Director/Deputy Directors
Flags to Be Flown at Half-Staff Today
By order of President Bush, all flags are to be flown at half-staff today for Peace Officers Memorial Day. They are to be returned to full staff tomorrow. The proclamation can be found at the following link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/05/20030509-15.html
INCIDENTS
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (AL)
Follow-up on Flooding
The park's first assessment of the impacts of the flooding of the
Tallapoosa River indicates that there was less damage than expected.
Based on the silt level marks on the trees, more than five feet of water
flowed over much of the tour road in the bend of the river. The boat
ramp, picnic area, kiosk and other structures near the Highway 49
bridge, where the river banks become steeper, were completely
underwater, as the river at this point was 22 to 25 feet above normal.
Most of the structures came through the flooding okay, but there was
significant damage to the tour road.
[Submitted by Mark Lewis,
Superintendent]
Padre Island National Seashore (TX)
Homicide Arrests
On April 9th, rangers were conducting an overflight of the park by
helicopter when a crewman spotted a body lying in a remote location
behind the dunes near the 46-mile marker. Fingerprints were taken and
identified him as J.U., 28, of Corpus Christi, who was reported
to have been a member of the Texas Syndicate prison gang. An autopsy
determined that he died of a stab wound to the trachea. Rangers and FBI
agents were able to make a connection between the body and an impounded
pickup truck that was wrecked on the beach on April 3rd. According to a
complaint subsequently filed in federal court in Corpus Christi,
J.U. wanted two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a white
supremacist group, to transport marijuana to Vermont. J.U. promised
them that he would pay their bond and secure their release from jail if
they were arrested during that time. When Vermont State Police arrested
the pair, however, J.U. made no effort to secure their release. He
also reportedly stole $600 from another Aryan Brotherhood member. On
April 3rd, J.U. was called to a meeting at a Corpus Christi
apartment. Among those present at the meeting were M.W., 34,
and A.K., 24, confirmed members of the Aryan Brotherhood,
A.G., IV, 29, reported to be a member of the Aryan
Brotherhood, and D.C., 31, reported to be a Mexican Mafia
gang member. J.U. was severely beaten at the apartment. The group
was then joined by A.R., 27, also reported to be an Aryan
Brotherhood member. The five men drove J.U. to the park. After
passing through the entrance station, they drove down island to the
46-mile marker, where J.U. was taken behind the dunes and killed in
a location likely to never have been found. The five men then drove
north from the scene at a high rate of speed until their pickup truck
struck a metal drum which disabled the vehicle. They were picked up by
another motorist and transported out of the park, leaving the pickup
behind. The pickup truck was later reported stolen by the owner after he
returned from an out-of-town trip. The license plates attached to the
vehicle had been stolen in Webster, Texas. Late last month, all five
suspects were arrested in a joint investigation by the FBI, the National
Park Service, and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Four of the five
suspects have been charged with murder under Title 18, U.S.C. Section
111.
[Submitted by Randy Larson, Chief Ranger]
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Mountain Lion Attack
On May 13th, a 30-year-old hiker encountered a mountain lion in an
open area while hiking the mile-long Chisos Basin Loop Trail. Over a
20-minute period, the lion approached him three times as he backed down
the trail away from the animal. He threw stones and shouted at it, but
it was not deterred. The lion subsequently attacked him and brought him
to the ground. While on the ground, the hiker was able to strike the
lion in the head with a rock, ending the attack. He suffered puncture
wounds on one leg and one hand, but was able to hike to the Chisos Basin
Visitor Center to report the attack. He was treated by a Park Medic and
released. The injuries were not serious enough to require transportation
to a hospital. Rangers closed the trail system in the Chisos Basin and
began a search for the animal. A dog team trained for lion tracking has
been brought into the park to assist in locating the animal.
[Submitted by Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Search in Progress; Probable Drowning
Park dispatch received a 911 call on the afternoon of May 11th,
reporting that a child had fallen into the Middle Fork of the Kaweah
River near the Hospital Rock Picnic Area in Sequoia National Park. Park
rangers and other staff responded immediately. Ten members of the Tulare
County Sheriff's Department dive team and a dozen volunteers from the
search and rescue team soon joined them. Crews worked until 7:30 p.m.,
when darkness made further searching dangerous. The search resumed the
following morning with divers, ground searchers along the river, and a
helicopter performing aerial searches. Cold, fast water and steep
terrain along the riverbanks are challenging the searchers; the water
temperature is approximately 45 degrees F. As many as 45 people have
been involved with the search effort. Divers, ground searchers, and a
helicopter are continuing to search for the 11-year-old Hanford boy. The
boy, who was visiting the park with family and friends, was playing near
the water when he fell in and was swept downstream.
[Submitted by
Bob Wilson, Acting Chief Ranger/Malinee Crapsey, Incident IO]
George Washington Birthplace National Monument (VA)
Special Event: 350th Anniversary Celebration
The park hosted the kick-off event for the 350th anniversary of
Westmoreland County on May 3rd, the first of a series of events that
will take place throughout the county this year. The county was the home
of Presidents George Washington and James Monroe, General Robert E. Lee
and Declaration of Independence signers Francis "Lightfoot" Lee and
Richard Henry Lee. Special guests, speakers and attendees were
entertained by the Army's Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. Due to the
presence of dignitaries and the possibility of a presidential visit, the
event was managed under ICS. About 30 staff members, volunteers and
rangers from Shenandoah and Colonial supported the operation. Security
was provided by federal, state and county officers and rangers. There
were no incidents.
[Submitted by Ben Hansel, Incident Commander/Park
Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Thursday, May 15, 2003
Preparedness Level 2
There were 103 new fires yesterday. None escaped initial attack. The large fire in the Coronado NF was contained at 487 acres.
Fire Danger
| State |
5/10 |
5/11 |
5/12 |
5/13 |
5/14 |
5/15 |
| Arizona |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Colorado |
VX |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Kansas |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
| Minnesota |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| New Mexico |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Oklahoma |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Texas |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VH — Very high
EX — Extreme
VX — Very high to extreme
Fire Weather Watches and Warnings
No warnings or watches have been posted for today.
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
5/10 |
5/11 |
5/12 |
5/13 |
5/14 |
5/15 |
| Crews |
11 |
17 |
19 |
35 |
33 |
19 |
| Engines |
19 |
36 |
25 |
47 |
54 |
40 |
| Helicopters |
1 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
| Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Overhead |
434 |
429 |
433 |
483 |
489 |
445 |
National Team Commitments
| State |
Type Team |
Team IC |
Incident/Fire |
Acres |
Percent Contain |
Est Full Contain |
| AZ |
T2 |
Kvale |
A Bar Fire, Coronado NF |
457 |
100% |
5/14 |
Park Fire Situation
No reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
NPS History
National Park Ranger: An American Icon
This June, a new book will be published on National Park Service rangers. The book, entitled National Park Ranger: An American Icon, was written by Butch Farabee and will be published by Roberts Rinehart Publishers (ISBN 1-57098-392-5, $18.95 in paper). Through permission of both the author and publisher, excerpts will appear in the Morning Report and InsideNPS over coming months.
Butch Farabee is a retired NPS ranger whose career spanned four decades. He worked in nine parks, served as the National Park Service's SAR and EMS coordinator in Ranger Activities in WASO for several years, and was the 2001 recipient of the Service's Harry Yount Lifetime Achievement Award. His first book, Death, Daring and Disaster, is probably the definitive work on search and rescue in the National Park Service. It's also available from Roberts Rinehart Publishers.
The following is excerpted from the book's introduction.....
The National Park Ranger
"If a trail is to be blazed, send a ranger, if an animal is floundering in the snow, send a ranger, if a bear is in a hotel, send a ranger, if a fire threatens a forest, send a ranger, and if someone needs to be saved, send a ranger."
Stephen Mather, First Director, National Park Service
National Park Rangers are an amalgam of Jedi Knight, Favorite Teacher, and Smokey Bear. As stewards of our nation's treasures, they are heir to five thousand years of tradition: they celebrate this legacy with pride, reflect it with humility. It is a privilege to be called Ranger; but the title must be earned, gained through credibility, confidence, and ardor. Their reputation is hard won, they profit from those laboring before them: a rough mix of explorer, pioneer, conservationist, lawman, and teacher. Job Description alone does not make a ranger and they certainly are not one because a visitor says so. It is attitude and choice; a fervor for the resource and dedication to public service.
Some rangers do it all: protection, interpretation, and resource management as policeman, educator, fireman, manager, interpreter, rescuer, and all-around caretaker of our country's heritage. Others dedicate an entire career to one discipline like emergency response, environmental education, endangered animals, wilderness protection, or history. In some parks these men and women actually have broader responsibilities than almost anyone else within government. And, only with the exception of our country's elite military units, no group has as much talent, commitment, and passion as do those who proudly wear the "green and grey." They are a sentimental link between the "old West" and the "new...."
Like life itself, a ranger's day often seems to have more than its share of the ordinary and mundane: Screen applicants for a job. Attend meetings. Dig pit toilets. Build partnerships. Budget for the coming season. Pick up trash. Administer. Build. Clean. Coordinate. Critique. Fire. Hire. Inspect. Meet. Network. Patrol. Plan. Study. Supervise. Talk. Train. Write. They perform hundreds of common chores to maintain the park while helping people to enjoy it. Even in the routine, however, rangers are heroes. Not by saving a life, teaching a kid, or protecting a bear, but because they guard and perpetuate this country's irreplaceable natural and cultural treasures for generations yet unborn. They do it with skill, insight, and genuine passion and ... make it seem easy...
The Successful Ranger
...must be honest, courteous, and patient and at the same time firm, equal to emergencies, and of good judgment. He must be impartial to all, cognizant of his responsibilities, and loyal to the Service he represents. To find men in whom all of these qualifications are happily combined is not easy, but when once found they should be encouraged in every possible way, for when all is said and done it is the ranger, the man who deals more directly with the public than any other, that reflects the attitude of the Service he represents.
Yosemite Superintendent's Annual Report to the Director, 1918
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Virgin Islands National Park (VI)
GS-0408-9/11 Ecologist
The park is currently recruiting for a GS-0408-9/11 ecologist (database manager). This is a professional level staff position in the Division of Resource Management and Science in the Virgin Islands/Florida national parks inventory and monitoring cluster. The person selected for the position will serve as the database manager for the cluster's extensive natural resource inventory and monitoring (I&M) program and will be responsible for statistical consulting, I&M database management, data analysis, computer programming, computer system design, library management, and information and data exchange with the division, park system, and cooperating scientists and agencies. There are two announcements posted — a merit promotion vacancy announcement (VIIS-03-13) and an all sources announcement (WA172368-DM); both can be viewed at www.usajobs.opm.gov. For area information visit the park website at www.nps.gov/viis or the area at www.usvi.gov. The closing date is June 5th.
[Submitted by Nancy Wilson, Human Resources Officer]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.