NPS Morning Report - Friday, June 22, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, June 22, 2001

INCIDENTS

00-312 - Pea Ridge NMP (AR) - Follow-up: ARPA Case

On January 22, 2000, ranger Robert Still contacted R.B. and 
found that he had 18 artifacts in his possession, all of them taken 
from the park. Other artifacts, also taken from the park, were 
subsequently found in R.B.'s home. A total of 99 Civil War artifacts 
were seized; 104 holes were found on park land and documented. Still 
charged R.B. with numerous ARPA violations. On June 1st, R.B. was 
found guilty and sentenced to four months in federal prison and a 
year's supervised probation. He was also ordered to complete 400 hours 
of community service to Benton County, where the park is located, and 
required to pay $16,508 in restitution to the NPS. The judge suspended 
a $2,000 fine that he'd intended to levy against R.B.. The judge had 
this to say in sentencing R.B.: "It's my belief, based on what I've 
been told, that the actual damage to the historical impact. . .or 
significance of the Pea Ridge battlefield. . .has been irreparably 
damaged by your efforts." He also commended the NPS for an organized 
and well-presented case: "I was impressed with the professionalism of 
the park service and the way that they flagged the sites. It sounds to 
me that, in their dealings with you, that your were forthcoming and 
courteous, but that they were with you as well. I strongly applaud 
that. I am grateful when we find police officers and rangers who are 
courteous, respectful, and professional, and understand that they, 
like me, are public servants and have an obligation to investigate and 
prefer charges as they've done here." MWAC archeologists and rangers 
and special agents from Buffalo NR, George Washington Carver NM, 
Wilsons Creek NB, Ozark NSR and MWRO contributed to collecting 
evidence and producing the reports which were an integral part of this 
prosecution. [Bruce Cunningham, MWRO, 6/8]

01-289 - Cuyahoga Valley NP (OH) - Larceny

Construction contractors working along the Towpath Trail near the 
intersection of Ira and Riverview Roads reported the theft of a Case 
bulldozer valued at $75,000 on the morning of June 11th. The theft 
occurred some time during the period of June 6th to the 11th. 
Equipment at this site had sustained $8,000 worth of vandalism several 
weeks previously. Ranger Mike Wilson is investigating along with 
Cuyahoga Falls PD officers. [Rose Akins, CUVA, 6/12]

01-290 - Yukon-Charley Rivers NP (AK) - SAR; River Fatality

A boating accident on the Charley River on June 8th claimed the life 
of G.Z., 41, of Sylvania, Ohio. The accident occurred when a 
group of six men in four inflatable canoes/kayaks encountered a 
stretch of rapids with large standing waves and numerous boulders. 
Three of the watercraft capsized and five of the men were thrown into 
the swift, high water. Everyone but G.Z. made it safely to shore. 
The survivors were stranded until June 11th, when they were located by 
an air taxi operator and evacuated to Fairbanks. Two were treated for 
minor injuries at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and released. The search 
and rescue mission was begun after the survivors' emergency signal 
mirror was seen by a passenger in an aircraft flying overhead. G.Z. 
was last seen floating down the river on his back, headfirst. His body 
was recovered just over a mile downstream from the site of the 
accident later on the 11th. The exact cause of death has not been 
determined, but drowning is suspected. All members of the party were 
wearing life jackets, but none were wearing helmets. Their experience 
levels were self-rated as from fair to good. NPS personnel from the 
Eagle ranger station, aided by a FIREPRO contract helicopter, assisted 
Alaska state troopers in the search and body recovery. Limited skill 
level, high water and heavily-laden boats may all have been 
contributing factors to the accident. [Roger Semler, Chief of Ops, 
GAAR, 6/14]

01-291 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Multiple Rescues

Park staff and volunteers responded to four rescues on June 18th:

o       A 25-year-old woman suffering from severe hyponatremia and an 
        altered level of consciousness was evacuated by park 
        helicopter from the Pipe Creek rest house at 7 a.m. Rangers 
        Peggy Kolar and Ivan Kassovic and volunteer physician Steve 
        Stephanides had treated her at the scene through the night. 
        She was taken to the South Rim helibase by paramedic Sherrie 
        Collins, then transferred to Guardian Air and flown to 
        Flagstaff Medical Center.

o       A 25-year-old woman was found stranded below the Hermit Trail 
        in the Supai Formation later in the morning. She'd become lost 
        the previous day and spent the night on a rock promontory. 
        Rangers Jennifer Flynn, Ken Phillips and Greg Moore flew to 
        the scene and found her suffering from dehydration and an 
        impaled agave spine in her leg. She was reached by an 80-foot 
        rappel and was later evacuated by a park helicopter.

o       A 33-year old river guide was bitten by a rattlesnake bite and 
        suffered severe swelling. She was evacuated from a commercial 
        river trip by the park helicopter at the confluence of the 
        Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers. Paramedic Sherrie Collins 
        and IEMT Mike McGinnis treated her at the scene. She was then 
        flown directly to Flagstaff Medical Center.

o       Immediately after the above incidents concluded, park 
        personnel received a report that a shuttle bus driver had 
        spotted a mirror flash below the Abyss on West Rim Drive. 
        Rangers Mike McGinnis and Ken Phillips flew to the Monument 
        Creek area and treated a 49-year-old man on a 
        commercially-guided hike who was suffering from heat 
        exhaustion and evacuated him tot he South Rim. Distress mirror 
        flashes from the canyon have become rare due to the increasing 
        use of satellite telephones. Most hikers are aware that 
        commercial river trip guides are carrying these phones and 
        will seek assistance from them in requesting an NPS rescue.

These incidents were coordinated by SAR shift ranger Kristin Fey. 
There were four more medevacs the next day, including two which 
required advanced life support. Jennifer Flynn coordinated these 
incidents as SAR shift ranger. [Ken Phillips, GRCA, 6/21]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level II

Four new large fires were reported yesterday - two in Florida, two in 
Alaska. Initial attack was moderate in California, the Southwest and 
the South and light elsewhere. Very high to extreme fire indices were 
reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico 
and Utah.

No fire watches or warnings have been issued for today.

The full NICC situation report for today can be found at 
http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.

National Resource Status (Five Day Trend)

                        Mon     Tue     Wed     Thu     Fri
Date                    6/18    6/19    6/20    6/21    6/22
        
Crews                   114     137     184     133     149
Engines                 246     305     298     220     220
Helicopters             49      52      63      50      52
Air Tankers             1       5       9       1       1
Overhead                425     509     444     465     508

Park Fire Situation

Guadalupe Mountains NP (TX) - The lightning-caused North McKittrick 
Fire had burned about 20 acres on the park's boundary with the Lincoln 
NF at the time it was reported (Wednesday, 10 p.m.) A type 3 team had 
developed a suppression strategy and crews and helicopters were being 
deployed. The fire is in a very inaccessible location in Upper 
McKittrick Canyon.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme         Lake Mead NRA, Hawaii Volcanoes NP
Very High       Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP, Point Reyes NS, Zion NP, 
                Carlsbad Caverns NP, Guadalupe Mountains NP, Big Bend 
                NP
High            Great Basin NP, Joshua Tree NP, Santa Monica Mountains 
                NRA, Everglades NP

[Mike Warren, FMPC, 6/21; NPS Situation Summary Report, 6/21; NICC 
Incident Management Situation Report, 6/22]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Cape Krusenstern NM (AK) - Heavy Metal Contamination

On June 20th, NPS plant ecologist Linda Hasselbach and Dr. Jesse Ford, 
Oregon State University, released a scientific study entitled "Heavy 
Metals in Mosses and Soils on Six Transects Along the Red Dog Mine 
Haul Road Alaska." The study, conducted during the summer of 2000, 
found significantly elevated levels of lead, zinc and cadmium in 
mosses and soils up to 1600 meters from the road. Lead concentrations 
near the road exceeded 400 parts per million. The Red Dog Mine, 
operated as a partnership between Cominco Alaska and the Northwest 
Alaska Native Association, is the largest lead-zinc producing mine in 
the world. Ore concentrate is hauled 52 miles from the mine to a port 
on the Chucki Sea; 26 miles of this road is on a 100-year easement 
within Cape Krusenstern NM. Fugitive metal dust from 100-ton ore 
trucks is evidently being deposited along the haul road. With the 
support of the NPS Water Resources Division, testing is underway to 
further measure heavy metal levels, which will be used to help 
determine effects on water quality, fish, wildlife, marine mammals, 
birds and the viability of subsistence resources that are harvested by 
local residents. Regional director Rob Arnberger is scheduled to 
accompany EPA administrator Christie Whitman and Cominco and NANA 
officials to the Red Dog Mine for an inspection of the mine's 
facilities and a discussion of environmental issues. In response to 
concerns raised by the study, NANA, Cominco, and the National Park 
Service have agreed to form a technical working group to address the 
need to monitor heavy metal concentrations along the road. [Patty 
Christian, PIO, WEAR]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Uniform Program Update - The uniform brush pant, formerly only 
available to employees in the work category, is now available to 
employees in the field category. This change, which is effective 
immediately, has been made due to the high number of inquiries and 
demand from the field. [Randy Coffman, RAD/WASO]

PARKS INTERNATIONAL

A Friday supplement to the Morning Report for news about parks, park 
professionals and park protection and management issues outside our 
borders.

As links between and among the world's national parks and protected 
areas improve, more and more rangers and other professionals are 
engaging in exchanges with their colleagues in other nations. South 
African ranger Abraham Mamogale Legari has been an integral part of 
the ranger operation at Lake Mead this summer. He has spent time 
working in the Boulder Basin District, learning what it's like to be 
part of a busy law enforcement and EMS program. He has been involved 
in arrests, booked prisoners, participated in major medical responses, 
flown the park, been on boat patrol, and worked both day and night 
patrols. During the Memorial Day weekend, he joined the Pacific West 
special events team (SET) on its callout to Sequoia-Kings Canyon for 
the presidential visit. He got the chance to see how a SET and ICS 
operate, saw snow for the first time, and got to meet and talk with 
President Bush. At present, he is doing resource work with the park's 
fire crew, and next week will be doing some resource work with 
rangers. The park's chief ranger reports that this has been a very 
positive experience for both Legari and the park, as his energy, 
initiative and willingness to work have proven to be a singular asset: 
"He works out each day, keeps up with our fire crew, puts in a 12-hour 
day, and has the greatest smile on his face each day that you ever 
saw."

We'd like to report on other such exchanges in this section of the 
Morning Report. Send them along to the editor.

                            *  *  *  *  *

The Morning Report solicits entries from the field and central offices 
for its daily and weekly sections (below). The general rule is that 
submissions, whatever the category, should pertain to operations, be 
useful to the field, and have broad significance across the agency. 
Additional details on submission criteria are available from the 
editor at any time (Bill Halainen at NP-DEWA, or 
Bill_Halainen@nps.gov). Ask for either incident reporting criteria 
(issued by WASO, June 18, 2000) or general criteria. 

Daily and weekly sections are available for news or significant 
developments pertaining to:

Field incidents                 Interpretation and visitor services
Natural resource management     Cultural resource management
Operations (WASO only)          Memoranda (WASO only)
Requests/offers of assistance   Park-related web sites
Parks and employees             Media stories on parks
Training, meetings, and events  Queries on operational matters  
Reports on "lessons learned" 

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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