- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, September 6, 1994
- Date: Tues, 6 Sep 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, September 6, 1994
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
94-519 - Gates of the Arctic (Alaska) - Flood
A series of heavy storms dropped almost ten inches of rain on the Brooks
Range and surrounding areas during the last two weeks of August, sending
flood waters through several villages bordering the park. Damage is severe
and it is anticipated that some of the villages will not be habitable this
winter. Park staff have been providing assistance in the form of emergency
communications, overflights, and supplies. Gates of the Arctic is looking
at the possibility of making some of its housing available to victims of the
flooding; Denali is offering the use of heavy equipment and operators to
help repair damage in the village of Wiseman, adjacent to Gates of the
Arctic. During this period, a number of flood related incidents occurred in
the park. One visitor has been missing since August 26th as a result of a
rafting accident on the Kobuk River (see following report). A number of
parties were temporarily stranded in the park when air taxi operators had to
suspend flying due to the bad weather. Groups were up to ten days overdue
on their pickup dates, but no serious problems were reported. A party of
two canoeists lost their boat in the high water on the North Fork of the
Koyukuk and flagged down an aircraft for rescue. The park's pilot responded
to an emergency signal from a float plane that had been partially sunk in
shallow water. Damage to park facilities has been minimal. [Glenn
Sherrill, CR, GAAR, 9/2]
94-520 - Gates of the Arctic (Alaska) - Probable Drowning
A group of four German visitors was running the Lower Kobuk Canyon on the
Kobuk River on August 26th when two members of the party were thrown from
their inflatable raft into the river. When Rudiger Dietz surfaced in the
turbulent current he saw M.W. a few yards away, spitting out
water, but that was the last anyone saw of M.W.. Dietz was able to make
it to shore, where he clung to a rock at the base of a bluff. Trapped
between the river and the bluff, with hip waders full of water, he was
unable to move until the other two members of the party reached him and
lowered him a rope. The group remained in the area for the next two days
looking for M.W., but could find no trace of him. The party then continued
down the Kobuk River, finally contacting someone near the village of Kobuk
on August 30th. Rangers and state troopers have been searching for him
since receiving the initial report. M.W. was believed to be wearing a
life jacket, but had no survival gear on him. Rain and snow continued for
the next several days after the incident. At the time of the accident, the
river was at flood stage after two weeks of heavy rain. Dietz said that
they were confused about their position on the river and thought that they
had no further rapids to run. They were therefore caught off guard by the
Lower Kobuk Canyon rapid and entered it unprepared and without first
scouting it. The party had been advised by both their outfitter and air
taxi operator not to run the Kobuk River because of the extreme high water,
but rather to remain at Walker Lake where they were dropped off. Dietz said
they were encouraged by clearing weather to attempt the run down the Kobuk.
The remaining members of the party - R.D., H.H. and H.W.
(M.W.'s father) - are returning to Germany. [Glen Sherrill, CR,
GAAR, 9/2]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - V
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Area Fire IMT 9/2 9/6 Cont Cont
OR Wallowa-
Whitman NF Freezeout T1 13,000 14,326 80 9/7
Twin Lakes T1 9,890 15,390 42 9/10
MT Glacier NP North Fork Cx -- 4,761 5,001 60 NEC
Kootenai NF Yaak/Red Dragon Cx T1 11,740 12,200 90 9/15
Cabinet Cx T2 3,500 3,498 75 NEC
Trout Creek Cx T2 1,160 1,437 90 NEC
Libby Cx T1 12,845 12,990 99 NEC
Gallatin NF * Deckard Flats -- - 2,100 100 CND
ID Boise NF Idaho City Cx T1 96,500 105,702 72 9/7
Thunderbolt T1 14,384 15,026 80 9/12
Payette NF Blackwell Cx T1 46,800 49,655 45 NEC
Corral Creek T1 84,595 87,050 50 NEC
Chicken Cx T1 52,000 58,500 5 NEC
Clearwater NF Powell Cx T2 13,720 14,305 15 NEC
Challis NF Pioneer Creek T2 8,223 9,032 82 9/8
Targhee NF * Lake T2 - 1,400 15 NEC
UT SLC Dis. * Reilly Canyon T2 - 2,350 20 9/8
CA Shasta/Trin. * Oak Run -- - 500 -- 9/5
HEADING NOTES:
Fire Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). Cx =
complex.
IMT T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team.
% Con Percent of fire contained.
Est Con Estimated containment date. NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report.
3) FIRES YESTERDAY -
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 2 4 17 0 40 33 96
Acres Burned 0 4 447 0 27 675 1,153
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 365 315 131 10 5,677
Non-federal 58 99 17 4 873
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1994 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires 58,626 55,211
Acres Burned 3,315,444 2,211,553
6) OVERALL SITUATION - There was relatively little activity on most large
fires yesterday. Demobilization and reassignments have increased throughout
the system. Initial attack activity continued in western areas.
7) NPS SITUATION (9/2/94) - Joshua Tree, Sequoia-Kings Canyon and Lava Beds
all reported extreme fire dangers on Friday; Yosemite, Grand Teton,
Yellowstone, Dinosaur and Cumberland Island reported very high fire dangers.
* Glacier - The Howling prescribed natural fire had burned about 375 acres
as of Friday. The Starvation Creek fire had burned approximately 3,000
acres, 590 of them in Canada. Some burning activity was reported within the
line on the south and northeast sides. The Adair II fire is estimated at
1,300 acres. This is a suppression fire which is being managed under
containment strategy. Observers are stationed at Logging Lake to monitor
westward fire growth and potential threats that might require suppression
actions.
* Yellowstone - Both the Tern fire (4,139 acres) and Raven fire (937 acres)
continue to burn within confinement boundaries. Efforts are being made to
tie the west flank of the Tern fire into White Lake and conduct mop up along
the west flank.
* Grand Teton - Significant progress was made Thursday in achieving
containment on the Row fire, currently at 90%. Full containment was
expected on Friday. The fire is estimated at 3,370 acres, with 2,250 in the
park, 1,120 in the Bridger-Teton NF. Weather has been very cooperative, and
mop up is progressing very well. Teton Science School personnel were
permitted to return Thursday. Shadow Mountain residents are still being
escorted to their homes and plans were to move them back within over the
weekend.
* Olympic - Park staff initial attacked the Hopper fire (20 acres) when
winds started pushing the fire towards the park boundary. Containment of
the east flank has been successful to date. All other fires managed under
confinement strategy are still within boundaries and fire behavior is as
expected. Most should burn up to rock chutes within the next few days.
8) OUTLOOK - There will be moderate initial attack activity in most western
states. Large fires will continue to burn due to drying conditions.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/6; Dean Berg, NPS Branch of
Fire and Aviation Management, 9/2]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Intake Trainee Program - The Intake Trainee Program will be issuing a
vacancy announcement early this fall. The intake program is multi-
disciplinary and offers participants valuable training and development
opportunities in field areas throughout the National Park System. Watch for
further information from the Automated Vacancy Announcement Distribution
System (AVADS), vacancy announcement packages, and the Morning Report.
[Chris Perry, EDD/WASO]
2) 36 CFR Revisions - The task group revising 36 CFR Parts 1 & 2 has
received very few responses to the proposed changes. In order to give
everyone an opportunity to reply, the due date has been extended to
September 19th. Please see that all interested and affected employees have
a chance to submit their comments. The original memo was issued by WASO
Ranger Activities last June. Responses should be sent to Bruce McKeeman by
cc:Mail or to Voyageurs National Park, 3131 Highway 53, International Falls,
MN 56649. [Bruce McKeeman, VOYA]
MEMORANDA
No memoranda.
MEETINGS/TRAINING 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 forward the listing to WASO 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:
9/10-12 -- Second Annual Meeting, Central Division Working Group, Declining
Amphibian Populations Task Force, Bailly Training Center,
Indiana Dunes NL, IN. Papers given on the first two days will
include a wide range of topics related to amphibians; a
discussion on methods for establishing amphibian censuses will
take place during the session on the 12th. Contact: Registration
- Dr. Michael J. Lannoo, 712-337-3669; information - Dr. Ralph
Grundel, INDU, 219-926-7561. [Gary Sullivan, MWRO]
9/11-16 -- Managerial Grid, Phase I, and Managerial Grid Instructor
Preparation Seminar, Richmond, VA. Sponsored by ANPR. An NPS
course announcement will be out shortly. Contact: Debbie
Gorman, 518-793-3140. [Bill Wade, SHEN]
9/12-16 -- International Geographic Information and Resource Technology
Seminar, Toronto, Canada. The conference will give participants
an opportunity to help shape the future development and use of
decision support systems for the management of natural resources
and the environment. Contact: Michael Power, Natural Resources
Canada, 613-589-2880. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
9/19-23 -- "Retrofitting for Accessibility: A Course for Maintenance
Personnel", Bradford Woods, Martinsville, IN. This course,
which is directed toward facility managers and maintenance
personnel, will focus on physical access and on making our
facilities accessible to disabled visitors. Look for the
current NPS training announcement. Contact: Kay Ellis, 202-343-
3674. [Kay Ellis, Office of Accessibility, WASO]
9/21-25 -- First Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society, Albuquerque,
NM. Contact: Doug Slack, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2258.
[Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
9/22-24 -- Watershed Restoration Techniques, Redwood National Park, CA.
This three-day course provides an introduction to watershed
rehab techniques, concentrating on erosion control, road removal
and watershed restoration. It is intended for professionals
working in land management agencies who have knowledge of basic
geomorphic principles. $100 fee. For registration of further
information, contact Loretta Farley at 707-465-4113 or 5668, or
via cc:Mail by name. [Loretta Farley, REDW]
9/24-25 -- Advanced Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Workshop, Delaware
County Emergency Services Training Center, Darby, PA. The
course will provide the latest information on the assessment and
effective treatment of critical incident stress and its post-
trauma syndromes. Contact: Lisa Berg, International Critical
Incident Stress Foundation, 410-730-4311. [Jim Lee, RAD/WASO]
9/26-29 -- "Revealing Visions: Reconciling the Past with the Present for
the Future", workshop, Council for American Indian
Interpretation, Albright EDC, Grand Canyon, AZ. The workshop
will focus on the current cultural and natural resource issues
affecting American Indian peoples and how to better interpret
these issues. Contact: Karen Gustin, AEDC, 602-638-2691, or
write to CAII Workshop, PO Box 344, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.
[Karen Gustin, AEDC]
10/6-8 -- Gran Quivira Conference XXIII, Mountainair, NM. An exchange of
information and updates on current research, interpretation and
management of Spanish Colonial era sites. Contact: Kayla
Ellsbury, PO Box 496, Mountainair, NM 87036. [Milford Fletcher,
SWRO]
10/6-8 -- Ninth Annual Wilderness Emergencies Conference, Flagstaff, AZ.
The emphasis of the conference will be on dealing with problems
in a wilderness setting away from medical facilities and
traditional "tools of the trade." Contact: Conference
Coordinator Gerri Gunn, Flagstaff Medical Center, 602-773-2055.
[Gerri Gunn, FMC]
10/6-8 -- "Grand Canyon: Toward a Geography of Hope", Grand Canyon, AZ.
This symposium, which is being held in commemoration of the
park's 75th anniversary, is being convened to discuss park
management and the opportunities and barriers to successful
protection of the Colorado Plateau ecoregion. This symposium
will further discuss the future of parks in the context of the
growing need for cooperative management across ecosystems. NPS
training certified; funded by benefiting account. Contact:
Dennis Hamm, Grand Canyon, 602-638-7773.
10/9-14 -- AMSAR Technical Rescue Seminar, Joshua Tree NM, CA. Contact:
American Search and Rescue Association, 619-365-3114. [Response
magazine, NASAR]
10/22-26* -- "Urban Landscapes for People and Wildlife: An Integrative
Approach", Bellevue, WA. Contact: Lowell Adams, National
Institute for Urban Wildlife, 10921 Trotting Ridge Way,
Columbia, MD 21044, 301-596-3311. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
10/23-29 -- Eighth International Outdoor Recreation Conference, Colorado
Springs, CO. A wide variety of sessions on outdoor recreation
activities, vendor exhibits, and job mart. Contact: Bob McKeta,
Director, Army Outdoor Recreation, 703-325-2523 (fax 2519).
[Bob McKeta, AOR, USA]
10/24-28 -- Public Safety Management, Denver, CO (tentative). This course
will survey significant sources of visitor injury and fatalities
on DOI lands, examine causative factors, and work on strategies
for reducing these losses. It will address major sources of
fatal accidents (design, construction, operations, and
maintenance), risk recreation management, legal aspects/bureau
responsibilities, signs, and other sources of public information
and strategies for providing for the safety of the visiting
public. For further information, call Betty Evans at 303-231-
5213.
10/26-29* -- National Watchable Wildlife Conference, Burlington, VT.
Contact: National Watchable Wildlife Conference, 607 Lincolnway
West, Mishawaka, IN 46544, 219-258-0100. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
10/28-11/4 -- Alaska Region Chief Rangers' Workshop and Training, Anchorage,
AK. Contact: Rich O'Guin, RAD/ARO. [Rich O'Guin, RAD/WASO]
10/29-11/2* -- National Land Trust Rally, Chattanooga, TN. The Land Trust
Alliance's national conference brings together private land
trusts, government officials, historic preservation groups, and
experts in a variety of creative land protection techniques.
Excellent opportunity to learn state of the art in forming
partnerships to protect private lands in and around park units.
Contact: Land Trust Alliance, 1319 F Street N.W. Washington,
D.C. 20004-1106, 202-638-4730. [Warren Brown, WASO]
10/31-11/4 -- "Partners in Paleontology: Protecting Our Fossil Heritage",
Fourth Conference on Fossil Resources, Colorado Springs, CO.
Hosted by Florissant Fossil Beds and BLM. The conference is a
workshop designed for staffs of federal, state and local
government agencies and cooperating organizations, including
managers, resource specialists, law enforcement specialists,
interpreters, curators and associated researchers. Contact:
Maggie Johnson, 719-748-3253. [Brian Lakes, FLFO]
10/31-11/4 -- Environmental Safety and Health, Denver, CO (tentative). This
course will cover environmental laws and regulations, including
the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, the Compensation and Liability Act, OSHA and DOT
regulations relating to hazardous materials, and related laws.
Principal emphasis is placed on practical application and
implementation of these laws to protect workers. For further
information, call Betty Evans at 303-231-5213.
10/31-11/3* -- "Partnerships for Hazardous Materials Safety", 1994
International Hazardous Material Spills Conference, Hyatt
Regency Hotel, Buffalo, NY. Contact: Sarah Bauer, EPA, 202-260-
8247. [Al Brown, EPA]
11/14-19 -- Annual Interagency Wilderness Conference and 30th Anniversary of
the Wilderness Act, Santa Fe, NM. Contact: Alan Schmierer, WRO,
415-744-3932. [Wes Henry, RAD/WASO]
11/30-12/2* -- 1994 EPA Region 3 SERC/LEPC Conference, Marriott Waterside
Hotel, Norfolk, VA. Training will focus on the Clean Air Act,
the Oil Pollution Act, worst case scenario planning, federal
facility compliance, a hazmat exercise, and related topics.
Contact: Charles Stewart, 215-597-3152. [Al Brown, EPA]
12/4-7* -- "The Future of Fish and Wildlife is Now", Midwest Fish and
Wildlife Conference, Indianapolis, IN. Contact: Ed Theroff,
Chairman, Division of Fish and Wildlife, RR2, Box 477, Mitchell,
IN 47446 (812-849-4586). [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation
and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax: 202-208-6756
cc:Mail: WASO Ranger Activities
SkyPager: Emergencies ONLY: 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843