NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, April 16, 2002 (RETRANSMISSION)



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, April 16, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-105 - Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P (AK) - Follow-up on Climbing Fatalities

On Saturday, April 13th, searchers located the bodies of A.M. and
R.S., the two men who died on Mount St. Elias on April 8th while
descending from the 18,000-foot summit. Pilot Paul Claus and surviving
climber J.G. flew to the site on the 13th and confirmed that the
body Claus had seen the previous day was A.M.'s. It appears that he fell
about 2,000 feet, ending up around the 16,000 foot level. J.G. and Claus
also found R.S.'s body, which was at the 17,200 foot level. R.S. fell
almost a thousand feet into a heavily crevassed area of the slope. A.M.
and R.S. were descending on skis when they fell; J.G. descended by
snowboard. Recovery of the two bodies is not currently possible due to the
extreme slope, terrain and altitude. [Jane Tranel, PIO, WRST, 4/15]

02-107 - Pinnacles NM (CA) - Mountain Lion Encounter

Over the past month, rangers have noticed an increase in mountain lion sign
and vocalizations along the Old Pinnacles Trail. On the night of March
31st, a ranger patrolling the trail alone heard movement on the hillside
above him, followed by the sound of a large animal running down the
hillside in his direction. Turning his flashlight on, he saw that the
animal was a medium-sized mountain lion. The ranger's flashlight then faded
and died. He tried to yell but unfortunately was hoarse from a cold and
could barely speak above a whisper. He drew his pistol and, when the lion
closed to within five yards, fired a round into the hillside between them.
The lion veered off and continued across the trail ahead of the ranger into
the brush of a creek bottom.  The ranger backed down the trail, covering
the area where he could hear the cat moving along the creek bed.  The cat
followed the ranger for about 300 yards, then disappeared. Ten days later,
a resource management employee hiking the same trail at midday reported
what she believed to be a mountain lion growling at her from the brush.
Rangers have posted educational and safety information regarding mountain
lions at trailheads in response to these incidents. [Jerry Case, PINN,
4/15]

02-108 - Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - Shooting Incident

At 7:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 14th, rangers were dispatched to a reported
shooting in the McBride area of the park. Upon arrival, they found that the
victim, 54-year-old P.B. of Amarillo, Texas, was suffering from a
rifle wound to the abdomen. P.B. was treated by park EMTs and
transported by medical helicopter to the Amarillo Trauma Center at
Northwest Texas Hospital. The shooter was identified as a 16-year-old male
from the local community. The investigation is being handled jointly by the
National Park Service, the Potter County Sheriff's Office, and Texas Parks
and Wildlife. Preliminary information indicates that the juvenile, while
turkey hunting, took an 80-yard shot at what he believed was a turkey, but
in fact was P.B., who was also hunting and was in full camouflage
clothing. Conditions at the scene included game in the area, morning fog
and brushy vegetation. The shooting is believed to have been accidental.
[Bill Briggs, CR, LAMR, 4/15]

02-109 - Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Drowning

F.C., 54, was thrown from a boat in Calville Bay after it
hit another vessel's wake on the afternoon of Saturday, April 13th, and
subsequently slipped beneath the lake's surface. A search was begun, but
his body has not yet been found. [Tony DeVito, Dispatch, LAME, 4/14]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Daily preparation and dissemination of the national fire report has been
temporarily suspended due to lack of activity.

Park Fire Situation

Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - The park had two fires on April 12th.
The one-acre Tower Fire near Look Rock tower has been declared out. The 129
Fire burned four acres and has also been declared out. Both were human
caused.

Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - The park has completed its final prescribed burn of
the spring.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme - N/A
Very High - N/A
High - Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Everglades NP, Indiana Dunes NL

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 4/15]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Washington Office (DC) - The Department of the Interior's international
technical assistance program is recruiting three to four law enforcement
trainers for a two to four week training session at the Ugalla Game Reserve
in Tanzania. The training will take place in June. Individuals with
experience in establishing and running patrols, crime scene investigation
techniques, training experience, and previous international work/travel,
are encouraged to send brief resumes to Doi_int@yahoo.com or fax them to
202-501-6381. Please respond by April 19th. If you have additional
questions please contact Cynthia Perera at 202-219-0537. [Cynthia Perera,
WASO]

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.

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

* May - August: NPS FUNDAMENTALS. Courses are scheduled for the period from
May through August. New employees are fully funded to attend NPS
Fundamentals II at Albright Training Center; a session of Fundamentals II
for Experienced Employees is also scheduled to be held in Glacier NP in
August. Experienced employees who completed the Compass II program are
fully funded this fiscal year only for Fundamentals V courses, which are
being held at Mather Training Center. Watch for course announcements on the
Learning Place (http://www.nps.gov/training) under "Training
Announcements," then Universal Competencies." [Maia Browning, HOAL]

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 28 - 31: INSTRUCTOR TECHNIQUES FOR NON-LETHAL TRAINING AMMUNITION,
FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on April 24th. Candidates must have a Type 1
commission, be experienced firearms instructors actively engaged in
instructing, and be in good physical condition (there will be a stress
course of fire). 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)

June 3 - 7: INTRODUCTION TO PARK PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, Mather Training
Center, Harpers Ferry, WV. Closes on May 1st. The course is designed to
provide employees from all disciplines with tools and processes for
analyzing and accomplishing work, and techniques for planning and
organizing work, managing and accounting for funds, and evaluating results.
Contact: Karen Henry at 570-729-8255) or http://www.nps.gov/training .
[Joyce Howe, STMA]

* June 9 - July 6: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SUMMER INSTITUTE OF HISTORICAL
ETHNOGOGRAPHY, Independence NHP, Philadelphia, PA. An intensive course
designed to teach field methodology in an urban setting. Open to
undergraduate and graduate level students and NPS staff. Participants will
study and practice a variety of field work techniques. The course is of
special interest to NPS employees with responsibility for maintaining park
ethnographic resource inventories. NPS instructors from the archeology and
ethnography program will focus on the management of ethnographic resources
within parks, including the identification of traditionally associated
groups and their practices. Participants will earn six undergraduate or
graduate credits upon successful completion of all requirements. For more
information, go to http://www.summer.umd.edu, send an email to
SPOCatsummer@umail.umd.edu, or call either 301-314-3572 or 1-877-989-SPOC.
For questions about course content, email the institute director, Dr. Tony
Whitehead, at tonylwhitehead@comcast.net or call him at 703-620-0515.
[Doris Fanelli, INDE]

June 13 - September 21: BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR NATIONAL PARK RANGERS,
FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on April 24th. 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)

* June 24 - 26: FLASHPOINT FOR THE FIXED ASSETS SUBSYSTEM, NCTC,
Shepherdstown, WV. Closes on May 8th. This course is designed for personnel
who are responsible for entering data into the property accountability
system. Contact: Jan Gauthier at 304-535-6215 or
http://www.nps.gov/training . [Joyce Howe, STMA]

July 8 - 12: LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR MANAGERS, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on May
5th. Training on basic law enforcement topics for upper level management
employees with supervisory  or oversight responsibility for law enforcement
programs. 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)

* July 17 - 19: INTRODUCTION TO AUTOMATED NATIONAL CATALOG SYSTEM PLUS
(ANCS+), NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV. Closes on May 6th. The course is designed
for park staff who need training in the use of ANCS+ and focuses on how to
use the system as a collections management tool. Contact: Kathleen Byrne at
304-535-6204, or http://www.nps.gov/training. [Joyce Howe, STMA]

* August 26 - 28: FLASHPOINT FOR THE FIXED ASSETS SUBSYSTEM, NCTC,
Shepherdstown, WV. Closes on May 8th. This course is designed for personnel
who are responsible for entering data into the property accountability
system. Contact: Jan Gauthier at 304-535-6215 or
http://www.nps.gov/training . [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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