T2 - 3,610 CN 7/8
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
CND - Contained CN (date) - Expected date of containment
3) PARK FIRE REPORTS - No significant park reports today.
4) ANALYSIS - Suppression activity was less than anticipated over the
holiday weekend; most geographic areas reported moderate initial attack
operations. Some resources in the Southwest have been demobilized due to
the limited number of new starts in the area and the progress made on large
fires.
5) PROGNOSIS - The Southwest will be sunny and hot with low afternoon
humidities and locally breezy conditions. Temperatures will range from 70
to the mid-80s in the mountains and from 95 to 105 in the deserts. Initial
attack is expected to continue at moderate levels. Thunderstorms in the
area will be a factor. Progress should continue on large fires, and more
resources will likely be demobilized.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530, 7/6]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Ebey's Landing (Washington) - Floral Study
The first scientific baseline data and census study of the Golden Indian
paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta) population within the park was conducted
this June. The project was carried out in June by Washington DNR through
its natural heritage program. The study came about through the cooperative
efforts, funds and in-kind contributions of the NPS, Washington State Parks
and Recreation Commission (WSPRC), Washington DNR, and Ebey's Landing Trust
Board, and stemmed from Nature Conservancy concerns about the importance of
such an undertaking. Although it is not listed as endangered, only nine
populations of this rare and spectacular plant exist worldwide - five of
them on Whidbey Island, including three within park boundaries. Results of
the study are expected to contribute to an evaluation of whether or not it
should be listed as endangered. The study will also lead to the development
of a management plan for the paintbrush which will be used by the trust
board and WSPRC. [Superintendent, EBLA]
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. Asterisks indicate new entries; brackets at end of entry indicate
source of information:
7/12-15 -- "Sustaining the Ecological Integrity of Large Floodplain Rivers:
Application of Ecological Knowledge to River Management",
Lacrosse, WI. Contact: Dr. Kenneth Lubinski, Environmental
Management Technical Center, 575 Lester Avenue, Onalaska, WI
54650. [Janet Wise, RMRO]
7/12-16 -- Workshop in Park Operations Evaluation, Mather Employee
Development Center, Harpers Ferry, WV. Nominations must be in
to Mather NLT May 27th. For application procedures, contact
your regional employee development officer. [Deke Cripe, WASO]
7/12-15 -- Conference on Sustainable Ecological Systems, Northern Arizona
University, Flagstaff, AZ. Contact: DuBois Conference Center,
PO Box 15003, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5003, 602-404-0234. [Kathy
Jope, RAD/PNRO]
7/25-30 -- Managerial Grid - Phase I/Managerial Grid Instructor Preparation
Seminar, Richmond, VA. The two courses will run concurrently.
Sponsored by ANPR. Applications or 10-182's must be submitted
by June 11th and should be sent to Debbie Gorman, ANPR, PO Box
307, Gansevoort, NY 12831. [Bill Wade, SHEN]
7/27-31 -- First International Bison Conference, Lacrosse, WI. Topics
include genetics, disease, nutrition, ecology, phenotype,
cultural issues, management, and seminars on marketing and meat
processing. There will also be a trade show. Contact: Ronald
Walker, 605-255-4515 (phone) and 605-255-4515 (fax). [Bruce
Bessken, BADL]
7/31-8/3 -- Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America, University of
Wisconsin, Madison, WI. The NPS CPSU at the University of
Wisconsin will be hosting a reception for NPS personnel and
researchers interested in working in NPS areas. Contact: Jim
Bennett, 608-262-9937. [Joe Meyer, GIS/MWR]
8/1-5 -- 44th Annual Meeting, American Institute of Biological Sciences,
Iowa State University, Ames, IA. Contact: AIBS, 730 11th St.
NW, Washington, DC 20001-4521. [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
8/1-14 -- Summer School in Applied Deep Ecology, Shenoa Retreat Center,
Philo, CA. Contact: Institute for Deep Ecology, 303-939-8398.
8/3-5 -- Engineering for Wetlands Restoration, Adams Mark Hotel, St.
Louis, MO. Contact: Cheryl Lloyd, 601-634-3711.
8/12-15 -- 66th Pecos Conference: Southwest Archeology, Casa Malpais NHL,
Springerville, AZ. Themes will include PaleoIndian, Archaic,
Anasazi, Mogollon, Hohokam, MesoAmerican, Entrada, Historic, or
Method and Theory. Contact: Dr. John Hohmann, Louis Berger and
Associates, 5343 N. 16th St., Suite 260, Phoenix, AZ 85016 (602-
234-1124; fax 241-1561) or Brian Kenny, Arizona State Land
Department (602-506-4608; fax 506-4882). [Cal Cummings,
Anthropology/WASO]
8/24-26 -- Sponsored by Olympic Natural Resources Center, College of Forest
Resources, University of Washington. Contact: 800-942-4978 or
509-335-3530.
8/30-9/1 -- Historic Landscape Maintenance Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Registration for the conference will be $55, and the course will
be limited to approximately 140 participants. More detailed
information and registration forms will be sent to all parks and
regions in early June. Contact: Lucy Lawliss, historical
landscape architect, at 404-730-2275. [Lucy Lawliss]
9/12-16 -- Resource Technology '94, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Symposium
for scientists, practitioners and educators that will give the
inside track on information technologies for the future. For
further information, contact Bill White at 303-498-1777 or Sindy
Coley at 303-490-1688. [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
9/19-21 -- "The Ecological Implications of Fire in Greater Yellowstone",
Second Biennial Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Mammoth, WY. Contact: Conference
Registration, Yellowstone Association, PO Box 117, Yellowstone
NP, WY 82190. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
9/19-25 -- First International Wildlife Management Conference, Hotel
Cariaia, San Jose, Costa Rica. Contact IWMC Secretariat
Director, The Wilderness Society, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda,
MD 20814 (301-897-9770). [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
9/20-24 -- Teaching with Historic Places, training course, Mather EDC,
Harpers Ferry, WV. Participants will use and established model
to develop lesson plans using historic places in their parks.
Lesson plans can be used in classrooms both on-site and
nationwide. The application deadline is August 3rd. Contact:
Beth Boland at 202-343-9545. [Marilyn Harper, WASO]
9/30-10/2 -- First Rocky Mountain Anthropology Conference, The Virginian
Saloon and Conference Center, Jackson, WY. Theme: Human use of
high elevation environments. Topics: Mountain linguistics,
Fremont fringe and late prehistoric intensification;
Ute/Shoshone ethnology and prehistory; geoarchaeology and
paleoecology of the uplands; the greater Yellowstone ecosystem;
rock art in the "Great In-between"; management issues in the
mountains; high-altitude occupations. Contact: Michael Metcalf,
P.O. Box 899, Eagle, CO 81361 (303-328-6244). For local
arrangements, contact: Jamie Schoen, Bridger/Teton NF, PO Box
1888, Jackson, WY 83001 (307-739-5523). [Cal Cummings,
Anthropology/WASO]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Smith on AL (7/6-7/14).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: No leave or travel scheduled.
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874
Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5572
Telefax: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-6756
Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5977
cc:Mail: Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation
SkyPager: Emergencies ONLY (numeric message) - 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843
SkyTalk: Emergencies ONLY (voice message) - 1-800-759-8255, PIN 2404843