- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, August 15, 1995
- Date: Tues, 15 Aug 1995
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, August 15, 1995
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
95-518 - Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) - Hurricane Felix
High seas and heavy surf ahead of Hurricane Felix caused a drowning on Sunday
and led to the issuance of an advisory to ORV users regarding beach conditions.
On the afternoon of August 13th, Gary Bigger, 45, of Basom, New York, was
riding a boogie board in ten-foot surf when he was slammed to the ocean bottom
and drowned. The boogie board was tethered to his wrist, which may have been a
contributing factor. Local rescue personnel responded immediately and began
CPR, but without success. Rescuers reported the presence of a strong undertow.
On August 14th, the superintendent issued an advisory to all ORV users
regarding beach driving conditions. Due to ocean overwash in the vicinity of
beach ramps and designated beach routes, ORV operators were warned that beach
driving could be difficult and hazardous and that they could become stranded
because of rapidly rising waters. Beach areas are being monitored by rangers
and may be closed due to flooding. [Joe Smith, CR, CAHA]
95-519 - Everglades (Florida) - Rescue
On August 7th, four Navy SEALs embarked on a cross-country trip through the
park, launching two kayaks from Pa-Hay-Okee overlook along the main park road.
The SEALs, who were engaged in a non-military orientation exercise, intended to
travel across the flooded sawgrass prairies of Shark Slough for two days, then
connect with a coastal river at its headwaters and follow deeper salt water
rivers back to Flamingo. By 1 p.m. the following afternoon, the team was
suffering from heat exposure, caused by high temperatures and humidity and a
high solar radiation factor, and was also finding travel via kayak difficult in
this terrain. Rangers Ben Morgan and John Anthony responded to their radio
call for aid by traveling to the area in separate airboats, rendering
assistance, and guiding the SEALs to the main park road. GPS instruments used
by the SEALs and the responding rangers helped the rangers find them. Airboat
rescues are not common in the Everglades due to the fact that private use of
airboats is prohibited in most areas of park. Few visitors attempt to cross
this remote wilderness by other means. [Bob Panko, DR, Pine Island District,
EVER]
95-520 - Great Smokies (Tennessee/North Carolina) - Car Clouting Arrests
While traveling to work on August 5th, ranger Chris Green spotted suspicious
activity in the Alum Cave parking lot, a popular day use area where there have
been many recent car clouts. Four suspects immediately left the area, followed
by Green in his own vehicle. Ranger Bobby Holland soon took up the pursuit and
made a felony stop after a high speed chase. An adult male jumped out of the
vehicle and fled into the woods as the vehicle slowed down. Green pursued.
Burglary tools and purses were found in the vehicle, which was occupied by a
second adult male and two juvenile males, ages 14 and 16. Shortly thereafter,
a visitor reported that his vehicle had been forcibly entered while parked at
Alum Cave and was able to identify personal property that was found in the
stopped vehicle. The juveniles were charged and released to their parents.
The driver, E.C., was arrested and charged with 18 USC violations. An
arrest warrant has been issued for D.R., the man who jumped out of the
car and evaded Green. D.R. has a lengthy criminal history, including
burglaries, larcenies and eluding officers. Green's personal vehicle was
damaged in the incident. [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM]
95-521 - Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) - Aircraft Crash with Injuries
A single-engine Pelican Airways aircraft piloted by Phil Platt and carrying
four passengers landed in about four inches of water in a marsh on the east end
of Ocracoke Island on the afternoon of August 11th. Three persons were treated
and released at a local clinic; one person with a broken back was taken to a
hospital in Greenville. Park pilot Bob Trick and ranger Dann Trexler are
assisting the FAA and NTSB with the investigation. Removal of the aircraft is
being coordinated by resource management specialist Ries Collier in order to
reduce the impact on the marsh environment. [Joe Smith, CR, CAHA]
95-522 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Search and Rescue
A two-day search for 16-year-old H.G. of Nashville, Tennessee,
concluded successfully on the morning of August 11th. H.G. failed to return
on the evening of the 8th from a strenuous 16-mile day hike in the Mummy Range
in which she was going to attempt to ascend six peaks, five of them over 13,000
feet high. She was found in the Hague Creek drainage by a search team that had
heard the faint sound of H.G.'s whistle. At its peak, the search effort
involved 75 people, three dogs and a helicopter. Doug Ridley was incident
commander. [CRO, ROMO]
95-523 - Channel Islands (California) - Search; Diving Fatality
On the afternoon of August 12th, O.J., 31, of Lompoc, California, was
SCUBA diving with friends near Painted Cave off Santa Cruz Island. The group
was between 80 and 100 feet below the surface when O.J. indicated to his
partners that he was returning to the surface, then disappeared. Park rangers
and Coast Guard personnel arrived on scene less than two hours later and began
an extensive search of shorelines and of nearby ocean areas, employing three
patrol boats and helicopter. Four SCUBA divers conducted a hasty search of the
area. Due to the time of day, remoteness of the incident site and deep depth
of the water, an effective underwater search could not be organized and
conducted until the following day, when fourteen park and Santa Barbara county
sheriff divers began a major search of the area. At 2 p.m., they found his
body resting on a ledge at a depth of 85 feet. [Jack Fitzgerald, CR, CHIS]
95-524 - Coronado (Arizona) - Illegal Aliens
A park maintenance employee contacted rangers on August 4th to report a vehicle
traveling in the park at a high rate of speed. The vehicle stopped a quarter
mile east of the park with smoke issuing out from under the right front tire
well. The driver and responding ranger extinguished a small fire around the
brake pads. The ranger subsequently determined that the driver was an
undocumented alien, as were seven of his passengers. The driver had no
license, insurance or proof of ownership of the vehicle; an NCIC check revealed
that it had been stolen from the Phoenix area. The aliens were turned over to
the Border Patrol. [Bill Smith, CORO]
95-525 - Independence (Pennsylvania) - Special Event
From 8 p.m. on August 9th until about 4 a.m. the next morning, about 3,000
Jerry Garcia fans filled the block surrounding the Liberty Bell for a
candlelight vigil. The peaceful vigil began outside a stadium across town, but
moved to the park on the suggestion of a rock station located across the street
from the Liberty Bell. People gathered there, lit candles and sang songs.
The event went smoothly, although alcohol was present in abundance. There were
no altercations and compliance to verbal warnings was given ungrudgingly. The
participants picked up the majority of their trash, filling the area's trash
cans to overflowing. No arrests or confrontations occurred. (Michael Dumene,
Shift Supervisor, INDE)
95-526 - Independence (Pennsylvania) - Special Event
On Saturday, August 12th, a demonstration was held in the Judge Lewis
Quadrangle in opposition to the death penalty and in support of a demand for a
new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Jamal was convicted of killing a Philadelphia
police officer in 1981. There were about 3,500 demonstrators. Security was
provided by rangers and Philadelphia police officers. The incident started and
ended within the approved time limits; there were no incidents. [Calvin T.
Farmer, Ops Chief, IMT, INDE]
95-527 - Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) - Marijuana Eradication
On August 7th, rangers removed 51 marijuana plants from nine separate plots
that were scattered over an area covering about 640 acres in the northeastern
section of the park. Some of the plants were 12 feet tall. The plots were
located in small openings, some created by ice storms and some by growers. The
total value for plants destroyed in the park this year has been placed at
$182,000. [Phil Veluzat, CR, MACA]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
The national preparedness level today dropped from Level III to Level II.
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Area Fire IMT 8/14 8/15 Con Con
MN Superior NF Sag Corridor T2 6,988 8,088 40 CN 8/15
CA Tahoe NF Helester T2 300 573 60 CN 8/16
UT State Turkey -- 4,002 4,002 100 CND
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 1 4 22 1 68 46 143
Acres Burned 0 5 94 4 118 349 570
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 55 56 36 6 157
Non-federal 12 17 0 2 39
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1995 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires - U.S. 58,311 52,986
Acres Burned - U.S. 1,428,744 2,130,724
Number of Fires - Canada 6,914 -
Acres Burned - Canada 14,953,703 -
6) SITUATION - Moderate levels of initial attack continued throughout the West
yesterday. Due to concerns regarding evolving weather patterns and potential
large fire activity, the Eastern area Type I IMT will be staged in Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
7) OUTLOOK - A fire weather watch for hot temperatures, low humidity and south
winds of from 15 to 30 mph has been posted for western Utah. Moderate fire
activity is expected in most locations, but may increase significantly in
western Utah and northern Minnesota.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/15]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Fort Laramie (Wyoming) - Thistle Control
The park's staff has employed an active bio control plan to control thistles
which are invading the area. Several gall pods were counted by park staff and
county weed specialists during a survey conducted on August 8th. Active larvae
were also found on thistle seed heads. The survey was a follow-up on a second
insect release conducted this past spring. Ceutorhynchus litura, larinus
planus, urophora cardui, tichosirocalus horridus and ryinocyllus conicus are
being released to curb the spread of plumless thistle, Canada thistle and
scotch thistle. The insects attach to thistle stems and seed heads without
affecting native plants. Information is available from David Reilly at the
park. [Jim Cahill, CRO, FOLA]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
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, EXCEPT in instances in
which registration dates close much earlier. Asterisks indicate new entries;
brackets at end of entry indicate source of information:
8/28-9/1 -- Western International Forest Disease Work Conference, Whitefish,
MT. Contact: Jane Taylor, 406-329-3463 (phone). [Steve Cinnamon,
MWRO]
8/29-9/3 -- Meeting, Society of American Archivists, Washington, DC. Contact:
SAA, 312-922-0140 (phone). [Diane Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO]
9/6* -- "Symposium on Creating Partnerships to Identify and Preserve
National Historic Landmarks", Saratoga Springs, NY. The one-day,
NPS-sponsored workshop will be held before the AASLH annual
meeting. Registrants need not be members of AASLH and do not need
to register for the rest of the week's activities. Contact: Donna
Baumgartner, AASLH, 615-255-2971. [Susan Escherich, WASO]
9/6-8 -- Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Diversity Symposium, East Dubuque,
IA. Registration before August 10th is $40; after August 10th it
is $50. Contact: Glen Kruse, Division of Natural Heritage, 524
South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1787. [Steve Cinnamon,
MWRO]
9/12-14 -- Blasting and Explosives Seminar, Pittsburgh, PA. Course on
blasting and explosives safety, presented by Explosives Educational
Services, Inc. Contact: Carol Lippincott at 1-800-283-2331 or 817-
573-1630. [Jim Lee, RAD/WASO]
9/12-17 -- "Excellence in Wildlife Stewardship through Science and Education",
Second Annual Conference, Wildlife Society, Portland, OR. Nineteen
on-going symposia, 21 sessions featuring contributed papers and
posters, trade show. Child care available. Early registration fee
for members is $125, $170 for non-members; fees increased by $35
after August 14th. Contact: Wildlife Society, 5410 Grosvenor Lane,
Bethesda, MD 20814-2197; fax: 301-530-2471. [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
9/15-16* -- "War and Reconstruction in Indian Territory: A History Conference
in Observance of the 130th Anniversary of the Fort Smith Council",
Fort Smith NHS, Fort Smith, AR. The conference will focus on the
impact of the American Civil War and Reconstruction period on
Indian Territory. A living history event will also take place at
the site that weekend. Contact: Julie Galonska, park historian,
501-783-3961 or via cc:Mail at FOSM Historian. [Julie Galonska,
FOSM]
9/18-20 -- Seventh International Disaster Recovery Symposium and Exhibition,
Atlanta, GA. Contact: 314-894-0276. [Diane Vogt O'Connor,
CSD/WASO]
9/18-22 -- Teaching with Historic Places, Mather EDC, Harpers Ferry, WV.
Training course in which participants will use an established model
to develop lesson plans employing historic places in their parks.
Completed lesson plans can be used both on- and off-site. There is
no fee; travel and per diem are by benefitting account. The
application deadline is August 4th. Contact: Marilyn Harper,
National Register of Historic Places, WASO, 202-343-9546 or via
cc:Mail by name. [Marilyn Harper, IRD/WASO]
9/18-29* -- Physical Fitness Coordinators Training, Prince William Forest Park,
VA. This program prepares Federal law enforcement personnel to
coordinate their agency's physical fitness and wellness programs.
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to
conduct FLETC's five-part physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) and
other assessment techniques. Benefitting account cost for
participants will be $160 for tuition. Travel and per diem cost
will be covered by National Capital Region and WASO. Nominations
must be sent in regional priority and sent to Carl Douhan via
cc:Mail or fax no later than close of business on August 17th.
Contact: Carl Douhan via cc:Mail. [Jim Lee, RAD/WASO]
9/26-28 -- Blasting Application Seminar, Las Vegas, NV. Course on basic
surface blasting applications, presented by Explosives Educational
Services, Inc. Contact: Carol Lippincott at 1-800-283-2331 or 817-
573-1630. [Jim Lee, RAD/WASO]
9/27-30 -- Second Biennial Rocky Mountain Anthropological Conference,
Steamboat Springs, CO. Contact: Dr. Calvin Jennings, Department of
Anthropology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80512-
1787. [Ken Cannon, MWAC]
10/8-14 -- GIS and Remote Sensing, Front Royal, VA. Contact: Rose Meier,
Conservation and Research Center, Smithsonian Institution, Front
Royal, VA 22630; 703-635-6500 (phone); nzpcrc01@sivm.si.edu
(Internet). [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
10/9-13* -- "Hands On Hypermedia and Interactivity in Museums", Hotel del
Coronado, San Diego, CA. Contact: Conference organizers at 412-
683-9775 (phone), 412-683-7366 (fax), 74543.2367@compuserve.com
(Internet). [Diane Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO]
10/11-14 -- Workshop for Historians and Interpreters/Western History
Association Conference, Executive Tower Inn, Denver, CO. The
workshop on the first day will focus on interpretive and historical
concerns of NPS areas; the conference will address specific issues
that challenge a reorganized National Park Service in the immediate
and long-term future. $35 registration fee for conference.
Contact (no later than August 15th): Dr. Art Gomez, Santa Fe SSO,
via cc:Mail. [Laura Feller, WASO]
10/12-13 -- First Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Review, Charlottesville, VA. Contact:
Scott Salom, 703-231-4029 (phone). [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
10/15* -- Due date for papers, posters and abstracts for "Wilderness and
Natural Areas in Eastern North America", a symposium to be held
next May in Gatlinburg, TN. Contact: Prof. Mike Legg of the
College of Forestry at S.F. Austin University, (409-468-3301
(phone), 409-468-2489 (fax), mleggAsfasu.edu (Internet). [Alan
Schmierer, WRO]
10/16-18 -- Seventh Annual Federal Preservation Forum Meeting, Denver, CO. The
forum promotes constructive dialogue among participants in federal
historic preservation programs. Members share information at the
annual meeting on ways to improve federal programs. Topics will
include the future of the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, the DOD legacy, Native American issues, resources
training for non-preservation managers, and case history problems
and successes. Contact: Rhoda Lewis, USFWS, 303-236-8145 (phone);
Rhoda_LewisAmail.fws.gove (Internet). [Anne Vawser, MWAC]
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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