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Subject: Park Ops Quarterly Update - 2
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Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 10:58:41 -0400
4.4 Environmental Compliance Auditing: Activities for the quarter included
the following:
o Led a task force comprised of 11 representatives from six
divisions (Public Health, Air Resources, Water Resources,
Environmental Quality, Geologic Resources, Safety and Park
Facility Management) in a two-day meeting to draft an NPS policy
for environmental compliance auditing. Topics discussed included
standard operating procedures, auditing criteria, auditor
qualifications and training, and reporting.
o Negotiated revisions to supplemental environmental projects (SEPs)
with EPA. The SEPs were developed in response to a 1995 EPA
enforcement action at HAVO in which the NPS was assessed a
$243,000 penalty. The revised SEP focuses on higher value
projects that will improve NPS pollution prevention and
environmental compliance initiatives.
o Represented the NPS in a cooperative partnership among all DOI
bureaus and the EPA and evaluated compliance assistance projects
that EPA regional offices have proposed in its efforts to help
bring DOI into environmental compliance.
o Assisted a Midwest Region team in performing a pilot compliance
audit at SACN.
4.5 Public Utilities: Activities for the quarter included the following:
o Continued to work with numerous GSA regional offices and notified
corresponding parks to participate in the competitive electric
deregulation process.
o Participated in numerous public utility projects in about 80
parks, including connections and services for water, wastewater,
gas, electric, steam, and photovoltaic power systems.
4.6 Wireless Technologies: Activities for the quarter included the
following:
o Continued participation in the technical evaluation panel for
DOI's narrowband radio contract. The panel has completed
evaluations and reported findings to the contracting officer. The
contract will likely be awarded this summer.
o Met with NPS telecommunications specialists to discuss the details
of how to manage the narrowband transition and provide the latest
information on national policy issues.
o Worked on several radio projects. Met with Boston area parks on a
shared wide-area radio system with a consolidated dispatch/
operations center, possibly involving other federal agencies in an
effort to share resources. Participated in meetings with BLM on a
possible statewide shared radio system which would involve several
federal agencies and the state, and meetings with USPP on wide
area sharing of radio systems with other agencies in the D.C.
area. Worked on park-specific issues at BICA, LIBI, GOGA, MANA,
ASIS, DEWA, BIBE, BLRI, NATR and Marsh-Billings. Also
participated in discussions with several NPS units and FWS on
potential shared radio systems.
o Continued work on updating radio frequency assignments.
o Made presentations on the impact new national radio regulations
will have on park operations. The NPS has been required to vacate
currently used microwave channels within a few years and move
telecommunications support functions to either higher frequencies,
land-based telecommunications services, or to other alternatives
so use of remote repeater sites.
4.7 Housing: Activities for the quarter included the following:
o Continued to publish "House to House," an update on the housing
program, which is disseminated via cc:Mail. Regional and park
input is encouraged. Notes should be sent to Pat Bantner via
cc:Mail at NP-MWRO.
o Continued implementation of Director Stanton's housing policy memo
of last March, requiring parks to develop and submit reports on
housing to regional housing coordinators no later than October
1st. Over 56 draft reports have been received and reviewed and
another 11 final reports have been submitted.
o Continued working with a contractor on the NPS employee housing
needs assessment. Over 110 site visits have been completed in all
seven regions. The first region completed was Alaska, which was
done in June.
4.8 Hazardous Waste: Activities for the quarter include:
o Continued the development of eight additional "Envirofactsheets"
and distributed the first 18 of these to the field for review.
o Distributed the first draft of a new NPS Level 1 hazardous
substance pre-acquisition survey to the field for review.
o Began development of a hazmat and pollution section on the
division's web page and a web site dedicated to NPS environmental
management.
o Continued work on contaminated site assessments and cleanup
projects.
o Continued support of "potentially responsible party" enforcement
initiatives for VAFO, KENN, FOSU, CUVA, YOSE, GRKO, COLO, NCPE and
others.
o Provided technical and regulatory support for projects at a dozen
parks.
o Worked on a video conference on hazardous waste.
o Developed a draft training course in environmental leadership.
4.9 Information Management: Activities for the quarter include:
o Continued work on consolidating and refining task group
recommendations for implementation of a Servicewide maintenance
management system.
o Initiated a Servicewide effort to identify systems and equipment
with Y2K problems and implement corrective actions.
o Developed fee demo and dam safety web pages.
o Designed and constructed Project Manager and distributed beta
version of Project Manager software to upgrade from DOS to
Windows.
4.10 Federal Lands Highway Program/Park Roads and Parkways: Activities for
the quarter include:
o Developed FY00 Servicewide 4R priorities for park roads and
parkways at a Servicewide project assessment team meeting in june.
These 4R projects, together with regional 3R submissions, will
identify the Service's roads and parkways projects for FY00.
o Began work on implementation of Public Law 105-2178, the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (known as TEA-21),
which increases funding for park roads and parkways from the FY97
funding level of $84 million to $115 million in FY98 and $165
million annually for FY99-FY03 in three categories - $120-$125
million annually to prevent further deterioration of existing park
roads and parkways; $25-$35 million annually to complete the gaps
in Congressionally-authorized parkways; and $5-$15 million
annually for alternative visitor transportation systems.
o Conducted a park roadway sign workshop at Lake Mead NRA, attended
by 40 employees, to educate and exchange professional information
on sign practices, design, automation tools, and NPS policies and
programs.
4.11 Energy: Quarterly activities included:
o Participated in DOE/DOI sustainability symposium (noted
elsewhere).
o Worked with Global Environmental Options, a non-profit group, and
Steamtown NHS on a sustainable showcase facility.
o Worked with Honda of American on a pilot alternative fuel vehicle
to transport visitors in and around parks such as Yosemite NP in
exchange for the opportunity to showcase the new technology and
educate the public.
4.12 Transportation: Quarterly activities included:
o Continued working with DOT on a new memorandum of understanding
with DOI.
o Began development of an intelligent transportation system (ITS)
field test program in conjunction with DOT.
o Developed project agreements for development and implementation of
transportation improvement initiatives in five demo parks.
o Hired a coordinator and held a workshop on the development of a
transportation planning toolbox and "best practices" guideline for
use by NPS field staff.
5.0 HARPERS FERRY CENTER
5.1 Management: Activities for the quarter include:
o Disseminated draft center realignment alternatives paper to
employees for comment. Final draft presented to AD for Park
Operations and Education.
o Completed final response to OIG recommendations on audiovisual
depot, contract procedures, publications (park brochures), and
warehouse operations.
5.2 Media: Activities for the quarter include:
o Completed production of AV programs and projects for ten parks.
o Provided technical assistance and exhibit planning/installation
for 30 parks.
o Provided theater planning assistance and installation for seven
parks.
o Scouted filming locations at three sites.
o Prepared or began productions for Office of American Indian Trust,
MMS, BOR, and USGS.
5.3 Conservation: Activities for the quarter include:
o Conducted preservation workshop in Alaska.
o Completed exhibit planning and design for five parks.
o Produced and installed exhibits at seven parks.
o Provided technical assistance to another 50 areas.
o Installed 19 historically furnished rooms at Garfield NHS.
o Continued management of 65 on-going interpretive planning
projects; completed an additional six projects, and began eight
more.
o Printed a total of 6,274,000 copies of 47 park brochures.
o Disseminated the Underground Railroad handbook. The first
printing sold out in six weeks; a second printing was rushed
through and completed.
o Completed new National Parks Index, 31 new brochures, seven new
handbooks, and 34 reprints with corrections.
o Provided duplicate digital files of National Park System map and
guide for a new Monopoly game about the NPS.
o Created FASTMAPS, a program designed to provide technical support
to parks that want to acquire large format, full color park maps
quickly and at a reasonable cost. Information made available by
distribution of printed materials over the Internet.
o Sent wayside exhibits to seven parks for review and comment, and
wayside exhibit plans to another nine parks.
o Developed and delivered 64 new wayside exhibits to 18 parks.
o Rehabilitated and delivered 171 wayside exhibit panels to 21
parks, and assisted another seven parks with installation support.
5.4 Administrative Support: Activities for the quarter include:
o Provided library and archival support services to parks, private
sector libraries and citizens - sent 136 surplus books to 59
areas, loaned materials to 20 areas and numerous libraries,
answered scores of requests for information or materials.
o Issued a request for proposals for audio-visual services. Up to
21 contract awards will be made to support the DOI AV center and
the audiovisual arts division in HFC.
6.0 JOB CORPS
6.1 Program Administration: Activities for the quarter include:
o Published a request for proposal for contracted support services
at the Great Onyx and Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian
Conservation Centers. The procurement combines several small
contracts at the two centers into one large contract, which will
be easier to manage. A pre-proposal bid conference was held in
Washington in April; proposals were submitted on May 31st.
Several proposals have been received.
o Completed close out of Job Corps programs by the end of June (the
Job Corps is on a July 1st to June 30th cycle so that the
Department of Labor can close out its budgets for the fiscal year
in a timely manner).
o Job Corps center directors and the WASO program manager attended
the annual DOL meetings in June.
o Center assessments were conducted at the Oconaluftee and Great
Onyx centers. Both were done as preliminaries to the annual DOL
review.
6.2 Youth Conservation Corps: Activities for the quarter include:
o Completed annual operations summary. The YCC program last year
had 475 students for eight to ten weeks of camp activities at 69
locations. The appraised value of work projects completed was
just under $2 million, for a cost-benefit ration of $1.90 return
on each dollar spent for the program.
o Completed the second draft of the YCC handbook. The handbook
should be available by the beginning of FY99.
6.3 Public Land Corps: Activities for the quarter include:
o Disseminated instructional memos to the field in late May and
early June requesting regions to make timely notification of
grants to parks so that they could recruit for positions and
advising that projects have to be completed in the 1998 calendar
year. Funds not expended in 1998 will be returned to the division
for reallocation; parks unable to complete projects in 1998 will
not be eligible to compete for grants in 1999.
o Developed a spreadsheet to track all projects.
6.4 Student Conservation Corps: Activities for the quarter include:
o Worked out arrangements whereby SCA will work as a partner in the
Public Land Corps program, as SCA already has a national
cooperative agreement with the NPS. There are 71 parks using SCA
as a partner. Parks have been encouraged to work through SCA.
6.5 Girl Scouts: Activities for the quarter include:
o Established a $40,000 fund for the "Linking the Girls to the Land"
project. Grants will be limited to $2,500 each.
o Worked with the Girl Scouts on an upcoming environmental expo in
Washington. Between 500 and 700 girls will attend. The purpose
will be to expose girls to environmental sciences through
enjoyable, hands-on activities.
7.0 RISK MANAGEMENT DIVISION
7.1 OWCP: Activities for the quarter include:
o Completed arrangements for checking NPS workmen's compensation
(OWCP) claims. The contractor, MJM Investigations, began
reviewing selected case files in June.
o Began conducting OWCP case management training courses
Servicewide. Courses have so far been conducted in National
Capital Region, Midwest Region, Pacific West Region (Hawaii, San
Francisco and Vancouver), and Northeast Region. Others have been
scheduled for Southeast and Intermountain Regions (see calendar,
section 11.2).
7.2 OSHA: Activities for the quarter include:
o Completed the third revision of the NPS/OSHA MOU, which will be
used to help selected parks comply with OSHA standards and improve
employee safety in those parks. Park management will be
responsible for ensuring compliance and providing the necessary
training and support for improved safety programs.
o Began planning sessions with the OSHA Training Institute to
develop a customized training module for NPS supervisors. The
regular OSHA training curriculum will be somewhat modified to
present a more NPS workplace focused course.
7.3 Training: Activities for the quarter include:
o Distributed copies of DOI safety and health training CD-ROM
through regions to each park. The CD is to be used at the local
level to supplement safety and occupational health training.
o Distributed training money ($13,400 per region) for supervisory
OSHA compliance training sessions.
o Conducted behavioral safety management training course at the
Presidio; second course scheduled for Mather TC in August (see
11.2 below).
7.4 DOI Projects: Activities for the quarter include:
o Assisted DOI at the annual departmental safety seminar in Phoenix
in May, attended by 350 people. The NPS was in charge of the
technical program, including two certification courses, a
behavioral safety management workshop, and 40 sessions on a
variety of technical topics, ranging from OSHA programs to
workplace ergonomics.
o Participated in DOI's new initiative on learning about employee
attitudes and behavior regarding personal safety. The project
will include surveys and personal interviews with employees in
occupational categories that experience a higher than average
number of accidents. All bureaus are participating. The
contractor will work with regional safety managers to set up
personal interviews in selected parks.