NPS Morning Report - Monday, October 22, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, October 22, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-509 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Follow-up: Terrorism Attacks and Threats

On the evening of Friday, October 19th, two visitors entered a cabin 
that they'd rented in Curry Village and found a white powdery 
substance on a shelf. They inadvertently exposed themselves to the 
substance while placing items on the shelf and requested immediate 
assistance. Responding concessions security officers and a ranger were 
also exposed. The area was immediately quarantined and a full hazmat 
response was initiated, including decontamination procedures. County 
public health medical staff assisted. The material was collected and 
taken to a state health lab. On Saturday, the county medical director 
notified the park that no anthrax was involved. Investigators have not 
found anyone with motive or reasons to intentionally place the white 
powder in the room. It appears that this was an accidental spill. The 
lab did not identify the material, but there were no findings that 
indicated it was in any way dangerous. [Don Coelho/Jeff Sullivan, 
YOSE, 10-19/20]

01-566 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - Follow-up: Marijuana Eradication

The number of plants seized in last Tuesday's operation on Whiskey 
Creek has been revised from about 1,000 plants to 2,115 plants. Given 
the quality of the plants, the street value is now estimated to be in 
excess of $9 million. The overall estimated street value of all the 
marijuana seized in the three garden complexes found this year in the 
park has been placed at more than $14 million. The seized plants were 
disposed of at a local co-generation power plant to assist in 
providing environmentally friendly electrical power to California. 
[Alan Foster, SA/Acting CR, WHIS, 10/19]

01-569 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Bomb Threats; Evacuations

At 9:22 a.m. on Friday, October 19th, San Francisco police notified 
park dispatch that an anonymous call had been received reporting three 
bombs on Alcatraz. About 50 NPS personnel and contractors were on the 
island at the time. A visitor boat that was en route to the island at 
the time picked them up and returned them to San Francisco. Park 
Police officers, protection rangers, park staff and a city explosives 
ordnance disposal team were taken to Alcatraz and began searching the 
island. Teams included interpretive rangers and maintenance personnel 
who were familiar with the island. The search was completed at 2 p.m. 
Nothing was found. At 10:30 a.m. that same morning, police asked the 
park to close Fort Point as a result of a credible bomb threat to 
Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Point was closed and secured. A search was 
conducted, but nothing was found. Battery East, Fort Scott overlook 
and Long Avenue within the park were also closed. [Yvette Ruan, CR, 
GOGA, 10/19]

01-570 - Virgin Islands NP (VI) - Illegal Immigrants

Nine illegal immigrants were arrested by rangers and Virgin Islands 
police on St. John on the morning of October 13th. They came ashore at 
Mary Creek, where they abandoned their 28-foot wooden boat, which was 
outfitted with twin 200 hp Johnson engines. Rangers seized the boat. 
The six men and three women were turned over to INS for processing. 
They were smuggled to St. John from the nearby Dutch island of St. 
Martin. All are Haitian nationals. Smugglers constantly use the park 
to drop off their passengers due to easy access to beaches. [Schuler 
Brown, CR, VIIS, 10/17]

01-571 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Poaching Conviction

On October 21, 2000, rangers found remains of an elk in West Horseshoe 
Park near a park highway. The park subsequently received information 
from the Colorado Department of Wildlife regarding the possible 
involvement of J.B. of Matheson, Colorado. Ranger Eric 
Gabriel led the investigation and worked with local wildlife officers 
to develop enough evidence to implicate J.B. in the illegal taking 
of a six-point bull elk. J.B. plead guilty to a Lacey Act charge 
this past August. On September 25th, he was fined $2,000, sentenced to 
100 hours of community service (to be served either in the park or 
with the state), and had his hunting privileges revoked in eight 
states. [Doug Ridley, DR, Fall River District, ROMO, 10/17]

01-572 - Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - Falling Fatality

R.S., 48, of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, was found dead at the top 
of a talus slope at the base of the crater rim walls of Kilauea Crater 
on Saturday, October 20th. Initial indications are that R.S. fell 
about 200 feet to her death. She was reported missing by her husband 
early on Saturday morning. Rangers, with assistance from the Hawaii 
County Fire Department and the Kilauea Military Camp Fire Department, 
were able to get to the scene, conduct an on-scene investigation and 
remove the body. The fall was not witnessed and an investigation is 
currently underway to determine the circumstances surrounding her 
death. An autopsy will be held within the next few days. R.S. was a 
lieutenant commander in the Public Health Service and a registered 
nurse at Wewoka Indian Health Center in Wewoka, Oklahoma. [Paul 
Ducasse, CR, HAVO, 10/21]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2

Two Type 1 teams are assigned to FEMA to support operations in New 
York City. 

Initial attack was light nationwide on Saturday. Very high to extreme 
fire indices were reported in California.

Park Fire Situation

No new reports.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/21; NPS Situation 
Summary Report, 10/21]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Amistad NRA (TX) - The park has openings for two GS-9 law enforcement 
rangers and will soon have another GS-9 ranger slot and a GS-11 
district ranger position vacant. Lateral transfers are being sought. 
Duties include the full spectrum of resource and visitor protection, 
emergency service, and public use management duties. This is an 
excellent dual career opportunity. For more information, please 
contact John Javor, acting superintendent, at 830-775-7491 ext 218 or 
Lee LeJeune, chief of administration, at the same number, ext 205. The 
announcements close on November 5th. [Dan Steed, SAAN]

SERO (GA) - Tom Piehl, currently a special projects manager for WASO 
and former chief of land resources and chief appraiser for Southeast 
Region, will soon be ending his 31 year career with the National Park 
Service. Tom began his federal career in 1963 and has accumulated over 
38 years of continuous service. As Tom has said: "Enough is enough." 
He plants to travel, play golf, enjoy life, and possibly work 
occasionally as a VIP for the NPS. A retirement luncheon will be held 
at Steak and Ale on International Boulevard in Atlanta on November 
27th. If you'd like to attend, contact Karol Neville, Connie Rousey, 
Debbie Guest or Moria Painter at 404-562-3148. Tom worked with and 
encountered many people over his years as chief of the lands division. 
Please send letters, cards, notes, funny stories and/or photos to be 
included in a remembrance book that will be presented to Tom at his 
party. Submissions need to be received by November 19th. Send them to 
National Park Service, Land Resources Program Center, AFC 1924 Bldg., 
100 Alabama Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303  Attn:  Tom's 
Retirement. [Karol Neville, SERO]

FILM AT 11...

On October 17th, the Associated Press posted a story on the parks 
entitled "Terror-Wary Tourists Taking in Woods," by writer Margie 
Mason. The text of this interesting piece follows:

Under towering redwoods, Brenda Kovach sat with her family, soaking up 
the fresh air, the majesty and the peace. There were no airports, 
guns, or terrorist threats. 

"In a park, I doubt bin Laden is going to get me here," said Kovach, 
in Memorial Park near Pescadero, about 50 miles south of San 
Francisco. 

Plenty of Americans agree, taking to the woods instead of the skies in 
search of quiet getaways that don't involve boarding airplanes or 
visiting places terrorists might target. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, 
airline ticket sales have plunged across the nation. But officials 
from the Appalachian Trail to Yellowstone National Park say parks and 
lodges are full with steady traffic. 

"We're still packing them in," said Naomi Arlund, spokeswoman for 
Yosemite Concession Services. "It dropped off ever so slightly after 
the attacks, and then picked back up." 

It's predicted that 230 million fewer passengers nationally will fly 
in the next five years, and that traffic will not reach pre-attacks 
levels until 2005 or 2006, said aviation industry consultant Michael 
Boyd. 

On the ground, though, business has already rebounded. At the Bear's 
Den Hostel along the Appalachian Trail in Bluemont, Va., the stream of 
thru-hikers remained steady after Sept. 11, but it took about two 
weeks for some weekend visitors to make the drive, said manager Melody 
Blaney.  Now, with fall foliage showcasing its annual colors, all beds 
are again taken. 

"It has gotten back up to full speed again," Blaney said, noting that 
Washington, D.C., is about a 90-minute drive away. "This cute little 
family that comes out here said they just had to get away from the 
city." 

Visits to national parks dropped 4.7 percent in September compared to 
a year before, partly because must-see destinations such as the Statue 
of Liberty, and Washington's Lincoln and Jefferson memorials were 
closed. 

Sites that draw mostly international travelers - such as the Grand 
Canyon and San Francisco's Alcatraz Island - also have been hit hard. 
The Grand Canyon saw 125,850 fewer visitors in September. 

"Right now, it's a really good time to visit," said Maureen Oltrogge, 
Grand Canyon spokeswoman. "The temperatures are great. It feels like 
fall, and it's absolutely beautiful." 

While some national parks might have room to spare, state and local 
parks have been busy with visitors who live a short driving distance 
away. 

"I haven't had the opportunity to do this in a couple of years," said 
Dolores Hobbs, relaxing at a campsite in Memorial Park, about 30 miles 
southwest from her home in Hayward. She said the stress level was 
definitely lower in the woods than at airports, where lines are long 
and  National Guard troops patrol with weapons. "I took it easy this 
year," she said. 

At South Carlsbad State Beach in Southern California, even midweek 
reservations were snapped up in September. "Usually, we wait until 
right after Labor Day weekend to breathe a sigh a relief because we 
know the busy season is over," said supervising state park ranger Paul 
Pettit. "But this year, we've had continuous attendance through 
September. We're still in that same mode as in July and August." 

Visits also were up in September at Yellowstone National Park compared 
to a year before - partly because wildfires were burning in September 
2000. Now, even with snow coming down, the park is busy. 

All national parks are waiving entrance fees over Veterans Day weekend 
on Nov. 10-12 as a tribute to those who have served America. 

There's no better place than a park to seek solace, said Steve 
Anastasia, a ranger at Point Reyes National Seashore just north of San 
Francisco. "It's a nice place to kind of get yourself grounded with 
all the crazy stuff going on," Anastasia said. "It's a great place for 
reflection." 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MEETING AND EVENTS CALENDAR

This calendar appears every other Monday as an addendum to the Morning 
Report. Please note:

o       Entries are listed no sooner than FOUR months before an event, 
        except in cases in which registration dates close much 
        earlier. 

o       Brevity in submissions is required and appreciated.

o       Please send along web sites for additional information where 
        possible.

o       Asterisks (*) indicate new or revised entries. 

**********************************************************************

October 27: "EISENHOWER PREPARES FOR WAR: SIXTH ANNUAL EISENHOWER 
SEMINAR," Eisenhower NHS, Gettysburg, PA. Five noted 
authors/historians will be giving presentations on Eisenhower's 
military career, leading up to America's entry into World War II. 
Registration is $35. Interested persons should contact Eisenhower NHS, 
250 Eisenhower Lane, Gettysburg, PA 17325, or call 717-338-9114. 
[Richard Lemmers, EISE]

October 29 - November 2: ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL PARK RANGERS 
RENDEZVOUS XXV, Snow King Resort, Jackson Hole, WY. Twenty-fifth 
anniversary Rendezvous, held at the site of the first Rendezvous back 
in 1977. The single/double rate is $85 plus tax. Condos (studio to  
four bedrooms) are available if you want to share accommodations.  
Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-522-KING (mention the group 
name: National Park Rangers). The block will expire three weeks prior 
to the  start of the RR, so reservations should be made early. Check 
the website at www.snowking.com. For details on the program, check 
ANPR's web site at http://www.anpr.org/agenda.htm. 

November 4 - 5: NATIONAL INTERPRETERS WORKSHOP, Des Moines, IA. For 
more information, contact Brook McDonald at brookmcd@ais.net. [Sheila 
Lee, NCRC/WASO]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your 
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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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