- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, July 11, 1995
- Date: Tues, 11 Jul 1995
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, July 11, 1995
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
95-394 - Steamtown (Pennsylvania) - Train/ATV Accident; Two Fatalities
On the afternoon of Sunday, July 9th, the park's excursion train struck and
killed two Scranton boys - A.P., 16, and his brother, P.P., 12 - who
were riding all terrain vehicles along tracks owned by the Lackawanna County
Railroad Authority in an area not open to the public. The train was returning
to the park from a normal Sunday afternoon trip with 572 passengers on board.
The investigation is being handled jointly by rangers, state and city police,
and representatives from the railroad authority. The National Response Center
was also notified. [Terry Gess, Superintendent, STEA]
95-395 - Hot Springs (Arkansas) - Homicide
On June 26th, a visitor hiking just off a trail on Hot Springs Mountain came
upon the body of S.W., 82, of Hot Springs. S.W. had apparently
been killed three to four days previously. The agent in charge of the Hot
Springs FBI office characterized the killing as "an exceptionally brutal
murder." Specific details are not yet being released, but suspects have been
identified in the local area. The investigation is being conducted by rangers
and FBI agents in conjunction with staff at the state crime lab. [Rod Harris,
CR, HOSP]
95-396 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Gang Activity; Attempted Assault
Just before midnight on July 3rd, the Halls Crossing campground host called
rangers for assistance with a gang of skinheads who refused to comply with
quiet hours and were abusive to the host and other campers when asked to quiet
down and to pick up the numerous beer cans and liquor bottles littering their
campsites. They also resisted the responding ranger's similar requests. One
member of the group, Josh Halverson, reached for a large hunting knife at his
side; he persisted despite being told to stop, and the ranger struck him across
the hand with his baton. Halverson received a minor laceration and contusion,
but was dissuaded from drawing his knife. He fled the area and was not
apprehended until the following morning. Other members of the group were cited
for disorderly conduct and for interference. Review of the incident found the
use of the baton to be justified. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Area Fire IMT 7/10 7/11 Con Con
AZ State Rio T2 16,000 23,365 100 CND
Bagdad -- - 80 80 CN 7/12
* Reed -- - 500 60 CN 7/10
Tonto NF Basin/Horse -- 6,500 10,000 0 NEC
* Salt -- - 1,250 25 NEC
San Carlos Agency Burdette T2 900 4,642 30 CN 7/12
Truxton Canyon
Agency Lost Tank T2 6,610 6,689 100 CND
Phoenix Dis. Senator II Cx T2 4,600 4,600 100 CND
Arizona Strip Dis. Mountain Sheep -- 100 550 50 CN 7/11
UT Cedar City Dis. Milford Pass -- 9,000 9,125 80 CN 7/10
Pinnacle Peak -- 400 511 90 CN 7/11
NV Winemucca Dis. Crowley -- 1,250 1,250 100 CND
OR Vale Dis. Indian Fort -- 1,000 13,000 50 CN 7/11
HEADING NOTES:
Fire * = newly reported fire (on this report). Cx = complex.
IMT T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST1 = state Type 1; ST2 = state Type 2.
% 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 4 7 10 0 55 62 138
Acres Burned 1 3,578 555 0 2,0828 5,922 12,138
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 77 105 42 11 71
Non-federal 0 6 0 0 0
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1995 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires - U.S. 47,389 41,189
Acres Burned - U.S. 859,297 1,127,861
Number of Fires - Canada 5,628 -
Hectares* Burned - Canada 4,180,518 -
* A hectare equals 2.47 acres.
6) SITUATION - Initial attack continued through much of the West yesterday due
to continuing thunderstorms, but resource mobilization remained limited. Over
170,000 acres burned in Canada.
7) OUTLOOK - A fire weather watch has been posted for strong winds in southern
Nevada and for strong winds and possible dry lightning in northwest Arizona.
Large fires are expected in the Southwest, Nevada, Utah and southern
California; initial attack should continue throughout the West.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/11]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Glacier (Montana) - Wolf Pups Confirmed in Park
Wolf pups were recently observed in two of three wolf packs that utilize park
habitat. During a July 1st monitoring flight, a University of Montana wolf
researcher spotted six pups each with the South Camas and Spruce Creek packs.
Although no pups were seen with the North Camas pack during the flight,
researchers believe that denning has occurred and was successful. These
numbers indicate relatively good reproductive success for the wolves in these
packs this year. [Amy Vanderbilt, PAO, GLAC]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
UPCOMING IN CONGRESS
The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming weeks
on matters pertaining to the National Park Service. If you would like further
information on any of these hearings or bills, please contact Stacey Rickard in
WASO Legislation at 202-208-3636.
July 18
House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Markup of H.R. 238, to provide for the protection of wild horses within Ozark
National Scenic Riverways and prohibit the removal of such horses; H.R. 1280,
to establish guidelines for the designation of National Heritage Areas; H.R.
1301, to establish the American Heritage Areas Partnership Program; H.R. 1745,
to designate certain public lands in the State of Utah as wilderness.
July 20
House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 1163, to authorize the exchange of National Park Service land
in Fire Island National Seashore in the State of New York for land in the
Village of Patchogue, Suffolk County, New York.
July 25
House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 773, to reform the concession policies of the National Park
Service.
July 27
Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation (Campbell): Hearing on S. 964, to amend the Land
and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 with respect to fees for admission to
units of the National Park System; S. 309, to reform the concession policies of
the National Park Service.
August 3
House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. ----, recreation fees.
TBA
Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation (Campbell): Hearing on S. 133, to establish the
Lower East Side Tenement Museum National Historic Site; S. 608, to establish
the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts;
S. 305, to establish the Shenandoah Valley National Battlefields and Commission
in the Commonwealth of Virginia; S. 310, to transfer title to certain lands in
Shenandoah National Park to the State of Virginia; S. 128, to establish the
Thomas Cole National Historic Site in the State of New York; S. 231, to modify
the boundaries of Walnut Canyon National Monument in the State of Arizona.
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