NPS Morning Report - Monday, March 4, 2002



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:       All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:          Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date: Monday, March 4, 2002

INCIDENTS

01-501 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Follow-up: Felony Arrest; Attempted Assault
on Rangers

Three fugitives from justice - T.O., P.E. and a
female juvenile - were apprehended in the park at 6 p.m. on September 7,
2001. On February 19th, a federal judge sentenced T.O. to ten years
in prison for crimes committed within the park; upon release, he will be
placed on three years of supervised probation, which will include drug
testing and completion of a drug and alcohol treatment program. He will
also have to pay fines, restitution and assessments totaling over $12,000.
As noted in an earlier update, P.E. was sentenced to prison for
eleven years and eight months. Charges against the juvenile were dropped.
P.E. and T.O. will now face attempted murder charges in
Minnesota. The state of Wisconsin will then consider filing burglary
charges (three counts) and a vehicle theft charge (one count) against the
duo. Minnesota prosecutors think that there may be a trial and that some
park employees will be called on to testify. [Dan Kirschner, SA, YELL,
2/28]

01-650 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Follow-up: Antler Theft Conviction

On February 16th, N.C., 22, of Gardiner, Montana, pled guilty in a
plea agreement to being an accessory in theft of antlers from the park.
N.C. was charged with being in "possession of natural features," and has
been ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution, serve 30 days in jail with all
time suspended, and to serve two years of unsupervised probation. During
the probation, N.C. is prohibited from entering Yellowstone NP except for
work purposes. At the time of the offense, N.C. was employed as a seasonal
maintenance worker. N.C.'s plea agreement comes in the wake of three other
related convictions for antler poaching. Last December, R.J., 23,
and J.G., 20, both of Joliet, Montana, pled guilty to collecting
and removing elk antlers from the park. The arrests occurred when
investigators from the park and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks  found
that R.J. and J.G. had about 191 pounds of antlers in their possession
and determined that they'd been taken from the park. R.J. had also
collected antlers from the park on several other occasions over the past
few years. He was fined $3,000 and placed on probation for five years;
J.G. was fined $500 and placed on probation for three years. Both are
prohibited from entering the park during their probation. The investigation
also revealed that a third person named F.C. had accompanied R.J.
and J.G. on one trip to the park. F.C. was on probation at the time for
a double homicide in Ravailli County, Montana. The U.S. Attorney's Office
and Yellowstone special agents worked with the Ravailli County attorney to
produce the evidence needed to revoke his probation. On October 23rd,
F.C. was sentenced to 100 years (50 suspended) for the probation
violations. [Dick Divine, SA, YELL, 2/19]

02-043 - Point Reyes NS (CA) - SAR; Resource Protection

On the afternoon of February 24th, the fishing vessel Christina issued a
distress call from the area of Point Reyes Headlands along the Pacific
Coast. The 51-foot fishing vessel had begun taking on water after a crack
opened in its keel while underway in moderate seven- to ten-foot seas. The
vessel lost its engine when seawater flooded into the fuel tank, and began
drifting toward the rocky coast of Point Reyes Headlands Preserve. The
skipper of the Christina was able to drop an anchor that tenuously held the
boat just short of the breaking surf line. A 47-foot Coast Guard motor
lifeboat was dispatched from San Francisco to assist the Christina.  The
Coast Guard boat developed engine problems that prevented it from reaching
the Christina, but the NPS patrol vessel stationed near the headlands had
also responded and arrived shortly thereafter. A Coast Guard boarding team
was taken aboard the NPS vessel and shuttled to the Christina, which by now
had taken on additional water and was at risk of running aground on nearby
rocks. A de-watering pump was transferred to the boarding team from the NPS
boat and the Christina was kept afloat until she was towed by a second
Coast Guard motor lifeboat later that evening. Historically, vessels that
have gone aground in the headlands have been quickly destroyed by the surf,
resulting in loss of human life and significant damage to sensitive
resources. The delicate inter-tidal zone is home to numerous threatened
species, including marine mammals, birds and invertebrates. The area is
currently occupied by hundreds of elephant seals that come each year to
breed along the protected coastline.  [Marc Yeston, DR, PORE, 3/1]

02-044 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Suicide

The park received notification of a vehicle that had evidently been
abandoned on the southbound shoulder of the highway just south of the New
River Gorge Bridge around 9:30 p.m. on the evening of Monday, February
11th. Footprints in the fresh snow showed that someone had walked from the
vehicle out onto the bridge and up onto the railing. The area below the
point where the footprints ended was searched by rangers, state and county
officers and firefighters and led to the discovery of the body of a
19-year-old man. The body was recovered and turned over to the county ME
for further investigation. [Gary Hartley, CR, NERI, 2/28]

[Additional reports pending]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

Shenandoah NP (VA) - The Fultz Run fire, which was discovered near
Grindstone Mountain on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 26th, had burned
about 4,200 acres as of Sunday morning. About 70% of that is on park land.
The total acreage burned rose significantly from the last report due in
part to backfires and to a significant spot fire. Burnout operations near
Steam Hollow residences and the Shenandoah Gap subdivision on Friday were
successful. Thirteen volunteer fire department units from a five-county
area provided standby support to ensure that no homes were damaged; a
helicopter with a 420-gallon bucket provided an added measure of safety to
homes by cooling hotspots. On Friday afternoon, unforecasted gusts of wind
up to 30 mph caused a spot fire on the remote northeast flank of the main
fire in the area of Devils Tanyard. A small hog pen burned on Saturday
morning in Dovel Hollow. About an inch and a half of snow and rain fell on
the fire on Saturday, helping to dampen the fire. About a dozen miles of
containment lines had been built by Sunday morning, at which point the fire
was completely contained. Eight 20-person crews were committed, along with
five Virginia DOF dozers, two helicopters and a number of engines. More
than half of the total of 200 firefighters were released on Sunday. Three
crews and a minimally-staffed incident command team remained to patrol and
mop-up.  [David Coffman, IO, Fultz Run Fire, 3/2 - 3/3]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Great Smokies NP (TN/NC) - Long-time ranger Bobby Holland, who recently
retired from the Service, lost his home in a fire on February 26th. He was
at home at the time and suffered minor burns. Very few items were salvaged.
Money donations are currently being accepted to help Bobby and his wife
Audrey with their immediate needs. Anyone wishing to make a donation should
send it to Debbie Huskey, Great Smoky Mountains NP, 107 Park Headquarters
Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Checks should be made payable to Bobby Holland.
Cards or notes may also be sent to this address. This is a very difficult
time for Bobby; hearing from his friends would mean a great deal. [Bob
Wightman, GRSM]

Pinnacles NM (CA) - The park is currently advertising for a GS-0401-12
chief of resource management. The vacancy announcement numbers are
PGSO-02-83-MPP and PGSO-02-83-DEU. The announcement has been extended and
now closes on March 8th. Government housing is available. There's also
housing in Hollister (32 miles north) and King City (28 miles south). Area
information can be found at http://www.sbcc.org and http://www.kingcity.com
. Questions should be directed to Lori Frusetta at 831-389-4485 extension
227 or via email. [Lori Frusetta, PINN]

Olympic NP (WA) - The park has issued announcements for a GS-0986-7 legal
assistant, a GS-0392-t supervisory communications operator, a GS-0392-6
communications operator, and an STF GS-0392-6 communications operator. All
are based at park headquarters in Port Angeles. There is no park housing.
Announcement numbers are OLYM-02-09, 09, 10, 11 and 12; all close on March
15th. Fore more info, contact assistant chief ranger Tim Simonds at
360-565-3111. [Tim Simonds, OLYM]

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TRAINING CALENDAR

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

•    Entries are listed no sooner than FOUR months before a training course
begins, except in cases in which registration dates     close much earlier.
•    Brevity in submissions is required and appreciated.
•    Please send along web sites for additional information where possible.
•    Asterisks (*) indicate new entries; pound signs (#) indicate revised
entries.

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

* March 8 - 12: NATIONAL WIDLFIRE INVESTIGATION TRAINING (XP-NWITP-201A),
Mescalero, NM. Closes on March 6th. Training for those rangers who have
been previously trained in investigation. Topics include determination of
fire origins and causes, fire scene processing, and relevant laws. Contact:
Regional employee development officers or the Learning Place BB for
applications; FLETC for further information (912-267-2246, WASO FLETC-NPS).
(Wiley Golden, FLETC)

March 26 - April 5: NPS CERTIFIED STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTER, Glen Canyon NRA,
UT. This 80-hour course combines the previous NPS Level I and Level II
structural fire suppression courses. Instruction includes lectures and
audio-visual aids, but maintains an emphasis on individual and engine
company manipulative skills essential for personal safety and effective and
safe fire ground operations. Students will participate in live fire and
smoke house exercises as members of engine companies and will practice
offensive, defensive and transitional initial attack procedures for
ignitable liquid and flammable gas, interior structures and vehicle fires.
Students will also be trained in auto extrication of the critically
injured. Contact: Lisa Ford at 928-608-6250. [Hal Spencer, NIFC]

April 9 - 12: WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS. Contact course coordinator for
location. This course, a collaborative effort among BLM, USFS and the
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, will provide participants
with information on the siting, construction, operation and management of
wireless telecommunications systems. Site field trip included. Tuition:
$450. Contact Chantel Jordan, 602-906-5515. [Michele Kuna, DEWA]

April 9 - 19: NPS CERTIFIED STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTER, Sandy Hook Unit,
Gateway NRA, NJ. This 80-hour course combines the previous NPS Level I and
Level II structural fire suppression courses. Instruction includes lectures
and audio-visual aids, but maintains an emphasis on individual and engine
company manipulative skills essential for personal safety and effective and
safe fire ground operations. Students will participate in live fire and
smoke house exercises as members of engine companies and will practice
offensive, defensive and transitional initial attack procedures for
ignitable liquid and flammable gas, interior structures and vehicle fires.
Students will also be trained in auto extrication of the critically
injured. Contact: Dennis Soyka at 732-872-5931. [Hal Spencer, NIFC]

* April 15 - 19: THE WRITER ARTIST, Hawaii Volcanoes NP, HI. Closes on
March 15th. Grounded in the interpretive development program, this Module
230 course will identify the elements of interpretive writing through
comparison of informational, creative and interpretive writing examples.
Participants will write, review and edit classroom material. $200 tuition.
Contact: Eric Andersen, course coordinator, 808-328-2326, or Jay Robinson,
logistics coordinator, 808-985-6012. [Deanne Adams, PWR]

April 16 - 18: BASIC EMT REFRESHER, Zion NP, UT. The practical and written
National Registry tests will be offered in the evening for those needing
NREMT certification (only the written test is required if you've passed a
state-approved practical test within the last year). Tuition: $75. Contact:
Cody Cole via email or at 435-772-0163. [Randy Coffman, RAD/WASO]

* April 29 - May 2: BASIC PEER SUPPORT TRAINING - 002, Phoenix, AZ. Closes
on March 20th. Peer support training; listening skills and other CISM
techniques will be taught. Contact: Regional employee development officers
or the Learning Place BB for applications; FLETC for further information
(912-267-2246, WASO FLETC-NPS). (Wiley Golden, FLETC)

May 6 - August 4: BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR NATIONAL PARK RANGERS
(NPRI-204), Glynco, GA. Closes on March 19th. Basic training for
commissioned rangers. Contact: Regional employee development officers or
the Learning Place BB for applications; FLETC for further information
(912-267-2246, WASO FLETC-NPS). (Wiley Golden, FLETC)

May 6 - 9: PIPELINE SYSTEMS. Contact course coordinator for location. This
course, a collaborative effort among BLM, USFS, NPS, USFWS, FERC and the
International Right-of-Way Association's International Pipeline Committee,
will provide participants with information on the siting, construction,
operation and management of oil and gas pipeline systems. Tuition: $500.
Contact Chantel Jordan, 602-906-5515. [Michele Kuna, DEWA]

May 6 - 10: NPS FUNDAMENTALS II FOR EXPEREIENCED EMPLOYEES, Saguaro NP,
Tucson, AZ. Closes on March 11th. Open to all employees, volunteers and
partners. Benefiting account pays travel, per diem and $300 tuition.
Contact: Cliff Goins at 219-926-7561 extension 246, Lola Henio at
928-899-0205 extension 333, or Ann Johnson at 928-639-7929 or
ann_e_johnson@nps.gov. [Kevin Turner, HOAL]

* May 6 - 10: DEFENSIVE TACTICS INSTRUCTOR, Delaware Water Gap NRA, PA/NJ.
Lodging and per diem will be covered by benefiting account. Contact
instructor Randy Seese at 570-828-6781 for additional course information
and Michele Kuna at 570-588-2414 for lodging information. [Wayne Valentine,
DEWA]

* May 13 - 15: DEFENSIVE TACTICS RECERTIFICATION, Delaware Water Gap NRA,
PA/NJ. Lodging and per diem will be covered by benefiting account. Contact
instructor Randy Seese at 570-828-6781 for additional course information
and Michele Kuna at 570-588-2414 for lodging information. [Wayne Valentine,
DEWA]

May 13 - 25: NPS FUNDAMENTALS II FOR NEW EMPLOYEES, Albright Training
Center, Grand Canyon, AZ. Closes on March 11th. Open to employees from all
career fields with less than one year of permanent service. Central
training and development funds cover travel and per diem. No tuition.
Contact Kevin Turner at 928-638-7988, or Ann Johnson at 928-639-7929 or
ann_e_johnson@nps.gov. [Kevin Turner, HOAL]

* May 14 - 16: CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE: CONSTRUCTION AND
DESIGN PROJECTS, Omaha, NE. Closes on March 18th. The mandatory training
requirement for certification of contracting officer's representatives will
be satisfied by this training. The eight-hour refresher will be
incorporated into the first day of training. Contact: Henry Gause at
702-293-8908 or http://www.nps.gov/training. [Joyce Howe, STMA]

May 20 - 24: NPS FUNDAMENTALS II FOR EXPEREIENCED EMPLOYEES, Midwest
Regional Office, Omaha, NE. Closes on March 18th. Open to all employees,
volunteers and partners. Benefiting account pays travel, per diem and $300
tuition. Contact: Jennie Albrinck at 928-638-2305, Gary Bremen at
305-230-1144 extension 3084, Rick Wallner at 605-574-3134, or Ann Johnson
at 928-639-7929 or ann_e_johnson@nps.gov. [Kevin Turner, HOAL]

May 27 - 29: GILDER LEHRMAN SEMINARS FOR INTERPRETERS AND EDUCATORS:
HISTORY OF SCIENCE IN THE AMERICAN WEST, Estes Park, CO. Closes on April
6th. An examination of the history of natural scientists in the cultural,
social and political contexts of their professional lives. Contact: Tony
Knapp at 304-535-6178 or http://www.nps.gov/training. [Joyce Howe, STMA]

June 3 - 5: GILDER LEHRMAN SEMINARS FOR INTERPRETERS AND EDUCATORS: SLAVERY
AND ANTI-SLAVERY, Mather Training Center, Harpers Ferry, WV. Closes on
April 6th. An examination of the origins and development of the movements
to end slavery in the United States from the colonial era to the end of the
Civil War. Contact: Tony Knapp at 304-535-6178 or
http://www.nps.gov/training. [Joyce Howe, STMA]

* June 3 - 7: PRESENTING EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM-BASED PROGRAMS, Joshua Tree
NP, CA. Closes on March 14th. Grounded in the interpretive development
program, this newly-updated Module 270 course will provide training in
presenting curriculum-based education programs for organized groups. $75
tuition. Contact: Lorna Lange-Daggs, course coordinator, 760-365-2371, or
Deanne Adams, 510-817-1340. [Deanne Adams, PWR]

* June 3 - 7: : INLAND SAR COORDINATION, Yorktown, VA. Closes on March
18th. Comprehensive, graduate-level look at inland SAR theory and its
application to planning land and air searches for missing persons and
aircraft. Taught by USAF National SAR School. Contact:
http://www.nps.gov/training or M_Robinson@nps.gov. [Joyce Howe, STMA]

Various Dates: GILDER LEHRMAN SUMMER SEMINARS FOR INTERPRETERS AND
EDUCATORS. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is offering
fourteen seminars that will provide NPS participants with the opportunity
to enhance their historical and interpretive skills. For more information
on the seminars and dates, go to http://www.nps.gov/training. Contact:
Sandra Weber, WASO Office of Interpretation and Education, 202-565-1057.
[Joyce Howe, STMA]

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

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