NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, August 1, 2001
- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, August 1, 2001
- Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 10:00:05 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Wednesday, August 1, 2001
INCIDENTS
99-480 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Follow-up: Search for Missing Person
In August, 1999, rangers checked on a vehicle parked at Tuolumne
Meadows and found that it was associated with former concession
employee M.R., who had been reported missing by his family
the previous month. A search was conducted in the area, but no clues
to his whereabouts were discovered. The investigation continued, but
no leads were found until this past June, when a park trail crew
worker hiking cross-country through Cold Canyon north of Tuolumne
Meadows found M.R.'s wallet. On June 28th, a park special agent
flew to the area and found other identifiable personal items and human
remains. Dental records were used to confirm that they were M.R.'s
remains. No cause of death has been determined at this time. [Jeff
Sullivan, Supervisory SA, YOSE, 7/30]
01-401 - National Capital Regional Office (DC) - Death of Employee
On July 24th, R.M., 48, chief of education and interpretation
for NCR, died following a lengthy illness. Ron worked for the NPS for
most of his adult life. He served as a park technician at NCP and the
JFK Center in 1974 and 1975, then became a park ranger through the
intake program at Gateway NRA in 1979. In 1988, he became
superintendent at Booker T. Washington NHS and in 1990 transferred to
Harry S Truman NHS to become superintendent of that park. He had
served as chief of education and interpretation at NCR since 1995. Ron
is survived by his wife, V.H.M., his son, T.M., his
daughter, M., and his father, Dr. V.M.. The viewing and
funeral will take place on August 3rd at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church,
608 North Horners Lane, Rockville, Maryland (301-424-8717). The
viewing will take place at 10 a.m. and the funeral will begin at 11
a.m. Letters and notes of support may be sent to the family c/o George
Vasjuta, NCR Education and Interpretation, National Park Service, 1100
Ohio Drive, SW, Washington, DC 20242. The family has asked that
donations be made in lieu of flowers to the Davita Wheaton Dialysis
Center, 11941 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902, ATTN: Siliva
Rimero or Sallie Massaquoi. [Einar Olsen, RCR, NCRO, 7/31]
01-402 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Death of Employee
Park firefighter J.P., 22, failed to show up for work at the
Wawona fire station on July 23rd after his weekend off. J.P., a
member of the prescribed fire crew and an experienced climber, had
planned to climb several peaks in the Lake Sabrina area out of Bishop,
California, during his days off. His car was found at the Sabrina
trailhead, and Inyo County began a search for him. On the evening of
July 23rd, his body was spotted from a helicopter on the slopes of
Picture Peak. Inyo County SAR recovered the body the following day.
J.P. would have been a senior this fall at the University of
California in Davis, where he was working toward a BS in wildlife
biology. This was his first season in Yosemite. Last summer, he worked
fire on the El Dorado National Forest. J.P. is survived by his
parents and a younger brother. Condolences may be sent to his family
through the park's prescribed fire office. [Dan Buckley, Prescribed
Fire Manager, YOSE, 7/30]
01-403 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Tour Boat Evacuation
The "Desert Shadow," an Aramark tour boat, was underway on Lake Powell
with 66 passengers and crew on board on the morning of June 27th when
the passenger compartment began to fill with smoke. The captain
ordered lifejackets donned and the passengers evacuated to the boat's
upper deck. Rangers Jim Gould, Jim Traub, and engineer Dick Martin
responded in the park's fireboat along with a second Aramark boat, the
"Canyon Explorer." They were on scene within eight minutes of the
initial report. The passengers were evacuated to the second boat in
mid-lake by Aramark personnel, while NPS firefighters ventilated the
vessel with positive pressure. Once the vessel and engine compartment
were cleared of smoke, they were able to enter and determine that the
smoke had been caused by a failed turbocharger on the port engine.
There were no injuries during the evacuation or operation. There was
no additional damage to the "Desert Shadow," and it returned to port
under its own power. {Mike Mayer, ACR, GLCA, 7/30]
01-404 - Canyon de Chelly NM (AZ) - Falling Fatality
Local residents discovered what appeared to be a body lying on a ledge
below the canyon rim in a remote area east of White House overlook
late on the afternoon of July 28th. The discovery was reported to
Navajo PD; they in turn reported the incident to ranger Christeson
Blacksheep. Blacksheep and NPD officers confirmed that it was the body
of a young man, possibly a local resident. The body was about 50 feet
below the rim on a thin ledge on a sheer, 600-foot cliff. An attempt
to recover the body was called off due to encroaching darkness and the
difficult location. On July 29th, Arizona DPS SAR personnel from
Flagstaff rappelled to the ledge. The body was then retrieved by a DPS
helicopter. The fatal fall occurred sometime during the nighttime
hours on the 28th. Investigation into the cause is ongoing. [William
Yazzie, Acting CR, CACH, 7/30]
01-405 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Falling Fatality
On July 25th, the Mono County Sheriff's Office forwarded a report to
the park that a hiker had fallen and died while hiking down from
Matterhorn Peak on the park's north boundary. Rangers and special
agents flew to the scene and recovered the body of L.S.,
60, of Spring Valley, California, at the mountain's 11,000-foot
altitude. Evidence at the scene and interviews with other members of
the hiking party indicate that the fall was an accident. [Jeff
Sullivan, Supervisory SA, YOSE, 7/31]
01-406 - Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs (CA) - Marijuana Eradication
Last week, rangers followed-up on a tip from a fisherman and
discovered an extensive marijuana growing operation near a popular
campground within the park. They eradicated 3,100 plants and removed
about 550 pounds of equipment and supplies from the site, including
garden tools, 2,500 feet of irrigation hose, about 80 pounds of
fertilizer, camping equipment, canned goods and miscellaneous debris.
A loaded 9mm magazine was also found at the site. Three separate
areas, each about an acre in size, had been cleared under the oak
canopy and the soil had been tilled in preparation for planting. It
was evident that the garden had been abandoned after being discovered
by the fisherman. No clues were found that would associate the site
with any suspects, but the investigation remains open. [Al DeLaCruz,
SA, SEKI, 7/31]
01-407 - Theodore Roosevelt NP (ND) - Trespass; Wildlife Poaching
On July 29th, ranger Kane Seitz came upon a vehicle on a service road
in an area that is closed to the public. Seitz contacted the occupants
- driver B.B., 21, and passenger B.O., 25. A check
revealed that both of their drivers licenses were suspended. Two
firearms were in plain view; during a consent search, South Unit DR
Dean Wyckoff found a knife and fresh deer meat in a cooler. B.B. and
B.O. said that the meat had been legally taken last year, but
evidence indicated otherwise. The two men were interviewed separately.
B.B. eventually implicated B.O. in shooting the deer the previous
night outside of the park. Both men were placed under arrest for
trespassing. B.B. was also charged with various offenses, including
alcohol and driving-related violations. A state game warden
interviewed the men and subsequently charged them with several game
law violations and confiscated a firearm and other hunting gear. [Gary
Kiramidjian, THRO, 7/30]
01-408 - Valley Forge NHP (PA) - Suicide
On the afternoon of July 30th, state police notified park dispatch of
a BOL (be on the lookout) that had been posted for a man that they
wanted to talk with regarding a possible theft. Shortly thereafter,
ranger Aaron Minor saw a man matching the description at some picnic
tables near the Covered Bridge parking lot and notified dispatch. As
Minor pulled into the lot, the man walked down to the patrol vehicle
and asked if everything was okay, then returned to his picnic table.
As backup rangers arrived and were being briefed, the man took a black
bag that he had with him and placed it on the table in front of him.
As he began to open it, the rangers approached him and told him to
stop what he was doing. The command was repeated several times; each
time, the man replied "no" and continued to unzip the bag. The rangers
drew their weapons and continued to command him to stop. The man
pulled a handgun from the bag, placed it under his chin, and fired,
fatally wounding himself. Township police and park staff are
conducting the investigation. The man's identification has not yet
been confirmed. A suicide note dated July 29th and messages to friends
were round in one of his pockets. [CRO, VAFO, 7/30]
[Additional reports pending....]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2
Three new large fires - all in the Rockies - were reported yesterday.
Four were contained - two of them in the western Great Basin and one
each in the northern Rockies and northern California. Initial attack
was light nationwide.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon,
Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
NICC has not issued and watches or warnings today.
The full NICC situation report can be found at
http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.
National Resource Status (Five Day Trend)
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
Date 7/28 7/29 7/30 7/31 8/1
Crews 176 199 247 291 238
Engines 300 222 329 327 315
Helicopters 64 85 79 60 63
Air Tankers 14 16 0 0 4
Overhead 742 938 1,380 1,579 1,425
Park Fire Situation
Yellowstone NP (WY) - The Arthur Fire, which is just outside of park
boundaries, has burned 1500 acres. Containment efforts have been
impeded by heavy fuels, high winds and low fuel moisture. The
evacuation of the park's east entrance are remains in place, and the
east entrance road remains closed at the Eagle Creek campground. Light
precipitation fell on the fire yesterday and reduced its spread.
Park Fire Danger
Extreme Sequoia/Kings Canyon NPs, Hawaii Volcanoes NP,
Dinosaur NM, Grand Teton NP
Very High N/A
High Joshua Tree NP, Lassen Volcanic NP, Everglades NP
[NPS Situation Summary Report, 7/31; NICC Incident Management
Situation Report, 8/1]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
New NPS/FLETC Web Training Site - The National Park Service Law
Enforcement Training Center is now providing Internet e-learning to
NPS law enforcement personnel. This training can be accessed from any
PC with Internet capabilities (Internet Explorer 5.0 + is recommended
for optimal performance). The site's address is www.NPSLETC.org. This
site can be accessed from your office desktop or from your home.
Here's how to log-in:
o Go to your internet browser.
o Type in the URL address: www.NPSLETC.org.
o At the home page, complete the registration process for first
time users (follow each of the prompts to complete your
registration).As part of the registration process, you will
need to complete your "personal profile," which includes your
region and four character park ID (i.e. GRSM, etc).
o If you have an email address at work or at home, please enter
it.
o The system will assign you a username. You will also be
assigned a password by the administrator via e-mail.
o Once you have received your password, return to the home page
and you can log in to the system.
o Upon successful entry, you have access to all of the NPS
courses that are available.
o Click on the title of the course and you will be led through a
series of screens that will tell you how to take it.
If you have any problems with accessing or utilizing the site, please
contact the site administrator, Dr. John Lisco, at john.lisco@sru.edu
or by phone at Slippery Rock University at 724-738-2596 (EDT). Please
note that it is important to always use the exit button within a
course when exiting before completion. This ensures that the system
"bookmarks" your place and will return you to the last page you
viewed. NPSLETC has so far posted 31 modules of RM-9 on this system.
Please note that only chapters 1 through 4 have activated testing
services at this time. [Tom Cherry, NPSLETC]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Shenandoah NP (VA) - The park is currently recruiting for two GS-303-7
supervisory visitor use assistants. The announcement is on USA Jobs as
SHEN 2001-20 and closes on August 8th. Both VUA's will supervise
several geographically dispersed fee operations. One supervises the
parkwide campground operation, including one advanced reservation
campground, two staffed "first come, first served" campgrounds, and
one self-registration campground. These parks have a staff of 10
permanent and temporary employees and 15 volunteers. The other
supervises two entrance operations and a boundary collection operation
with 14 permanent and temporary employees. For more information, call
Tracy Thetford at 540-999-3406. [Tracy Thetford, SHEN]
FILM AT 11...
There's a good front page article on reptile poaching in southern
Arizona in the July 29th edition of the Arizona Star. It features
Saguaro NP and ranger Dave Van Cleve and is entitled "Poachers
Stealing Reptiles, Amphibians." There are also two related pieces -
"Operation Viper Nets More Than Poachers" and "Collecting 'Herps'
Legally." The three articles can be read on the web at the following
address until Saturday, August 4th: www.dailystar.com/star/sun/.
(Paula Nasiatka, Robert Stinson, SAGU]
* * * * *
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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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