- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, September 26, 1994
- Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, September 26, 1994
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
94-566 - Blue Ridge (Virginia/North Carolina) - Shooting Incident
Around 1:20 a.m. on September 13th, the Waynesboro police department advised
rangers that several park visitors had reported being shot at while sitting
at the Shenandoah Valley overlook earlier that evening. While rangers from
the James River District were responding, Waynesboro officers stopped a
suspect vehicle and found a .22 caliber revolver and several discharged shell
casings. Following an interview, one suspect was charged under state and
federal codes. No one was injured. The case is under investigation;
additional felony charges are expected after consultation with the U.S.
Attorney's Office. [CRO, BLRI, 9/23]
94-567 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Assault on Ranger
Around 11 a.m. on September 18th, seasonal ranger John Wagner stopped a
vehicle for a stop sign violation. The driver, R.S. a local
resident, immediately became irate, argumentative and questioned the ranger's
authority. While Wagner was completing paperwork in his patrol vehicle,
R.S. ran towards the vehicle in an threatening manner. Wagner twice backed
up his patrol vehicle to put distance between himself and R.S. while also
calling for assistance. The ranger then got out of his car and ordered
R.S. to return to his vehicle; R.S. refused to do so, and instead
advanced on Wagner. A struggle ensued, during which R.S. swung at the
ranger several more times, grabbed his clothes, and pushed and pulled him.
R.S. lost his balance and fell to the ground, but continued to struggle and
resist being handcuffed. R.S. was finally handcuffed just prior to the
arrival of two NPS back up units. Wagner's injuries were limited to a small
finger cut. R.S. was jailed and charged with the stop sign violation,
failure to obey a lawful order, and a state charge of resisting law
enforcement. An 18 USC 111 charge for assault on a federal officer is under
review by the U.S. Attorney's Office. [Joni Jones, Protection Branch Chief,
INDU, 9/21]
94-568 - Valley Forge (Pennsylvania) - Fuel Spill
The driver of a tractor trailer carrying furniture lost control of his
vehicle near the Route 23 bridge in the park on the afternoon of September
22nd; the truck subsequently jackknifed and turned over, and the contents of
its fuel tank spilled into Valley Creek. The park has brought in a local
spill containment contractor to clean up the spill, estimated at about 100
gallons. No significant impacts are expected. [Scott Johnson, VAFO, 9/23]
94-569 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Drowning
R.G., 27, of Houston, Texas, drowned just north of the lunch ramp
courtesy dock at Government Wash on the afternoon of September 20th.
According to witnesses, R.G. was swimming across a narrow cove about 50
yards wide when he screamed, then went under water. One of witnesses, Toth
Andras of Las Vegas, swam to where to the point where R.G. went under, but
was unable to locate him because of the murky water in the area. Andras then
swam back to shore and hailed a park patrol boat that had just arrived in the
area. The ranger radioed for the park's dive team, which located the victim
approximately 25 yards from shore in 14 feet of water. [Bud Inman, LAME,
9/22]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - III
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
Fri Mon % Est
State Area Fire IMT 9/23 9/26 Cont Cont
WY Yellowstone NP * Robinson T2 - 2,036 40 NEC
MT Bitterroot NF * Ward Mountain T1 - 200 NR NEC
Kootenai NF Koocanusa Cx T2 - 11,520 95 NEC
Cabinet Cx T2 - 3,596 95 NEC
State * Peter's Ridge T2 - 150 NR NEC
OR W.-Whitman NF * Fox Point T2 - 500 5 NEC
Malheur NF * Reed T2 - 500 NR NEC
State * Sprignette Butte ST - 1,360 90 9/27
ID Boise NF Thunderbolt T2 21,000 24,108 75 10/15
Payette NF Corral Creek -
Blackwell Cx T1 150,630 152,940 67 10/12
Chicken Cx T1 93,770 96,675 52 NEC
Clearwater NF * Siam T2 - 1,067 NR NEC
CA Lassen NF Barkley T2 32,000 44,430 100 CND
Klamath NF Specimen T2 4,000 5,790 27 9/29
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 -
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 1 4 19 0 69 128 221
Acres Burned 1 74 1 0 149 4,064 4,289
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 164 175 63 9 1,223
Non-federal 154 122 23 4 1,116
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1994 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires 61,370 59,072
Acres Burned 3,672,559 2,331,185
6) SITUATION - Initial attack activity increased significantly yesterday in
the western Great Basin and northern California. Large fires continued to be
active in the Northwest, northern Rockies and Idaho. Several contained fires
have again become very active; some have escaped containment lines. Several
more incident management teams have been committed in the northern Rockies.
7) OUTLOOK - Fire activity is expected to increase with the continuation of
hot and dry weather conditions in many areas.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/26]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Fort Laramie (Wyoming) - Exotic Thistles
The resource management staff at Fort Laramie is considering using biological
control methods to control several species of exotic thistles in the park.
They would like to hear from other offices or parks that have advice,
experiences or a list of contacts on the biological control subject. Please
send information directly to David Reilly at Fort Laramie National Historic
Site, Fort Laramie, WY 82212 (cc:Mail address is FOLA Resource Management),
or call 307-837-2221. [Gary Sullivan, MWRO]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Mountain Bike Court Case Ruling - On September 1st, Eugene F. Lynch,
United States District Judge, Northern District of California, issued his
decision granting summary judgment in favor of the NPS in a case which
challenged NPS regulations concerning mountain bike use of trails in Golden
Gate NRA. Bicycle Trails Council of Marin, the plaintiffs, alleged that the
NPS violated the APA and NEPA in promulgating two regulations - the 1987
general regulation pertaining to bicycle use in all parks (36 CFR 4.30) and a
1992 special regulation initiated by the park which allocated trails between
bicyclists, equestrians and hikers. With respect to the 1987 regulation, the
court held that by not commenting during the public comment period,
plaintiffs had waived their right to challenge this regulation under NEPA and
the APA. The court further found that, even if waiver was not a bar, the
regulation was a valid exercise of NPS discretion under the Organic Act, and
that the use of a categorical exclusion in promulgating the regulation did
not violate NEPA. As to the 1992 special regulation, the court found it to
be a valid exercise of NPS discretion to balance user access and resource
protection under the authority of the Organic Act and the park's enabling
legislation, The court also rejected the NEPA challenge, ruling that the NPS'
EA was appropriate because many of the impacts alleged by the plaintiffs were
not impacts on the physical environment but rather impacts on bicyclists'
subjective experiences. It is unknown at this time whether the plaintiffs
will choose to appeal the decision. Anyone who would like a copy of the
decision can request one by sending a note via cc:Mail to GOGA Ranger
Activities or by calling 415-556-4283. [CRO, GOGA]
2) Curatorial Fellowships - Winterthur Fellowships are now available for
research in library and museum collections. Fields of study include, but
are not limited to, African-American history, anthropology, archaeology,
architectural history, decorative arts, folklore, historic preservation, and
material culture. Information and application forms may be obtained by
writing to: Research Fellowship Program, Advanced Studies Office,
Winterthur, DE 19735, 302/888-4649. The application deadline is December 1,
1994.
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:
10/2-8* -- Association for Preservation Technology Conference, Seattle, WA.
Contact: APT, P.O. Box 8178, Fredericksburg, VA, 22404. [Diane
Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO]
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.
10/7-9* -- "Photo History IX", International Symposium, Rochester, NY.
Contact: Photographic Historical Society, Box 39563, Rochester,
NY 14604. [Diane Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO]
10/9-14 -- AMSAR Technical Rescue Seminar, Joshua Tree NM, CA. Contact:
American Search and Rescue Association, 619-365-3114. [Response
magazine, NASAR]
10/15-20* -- Wilderness Emergency Medicine, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue
Service, Chattanooga, TN. This 48-hour wilderness emergency
technician course will introduce EMTs, paramedics and doctors to
wilderness medicine. Graduates will receive national
certification from Wilderness Medical Associates. Cost: $499.
Contact: Dennis Curry, 615-821-8201. [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH]
10/17-18* -- "Selling Collections Care to Funders", Annual Meeting of the
National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property,
Washington, D.C. Contact: NIC, 3299 K St. NW, Ste. 602,
Washington, D.C., 20007, 202-625-1495. [Diane Vogt O'Connor,
CSD/WASO]
10/17-21* -- "The Preservation Future: Information, Cooperation and Regulation
Change", Federal Preservation Forum, Reno, NV. Reservation
deadline: October 3rd. Contact: Bureau of Land Management, P.O.
Box 1200, Reno, NV 89520-0006. Phone: 702-785-6590 (fax 6602).
[Betty Browning, CSD/WASO]
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]
10/26-30* -- Annual Meeting, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Boston,
MA. Contact: National Trust, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20036, 202-673-4000 (fax 4038). [Betty Browning,
CSD/WASO]
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]
11/1-6* -- 1994 National Interpreters Workshop, Stouffer Tower City Plaza
Hotel, Cleveland, OH. Contact: Tom Blodgett, NIW Chair, St.
Joseph County Parks, 32132 SR2, New Carlisle, IN 46552,
219-654-3156. [Mike Gurling, OLYM]
11/14-18* -- "The Spirit Lives: Reflections and Visions on the 30th
Anniversary of the Wilderness Act", Sixth National Wilderness
Conference, Sweeney Conference Center, Santa Fe, NM. Sponsored
by BLM, NBS, NPS, FWS, USFS, and the Society of American
Foresters' Wilderness Workgroup. Conference participants will
review the intent of the Wilderness Act and plan for actions
necessary to bring the vision forward into the 21st century.
Fee: $195. Contact: Jim Walters, 505-988-6022, or Jack Potter,
406-888-5441; to be placed on the mailing list to receive a
brochure, contact Peter Keller via cc:Mail or at 202-208-7029.
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]
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