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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, November 7, 2000
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Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2000 08:00:21 -0500
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2000
ALMANAC
On this date in 1910, the first airplane to carry freight departed for
Columbus, Ohio, from Huffman Prairie Flying Field in Dayton, now part
of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
INCIDENTS
00-687 - Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - Two Visitor Fatalities
On the afternoon of Sunday, November 5th, the park was notified that
the bodies of two hikers had been found at the point where a lava flow
enters the ocean about four miles west of the end of Chain of Craters
Road. The two hikers were N.E., 41, from Volcano, Hawaii, and
I.S.K., 42, from Washington D.C. Special agent Jeffrey Judd and
ranger Jeff Kracht investigated. There was no indication of a bench
collapse or explosion in the area. Both hikers had severe burns and
cuts and abrasions on their hands and knees. Both were fully clothed
and found in an area not far from where the lava enters the ocean.
They had food, water, flashlights, and raingear with them. The two
had hiked out to the lava flow on the last day of a severe storm which
hit the island of Hawaii especially hard and caused major flooding.
There were reports of severe thunder and lightning in the coastal area
that day. No foul play is suspected. An autopsy will be performed to
determine the cause of death. [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor,
HAVO, 11/6]
00-688 - Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - Special Event
The 31st annual New York City marathon was run on November 5th.
Approximately 30,000 runners gathered and staged inside Fort
Wadsworth, which is located adjacent to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
on Staten Island. The event was managed under a special use permit to
the New York Road Runners Club. The event was coordinated with
Service's federal partners at Fort Wadsworth (the Coast Guard, Army
Reserve, and Defense Contract Management Agency), NYPD, the
Metropolitan Transit Authority's Bridges and Tunnels Division, and
many other organizations. NBC again carried the event live. After an
experiment last year that ran afoul with neighbors, all pre-race
activities occurred within park boundaries. The event ran smoothly,
with no reported injuries or significant damage. [Marty O'Toole,
Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 11/6]
[Additional reports pending....]
FIRE SITUATION
Shenandoah NP (VA) - The Shenandoah Complex (19,172 acres, 60%
contained) consists of the Pinnacles Fire and the Old Rag Fire. Fire
containment lines were completed and strengthened Sunday on the west
flank of the two fires, which are burning together. Higher winds
pushed hard on the northeast portion of the blaze, challenging
firefighters there. About 90 firefighters stayed on duty over Sunday
night to hold lines and keep an eye on active areas. Today's actions
will include holding and patrolling existing lines, completing
bulldozer lines along the park's east boundary, and burnouts. A total
of 831 firefighters and overhead are committed to the complex. Skyline
Drive is closed from the Thornton Gap entrance (mile 31) to Skyland
(mile 41). Visitors can enter the park at Thornton Gap and travel
north to Front Royal. Visitors can also enter the park at Swift Run
Gap (Highway 33) and travel north as far as Skyland or south to
Waynesboro (I-64). The Appalachian Trail is closed in the area of the
fire. Many other trails in the general area of the fire are closed,
including the Limberlost Trail, which was closed on Friday. The
Passamaquoddy and Stonyman trails remain open. For more information:
Call 540/999-3311 or check the website at www.shenandoahfires.com
[Greg Stiles/Lyn Rothgeb, SHEN, 11/6]
Big South Fork NRRA (KY/TN) - The Big South Fork Complex (6,555 acres,
90% contained) consists of the School House Fire, Poplar Springs
Branch Fire, Darrow Ridge Fire, and Camp Branch Fire. Crews continue
to make substantial progress on the fires. Rehabilitation efforts have
already begun. More rain was forecast for yesterday afternoon. A total
of 154 personnel are committed to the effort. Fire status:
o School House Fire - The fire has been contained. It was
patrolled by one engine yesterday, looking for hot spots. The
burn area remains closed to visitors.
o Camp Branch Fire - The fire has burned 1,098 acres - 775 in
the park and 313 on state land. A small amount of burnout was
completed on Sunday. Yesterday, crews worked to improve the
fire line. A number of active and abandoned gas wells are
within the fire zone and pose a potential threat to
firefighters and the public. The area has been temporarily
closed to visitors
o Darrow Ridge Fire - The fire has burned a total of 3,398 acres
on state and federal land. Two crews are assigned to the fire
today and will be improving the fire line and continuing
rehabilitation of dozer line.
Fire areas within the park remain closed. There's a temporary ban on
all open ground fires in the backcountry. This ban applies to
hunters, hikers, and campers alike. Fires are allowed at any of the
developed campgrounds where established fire grates exist. For more
information on camping and fire restrictions, call park headquarters
at 423-569-9778.
CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No submissions.
INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES
No submissions.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No submissions.
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
INTERCHANGE
No submissions.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Department of Interior (DC) - On October 30th, the Department of
Interior held its 60th honor awards convocation. Among the employees
recognized with valor, distinguished service and conservation service
awards were the following NPS employees (please note that the DOI
citations do not specify the associated incidents in the valor award
listing - those will appear in a future edition):
Valor Awards
o Paul G. Crawford - For his skillful and heroic actions in
Boulder Basin at Lake Mead NRA that resulted in saving a life.
o Loren Fazio - For his willingness to place himself at great
personal risk to protect the public and other National Parks
Service rangers at Yosemite NP.
o Archie R. Ferguson - For skillful and heroic actions that
saved the life of another at Cape Krusenstern NM.
o Robert L. Freeman - For his exceptional courage and quick,
determined actions during a traffic stop on Suitland Parkway,
during which he was shot at point blank range.
o Gordon Gilbert - For his willingness to place himself at great
personal risk to protect other National Park Service rangers
at Yosemite NP.
o Jeffrey W. Goad - For his skillful and heroic actions in
Boulder Basin at Lake Mead NRA that resulted in saving a life.
o David Hajdik - For his willingness to place himself at great
personal risk to protect the public and other National Park
Service rangers at Yosemite NP.
o Keith Lober (three valor awards) - For his heroic actions and
willingness to place himself at great personal risk to save
the lives of others at Yosemite NP.
o Mary Hinson (two valor awards) - For her heroic actions and
willingness to place herself at great personal risk in order
to save the lives of others at Yosemite NP.
o N. Scott Hinson - For his willingness to place himself at
great personal risk to protect the public and other National
Park Service rangers at Yosemite NP.
o Robert Moelder - For his skillful and heroic actions in
Boulder Basin at Lake Mead NRA that resulted in saving a life.
o Joseph Murphy - For skillful and heroic actions that saved the
life of another at Cape Krusenstern NM.
o Kevin J. Nieves - For his exceptional courage in the face of
great personal danger the incident on the Suitland Parkway
noted above.
o George Paiva - For his heroic actions performed near
Canyonlands NP, which resulted in saving a life.
o William E. Shott - For his willingness to place himself at
great personal risk to perform two heroic and highly unusual
mountain rescues in the Denali area of Alaska under extreme
weather conditions.
o James Tucker - For his willingness to place himself at great
personal risk to protect the public and other National Park
Service rangers at Yosemite NP.
Distinguished Service Awards
o Martha B. Aikens - For her contributions as a manager,
trainer, enterprising leader, and administrator for the
National Park Service.
o John J. Reynolds - For his significant accomplishments and
innovative leadership with the National Park Service.
o Robert W. Reynolds - For his outstanding contributions to park
management and international cooperation.
o John W. Wade - For his significant contributions to Department
of Interior programs.
Conservation Service Awards
o Shirley Hunt Alexander - For her many contributions as a
partner with the Department of the Interior in preserving the
upper Mississippi River's recreation and natural resources.
o Gary E. Machlis - For this extraordinary leadership in the
development and implementation of cooperative ecosystem
studies units, a compelling model for advancing cooperative
partnerships between federal, academic, private and minority
institutions.
o Toby Rosenblatt - For his outstanding contributions to the
conservation and public enjoyment of Golden Gate NRA, Fort
Point NHS and Muir Woods, and his exceptional advancement and
support of these parklands.
o Fred Stanback, Jr. - For his outstanding contributions to the
conservation and protection of natural and scenic resources at
the Blue Ridge Parkway.
o Cuyahoga Valley Association - For its many contributions as a
partner with the Department of the Interior in the
establishment of Cuyahoga Valley NRA and the development of
major park programs.
o Pew Charitable Trusts - For its outstanding contributions in
conserving and protecting this nation's founding documents and
making these historical treasures and the story of their
development accessible to all.
* * * * *
Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed
by park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators. Please
address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your
servicing hub coordinator. The Morning Report is also available on
the web at http://www.nps.gov/morningreport
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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