NPS Morning Report - Friday, October 26, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, October 26, 2001

INCIDENTS

00-661 - Arches NP (UT) - Follow-up: Resource Violations

On the morning of September 19, 2000, visitors reported that fires had 
been set in the area immediately around Delicate Arch. Investigating 
rangers found that four fires had apparently been lit on the previous 
night, one of which was still smoldering. Three of the fires, set on 
bare rock and sand directly underneath and beside Delicate Arch, 
caused scorching and discoloration of the red sandstone. Efforts by 
local park staff to restore the fire scars were unsuccessful, in part 
because of the presence of an oily or waxy substance that stained and 
penetrated into the rock surface beneath each of the scars. An 
intensive investigation led to the identification of Michael Fatali, 
36, of Springdale, Utah, as the man who had set the fires. On October 
19th, Fatali was charged in federal court with several violations of 
federal law in connection with these fires and others set at 
Canyonlands NP. Fatali, who apparently used the fires as a 
photographic technique, is charged with injuring or defacing mineral 
resources in a national park; unauthorized fire in a national park; 
lighting or using a fire that damages or burns national park 
resources; leaving a fire unextinguished on public lands; and aiding 
and abetting. Each of the seven misdemeanor counts carries a potential 
maximum prison sentence of six months and a fine of up to $5,000. 
Investigators believe that Fatali used Duraflame logs to start several 
of the fires, and that Fatali started similar fires about four years 
ago at Horsehoof Arch and in a slot canyon known as "The Joint Trail," 
both in Canyonlands NP. Restoration work on the Arches burns was 
completed on October 20th. Two of the three fire scars are no longer 
visible, and the worst of the three fire scars - the one directly 
beneath the arch - looks much better than before, though still 
visible. The rehabilitation project was undertaken by Bob Hartzler, 
NPS architectural conservator from Santa Fe, with assistance from 
Angelyn Rivera of Bandelier NM. Hartzler has described their efforts 
as follows: "Our treatments were conservative, consistent with our 
practice of balancing treatment effectiveness against the impact of 
the treatments on the monument. Most of the soot staining remaining on 
the sandstone is firmly adhered in the top millimeter of the stone, 
and proved to be resistant to treatments with either of the two 
cleaning preparations we brought. Spot tests with a small range of 
over-the-counter cleaning products also proved mostly ineffective. 
Cleaning efforts by the park and a year of weathering and natural 
erosion have removed most of the primarily surface soiling. We were 
able to remove all of the melted plastic-like deposits... Mechanical 
removal of the top layer of the soiled stone would eliminate the 
remaining soiling, but we believe that treatment is not warranted, and 
do not recommended it. Some soiling remains, but I believe the 
appearance of the damaged areas was improved, and the stains will 
continue to fade." [Karen McKinlay-Jones, ARCH, 10/22]

01-509 - Kennesaw Mountain NBP (GA) - Follow-up: Terrorism Alerts and  
         Threats

Kennesaw Mountain Drive and the mountain trail were closed around noon 
on October 24th after visitors reported a white powdery substance on 
the roadway and on the trail. The Cobb County hazmat team responded 
and tested the substance and determined that it was flour. The trail 
was reopened around 3:15 p.m. Rangers and Cobb County police are 
investigating the incident. [Lloyd Morris, CR, KEMO, 10/25]

01-577 - Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs  (CA) - Resource Violations

On the morning of October 23rd, a ranger and the park's special agent 
contacted two groups of Asian men poaching gray squirrels in the south 
fork area of the Sequoia District. The poachers had hiked past a sign 
with an international "no hunting " symbol situated at the trailhead. 
The area supports large populations of gray squirrels and is well 
known to local squirrel poachers. A total of seven people were 
contacted. They were armed with 12 and 20 gauge pump and 
semi-automatic shotguns and had game in their possession. Each was 
cited for possession of illegally taken wildlife and for possessing a 
weapon in the park. Three of the men also admitted to hunting in the 
area on prior occasions.  All firearms, ammunition, knives and a total 
of 24 squirrels were seized from the violators. Rangers patrol the 
remote area periodically during the hunting season; they had 
previously responded to reports of shots fired, but had been unable to 
find anyone. [Al DeLaCruz, SA, SEKI, 10/25]

01-578 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Suicide

On October 24th, park dispatch received a report of a possible suicide 
at Boyd Indian Mounds within the Ridgeland District. Rangers David 
Linville and Charles Cuvelier were on scene within four minutes of the 
report and found the body of a man who had died from a self-inflicted 
gunshot wound. [Jackie Henman, ACR, NATR, 10/25]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 1

Stam's Type 1 team is assigned to FEMA to support operations in New 
York City. 

Initial attack was light nationwide on Wednesday. Very high to extreme 
fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas 
and Utah.

Park Fire Situation

No new reports.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/25]

                            *  *  *  *  *

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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