The Morning Report for Friday, May 06, 2005

INCIDENTS

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (MO)
Park Closed During Search for Fleeing Felon

Republic Police Department officers pursuing a fleeing felon on the afternoon of May 4th ended up at the entrance to the visitor center parking lot. A woman was arrested at the scene, while 24-year-old G.R. escaped into the park. A multi-agency search employing ground searchers and tracking dogs was begun. The park was closed and visitors were evacuated, including several school groups. The search was called off after about two hours, but the park remained closed for the remainder of the day. Chief ranger John Sutton coordinated the evacuation and assisted in the search. At 6:20 p.m., a person matching G.R.'s description was seen near abandoned farm buildings adjacent to the park's southwest boundary. Sutton responded and assisted Christian County officers in a search. G.R. was then reported fleeing across a nearby field. A search of woods and fields by officers and tracking dogs continued until 9:45 p.m., when the search was called off. G.R. is still at large. He is wanted on a variety of drug charges. A portable methamphetamine laboratory and drugs were discovered in the back of his car during an impound search. The park reopened for normal operations the next morning.
[Submitted by John M. Sutton, Chief Ranger]

Manzanar National Historic Site (CA)
Special Event: Annual Pilgrimage

Over the month of April, Manzanar NHS hosted a series of special events in conjunction with the 36th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage on April 30th. From April 8th through May 1st, the park hosted the "Reflections of Manzanar" art show. Sponsored by the Manzanar History Association, the show featured 92-year-old former internee and watercolorist Henry Fukuhara and 46 other artists. On April 29th, the NPS hosted an "open house," where park managers met with visitors to discuss programs and projects at Manzanar. Events on the day of the pilgrimage itself included:

a book signing for the new edition of Born Free and Equal, Ansel Adams' 1944 work profiling life in Manzanar;
the Manzanar Committee's 36th Annual Pilgrimage Ceremony, featuring guest speakers, music, an interfaith religious service, and a traditional Japanese Ondo community dance;
the Wall of America Art Project, which allowed visitors to express themselves artistically on a Manzanar mural;
a memorial service for former internee Harry Ueno; and
the Manzanar At Dusk (MAD) program, which included a film and discussion program geared to college students and others.

During the day, rangers and volunteers presented talks and programs around the site. There was one minor medical incident. Five hundred people, including numerous former internees, attended the Pilgrimage ceremony. More than 2,000 people visited the park's new interpretive center over the weekend, and more than 80,000 have visited since its April 2004 opening. The park staff was assisted by 17 Manzanar volunteers and two Death Valley protection rangers.
[Submitted by Alisa Lynch, Chief of Interpretation]

Christiansted National Historic Site (VI)
Special Event: Half Ironman Race

The annual St. Croix Half Ironman race was held on the grounds of Christiansted NHS on Sunday, May 1st. About 800 participants from around the world competed in a qualifying event for the full Ironman race, which is stagged in Hawaii. In addition to the half Ironman, there was also a sprint triathalon, which is an abbreviated version of a full triathalon. The start-finish line and the transition portions of the race were on park grounds, while the race took place in the harbor and along the streets of St. Croix. This is the single biggest event of its kind that takes place on the island.
[Submitted by John R. Wilkins, Chief Ranger]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Situation Highlights — Friday, May 6, 2005

Preparedness Level 1

Initial attack was light on Thursday. Only five of the 134 newly-reported fires escaped initial attack and became large fires — three in the East and two in the South. Two of them have been contained.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Texas.

Weather Forecast

In Alaska, high pressure will continue over the interior with some moisture south of the Alaska Range. In the Southwest, gusty winds are expected in most areas as a storm system begins to push in from the west. These gusty winds will also extend into the southern and central Plains. In the Southeast, high pressure will bring generally dry weather except for some rain along the Atlantic Coast

Warnings and Watches

No warnings or watches have been issued for today.

NPS Fires

For a brief supplemental narrative on each fire, click on the bar with the arrow. Internal NPS readers can link directly to full reports on each fire by clicking on the notepad icon; public readers of the Morning Report can obtain similar information by going to http://www.nps.gov/fire/news

No updates on National Park Service fires have been received since yesterday.

National/State Team Commitments

Newly listed fires (on this report) appear below in boldface. Changes in the status of a fire (type of team, change from a fire to a complex, etc.) are also noted in boldface.

Fires are sorted by type of team; teams are listed in alphabetical order within each type by the IC's last name.

State	Agency	Team	IC	Fire and Location	5/6	5/7	% Con	Est Con

MN	USFS	2	On order	Mississippi Meadows, Chippewa NM	600	----	10	5/6

National Resource Commitments

Day	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Date	5/1	5/2	5/3	5/4	5/5	5/6	5/7

Crews	4	9	7	8	15	10
Engines	29	10	12	14	41	71
Helicopters	5	3	4	4	3	8
Air Tankers	0	0	0	0	0	0
Overhead	68	27	46	54	62	88

Further Information

This report is meant to present just highlights of the current fire situation. Two other NIFC sites provide much greater detail:

Full NIFC Situation Report (PDF file) — http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
National Fire News — http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html

Information on NPS Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) and on park fires can be found at:
FAM — http://www.nps.gov/fire
Park fires — http://www.nps.gov/fire/news

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Servicewide
Upcoming Training Calendar

UPCOMING TRAINING

This listing is updated every Friday. It is not meant to replace any of the various training center calendars — just to augment them and provide a heads-up on new training courses. Please submit information to Bill Halainen. New listings and revisions are in bold face.

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

May 16 — May 20

High Angle Rope Rescue Training, New River Gorge NR, Fayetteville, WV. This course is designed for persons who are tasked with responding to calls of injured or stranded visitors in a steep, high angle environment. Students can range from beginners to intermediate — everyone will benefit. Students and instructors will be camping out at the Burnwood Ranger Station area, located on the rim of the New River Gorge. Showers will be provided. This will not only help in keeping the costs down, but will serve as a good logistical location for any night exercises. Students need to bring their own personal rescue/climbing gear including a comfortable sit harness, rappel device, carabiners, helmet, and gloves. All students need to be in good physical condition. There will be extended periods of hanging on a fixed rope in an exposed environment. A direct email from your supervisor will be sufficient for the nomination. (Note: This training will be held prior to, and in conjunction with, a climbers rendezvous sponsored by the New River Alliance of Climbers and the Access Fund. Special presentations by nationally recognized climbers have been incorporated into this training. Equipment demos, climbing workshops, and competitions will be held the weekend following the training, May 20th to 22nd). Please direct all questions and correspondence to Rob Turan at 304-763-3145 ex 15. fax # 304-465-6559, or at rob_turan@nps.gov.

May 16 — May 20

Tactical Tracking Operations Level 1, Little River Canyon NP. The Tactical Tracking Operations School will conduct a level one tactical tracking class near the park that will cover basic tracking techniques, tracking team formations, tactics, camouflage, cover shoot and more. For more information, contact Jimmy Dunn at 256-997-9239 or jimmy_dunn@nps.gov.

May 23 — May 27

Fundamentals of Special Park Uses, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV. The 36-hour course, listed as VRPSPU3003 on My Learning Manager, covers all aspects of special park uses, from First Amendment to filming and photography to wireless telecommunication sites. Temporary food services and other health and safety issues related to special park uses will also be discussed. DO-53/RM-53, 36 CFR and NPS Management Policies (2001) will be covered in depth. A draft agenda is posted on the special park uses page. For more information, contact Lee Dickinson, WASO special park uses program manager, at 202-513-7092. For an agenda, go to http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=185&id=3225

May 24 — May 26

Midwest Cemetery Monument Conservation Workshop, Omaha, NE. The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training has scheduled its third workshop on the conservation of cemetery monuments. The program will include a three-day, hands-on learning experience in cemetery and materials conservation. Partners include the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center and the Midwest Regional Office of the National Park Service. A lecture and a hands-on session on metal conservation will also be added to this year's training. For more information, contact Mary F. Striegel at 318-356-7444 or mary_striegel@nps.gov.

June 6 — June 10

First Responder (6/6 — 6/10) and First Responder Refresher (6/9 — 6/10), Daytona Beach Community College, New Smyrna Beach, FL. The course meets national standards. Tuition is $125 for the full course, $40 for the refresher. The closing date is May 20th. For more information, contact Wayne Rose at Canaveral NS at 321-861-8674.

June 14 — August 30

Criminal Investigator Training (CITP-535X), FLETC, Glynco, GA. See My Learning Manager for the announcement. Closes on May 6th.

June 14 — June 24

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training Summer Institute, Natchitoches, LA. Includes courses in preservation engineering that offer participants fieldwork using nationally significant structures in the Cane River region of Louisiana where NCPTT is headquartered. For more information, contact Andy Ferrell at 318-356-7444 or Andrew_ferrell@nps.gov .

June 20 — June 24

Law Enforcement Advanced Interviewing (LEAINTP-505), FLETC, Glynco, GA. See My Learning Manager for the announcement. Closes on May 9th.

June 28 — July 1

"Cumulative Impact Analysis: Supporting the NPS Mission," NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV. Experts in the practice and theory of cumulative impact analyses will present case law, case studies and background on the requirements and policies as defined by the National Environmental Policy Act, Council on Environmental Quality regulations, and NPS Director's Order 12, "Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analyses and Decision-Making." Interested participants can apply through My Learning Manager for this course under NRS3021. There is no tuition and the application deadline is May 20th. For more information about the course contact Madelyn Carpenter at 202-513-7250.

September 13 — September 15

Capital Investments for Design and Construction, Carlsbad, CA. This course will cover preparation of PMIS entries, risk management, value based decisions, budgeting constraints, scoping, estimating, schematic design, pre-design, and Development Advisory Board review to manage and lead a capital construction investment related to the line item construction program. Complete and send nomination form to the employee development officer in your region or program center no later than Friday, June 6th. For more information, contact Kathy Hayden at 303-969-2420 or via email at Kathy_Hayden@nps.gov.

Servicewide
Upcoming Conference/Meetings Calendar

UPCOMING EVENTS

This listing is updated every Friday. Please submit information to Bill Halainen. New listings and revisions are in bold face.

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

May 26 — May 28

Conference on African Americans and the Civil War (CAACW), Petersburg, VA. The purpose of the conference is to examine the impact the Civil War has had on African American culture from the 1860s to the present. The conference will include papers by leading academics, a folklore program focusing o African American music and dance, an education program for high school students, and tours to highlight the cultural and historical assets of the Petersburg area. Information about the CAACW and a registration form are available on the conference's web site (www.caacw.org ). For more information, contact Ann Blumenschine at Petersburg NB at 804-732-3531 ext. 203.

June 4 — June 8

International Heritage Development Conference, Nashville, TN. The conference will highlight the relationships between heritage development and economic development through field trips, special events and educational sessions that showcase best practices, public-private partnerships, and the use of exemplary heritage tools. Conference sessions will convene heritage development professionals, local historic resource stakeholders, economic development professionals, chambers of commerce, planners, park agencies, non-profit organizations, and elected officials to share and discuss experiences and strategies. For more information, a preliminary program, and to register, visit www.ihdc2005.org .

August 26 — August 27

Rocky Mountain National Park Old-Timers and Employees Reunion, Estes Park Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Estes Park, CO. There will be a special program on Friday night at the Beaver Meadows VC, a free park bus tour on Saturday morning, and a banquet on Saturday evening. The cost for the latter is $30 per person. RSVP for dinner by sending a check made out to the Rocky Mountain Nature Association to Lynn Marquez, Rocky Mountain NP, 1000 Highway 36, Estes Park, CO 80517. Fore more information or to reserve a seat on the bus tour, call her at 970-586-1295 or email her at lynn_marquez@nps.gov .

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Alaska Region
Helfrich Named Superintendent of WEAR

George Helfrich has been named as superintendent of Western Arctic National Parklands, a group of national park units in northwest Alaska, with headquarters in Kotzebue. A veteran park manager, Helfrich has most recently been superintendent at Fort Laramie National Historic Site in Wyoming and acting superintendent at Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas.

His appointment to the Kotzebue post was announced earlier this month by NPS Alaska Regional Director Marcia Blaszak. "George is new to Alaska, but brings excellent management skills, experience in living in remote locations, and a strong background in working with local residents on park-related issues." When asked about the new assignment Helfrich said, "The parks have tremendous natural and cultural history, and it's an honor to be selected as the superintendent. I look forward to working with the staffs, the Native peoples, and the many others who are interested in the conservation of the areas."

Before joining the National Park Service, Helfrich worked for concession companies in numerous national park units including Grand Canyon, Big Bend, Death Valley, Zion and Bryce Canyon. From 1985-1988, he worked for TW Services (now Xanterra, Inc.) in Yellowstone National Park, managing the Old Faithful Inn and Old Faithful Snowlodge. From 1991 - 1993, Helfrich served as a United States Peace Corps volunteer at the University College of Belize where he taught writing and literature.

Helfrich, 53, holds a Master of Education in teaching English from Montana State University and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of Colorado. He is married to Joy Wilkins Helfrich, a mental health therapist at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, NE. They have one son, Paul, who is seven years old.

The Western Arctic National Parklands group includes Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Kobuk Valley National Park, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Noatak National Preserve.
[Submitted by John Quinley, john_quinley@nps.gov, 907-644-3512]

* * * * * * * * * *

Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found by clicking here. 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 Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.