- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, November 17, 1994
- Date: Thurs, 17 Nov 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, November 17, 1994
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
94-643 - Fort Smith (Arkansas) - Employee Death
Long-time park employee P.D.D. was killed in a single car accident on
Friday night, November 11th. He had worked at Fort Smith for more than 21
years in various maintenance positions. Services will be scheduled for later
this week. P.D.D.'s presence will be greatly missed by family, friends and
co-workers. Condolences may be sent to his wife, W., and their three sons
in care of Fort Smith National Historic Site, P.O. Box 1406, Fort Smith, AR
72902. [FOSM, 11/14]
94-644 - Glen Canyon (Utah) - Rescue
On the evening of November 11th, the park received a report of a stranded
climber on a small ledge in Ribbon Canyon. Rescuers responding from Halls
Crossing and Bullfrog worked throughout the night attempting to reach and
rescue D.M. of Davis, California, who was perched on a small ledge
about 115 feet above the canyon floor. Night time rescue operations were
hindered by a light rain and poor quality sandstone rock. At first light, a
rescue party consisting of rangers Matt Vandzura and Russ Miller and
maintenance workers Pat Horning and Greg Taylor succeeded in attaining a
position on a higher ledge from which Vandzura was able to traverse across to a
position above D.M. and from there complete the rescue by lowering him to
the ground. D.M. spent nearly 19 hours standing on the small ledge. He was
clad in t-shirt, shorts, hiking shoes, and an inexpensive plastic rain poncho.
The latter likely kept him from developing hypothermia. Investigation
following the rescue indicated that D.M. and his party were BASE jumpers who
have frequently visited remote areas of the park and were all present in the
nearby Escalante Canyon area when Paul Thompson died during a BASE jump in
September. This particular rescue was not related to BASE jumping, however, as
D.M. was simply free climbing in a narrow side canyon. [Tommie Lee, CR,
GLCA, 11/14]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
"Park Housing Improvement Program, Informational Memorandum # 2: Target Parks,
Trailer Replacement, and Partnerships", signed by Director Kennedy and sent to
all Regional Directors and Superintendents. The full text follows:
"As you know, Secretary Bruce Babbitt has announced that one of his top
priorities is to forge a public/private partnership with the National Park
Foundation (NPF) and other public/private partners to address the housing
crisis in our national parks. His two primary goals are: (1) to identify
several 'target parks' and make as many improvements as possible by May 1995;
and (2) during his tenure, to replace all of the trailers used for housing that
are currently in use in our parks.
"The Secretary's Office has gone to considerable lengths to ensure that the
National Park Service (NPS) is well represented and to ensure that coordination
(both within the Department of the Interior (DOI) and with outside parties) is
maximized. We have been consulted from the outset regarding how best to
coordinate this effort and, in particular, about how the Secretary's staff
should coordinate with the NPS.
"Under the direction of the Department's Chief of Staff, Tom Collier, the
following Departmental and NPS staff have been assigned specific
responsibilities.
Responsibility Lead Person within DOI
Overall Coordination Molly Poag (OS)
NPS Housing Program Donald Herring (NPS)
Coordination
Target Parks Program Susie Trees (NPS)
Trailer Replacement/ Kip Hagen (NPS)
Housing Rehabilitation
Financing/Lands Issues Allen McReynolds (OS)
Philanthropy/"Giving" Jody Kusek(OS)!
Issues Lucia Wyman (AS/LM)
DSC Coordination and Billy Garrett (NPS)
Line Item Construction
Concessionaires Glynn Key (OS)
Legislative Issues Anne Badgley/Kitty Roberts (NPS)
Legal Issues Bob Baum (SOL)
Press Coordination Jay Ziegler (OS)!0
Joan Anzelmo (NPS)
"The NPF has agreed to make the housing initiative a top priority and has
recently hired a special program coordinator, Janet Lynch, to manage the
public/private partnership efforts and work closely with the DOI staff. I view
Ms. Lynch as the 'managing partner' of this effort and ask that you cooperate
fully with her in moving forward on this important initiative.
"The Target Parks Program is well underway. The 'target parks' were selected
based on a number of considerations, including need and level of interest and
willingness to help expressed by NPF board members and others. While great
emphasis will be placed on making progress in the target parks, efforts will
not be limited to those parks, and we hope to see progress at other parks, as
well. At present, NPF board members (working with DOI staff) have agreed to
take a leading role in addressing the housing problems at the following target
parks:
Park NPF Board Member DOI Involvement
Yellowstone NP Bruce Karatz Bruce Babbitt
Allen McReynolds
Susie Trees
Big Bend NP Mort Meyerson Bob Armstrong
Lucia Wyman
Channel Islands NP Bob Wycoff Kevin Sweeney
Janna Sidley
Lucia Wyman
Isle Royale NP Don Thurber Roger Kennedy
Anne Badgley
Cape Hatteras NS Tommy Thompson Molly Poag
Jody Kusek
Rocky Mountain NP Jack MacAllister BJ Thornberry
George Frampton
Allen McReynolds
Susan Kaslow
Glacier Bay NP Bill Cole Debra Williams
Paddy McGuire
Danny Consenstein
"In addition to the above parks, the Department plans to target the following
parks for early emphasis:
Park DOI Lead
Everglades NP Bonnie Cohen
Lucia Wyman
Glacier NP Ada Deer
Glynn Key
Faith Roessel
Grand Teton NP George Frampton
Susan Kaslow
Bob Baum
Lois Schiffar (DOJ)
Shenandoah NP George Frampton
Bob Baum
Susan Kaslow
SE Utah Group Roger Kennedy
Destry Jarvis
Jody Kusek
Sequoia NP George Frampton
Susan Kaslow
Bob Baum
Yosemite NP George Frampton
Bob Baum
Susan Kaslow
"The team leaders have been instructed to work closely with the park
superintendents in coming up with a specific plan of action for their target
parks. Among the issues that each target park team has been asked to explore
are: Coming up with a strategy for getting rid of the trailers; finding ways to
reduce costs associated with new construction (which includes revising existing
plans to determine whether cost savings are possible); and getting housing
units outside of the parks. Everyone has been asked to make this matter a
priority and to make as much progress as quickly as possible.
"The trailer replacement program continues to progress on a parallel tract,
with the same support and commitment from the Secretary's Office. We are
finalizing our budget needs for Fiscal Years 1995 and 1996 in order to
accomplish the goals set by his office to replace the majority of 659 trailers
currently in use. This continues to be a priority National Park Service
project and is addressed in more detail in my memorandum dated July 28, 1994.
"A related initiative on which I want your support is an undertaking by the
Chicago Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the
Doblin Group. These distinguished groups are undertaking a major project over
this school year, with graduate students led by Professors Chuck Owen and Larry
Keeley, studying park issues and operations from a 'systems approach.' They
will examine how we operate by reviewing data provided by us and by talking to
various of our employees about what works well and what could work better. By
the end of the school year, they will present us with a comprehensive report
containing recommendations on how we might improve our operations.
"It is important to note that we will not halt progress on our important
initiatives (such as park housing), pending the completion of their report.
Instead, throughout the year, we will be feeding information back and forth
with this group. This exchange of information will provide us with the
opportunity to learn from their work before the release of a final report.
"Please also note that their work will not be limited to park housing (although
we have asked them to include assessment of park housing issues as an important
part of their work).
"We have agreed to provide all necessary assistance to allow the Chicago group
to complete its analysis. We have asked Jim Coleman (Regional Director,
Southeast Region) to serve as the main point of contact. Your direct support
is needed since, as noted above, part of the school's efforts will involve
meeting with persons who work at the parks and others who play important roles
in the operations of the NPS. I hope that I can count on everyone to cooperate
fully with the Chicago group and with Jim Coleman.
"Again, let me emphasize that together we can move this program forward and
make substantial improvements to our park housing situation. I ask each of you
for your full cooperation and participation in working with any team member who
may contact you or your staff for input or information.
"If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Donald
Herring at 202-343-7040."
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
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