NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

BLACKBERRY EDITION

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

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INCIDENTS

Whiskeytown NRA

Multi-Agency Warrant Sweep

During the period from January 17th to January 19th, protection rangers and officers from the NPS (Whiskeytown NRA and Lassen Volcanic NP), the U.S. Forest Service (Shasta-Trinity, Mendicino and Klamath National Forests) and the Bureau of Land Management (Redding, Ukiah, and Alturas Field Offices) conducted a warrant sweep in northern California and southern Oregon, issuing outstanding federal warrants from the U.S. District Court in Redding, California. A total of nine two-person teams fanned out through the surrounding counties to serve over 150 warrants. More than 40 people were brought into court for appearance in front of the magistrate judge; several others, after receiving notice that law enforcement rangers were looking for them, either voluntarily came down to the court building or contacted the court clerk's office to make arrangements to appear before the judge. The federal magistrate cleared his court calendar for the three-day operation and was available to hear the cases as they came in. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshal's court officer, who served as an intake officer at the holding facility located at the district courthouse and assisted with the escort of persons who were in custody from the holding cells to the courtroom The operation also served to strengthen the inter-agency cooperation and professional working relationships among the three land management agencies, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. District Court. [Andy Zavanelli, Chief Ranger]

Padre Island NS

Poaching Conviction

In 2004, rangers received a report from park visitors of a man with a gun on South Beach near the 18 mile marker who was covered in blood. The responding rangers found the man and his vehicle. The man was wearing a holster on his belt and the vehicle had blood in it. A rifle and a pistol were recovered from the vehicle. A search of the area by park employees and a Navy aircraft led to the discovery of a field-dressed deer about 200 yards from the man's vehicle. A follow-up investigation by rangers and Texas Parks & Wildlife game wardens matched a bullet recovered from the deer to the rifle found in the vehicle and blood from the suspect's clothing to the dead deer. The man was charged in state court with taking of wildlife without the consent of the landowner. In late 2005, he pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced to five years probation and fined $10,000. [Randy Larson, Chief Ranger]

Olympic NP

Pedestrian Killed in Accident

The driver of a Ford pickup truck lost control of his vehicle on a curve on Hurricane Ridge Road in slippery conditions on the afternoon of January 14th. The truck left the road and hit two unoccupied vehicles and a 61-year-old woman who was on foot. The woman was taken to the hospital with a broken femur and internal injuries, but died while en route. The investigation continues. [Tim Simonds, Chief Ranger]

Saint-Gaudens NHS

Fatal Automobile Accident

A Cornish town employee noticed a damaged Ford Explorer overturned and partially submerged in Blow-Me-Down Pond around 10:30 a.m. on January 20th. The pond, which is within the park, is adjacent to New Hampshire Route 12A. The vehicle was not easily visible from the road because of the guard rail and height of the bank. Police were called by the town employee and the driver's body was found inside. According to the state police investigation, the accident probably occurred around 6:30 p.m. the previous evening. Icy roads are believed to be a probable cause of the accident, as there were two minor incidents nearby about that time where cars went off the road because of the icy pavement. The driver, a 27-year-old Lebanon man, apparently lost control of his vehicle, which hit and flipped over the guard rail, landing in the pond. The incident was investigated by the state police and Cornish PD. [Gregory C. Schwarz, Chief of Visitor Services]

Jean Lafitte NHP

Fuel Spill

On Saturday, January 14th, the 60-foot long tug Cory Michael was transporting the Cross-15, a work barge, west along mile marker twelve of the Intarcoastal Waterway. As the tug and barge passed under the Lafitte-Larosse Bridge around 11 a.m., equipment on the barge struck the bridge, causing damage to both bridge and barge. A 500-gallon portable diesel fuel container and a 77-foot section of steel I-beam were also knocked overboard. Protection rangers returning from a boat patrol came upon the scene almost immediately afterward and assisted by directing spill containment efforts, notifying the Coast Guard and other agencies, and collected evidence and information. The section of waterway was closed to commercial shipping for eight hours until it was determined the objects knocked overboard did not pose a risk to boat traffic. A maximum of 250 gallons of diesel fuel was discharged, with only a small amount recovered. The US Coast Guard is the lead investigative agency and charges are likely to be filed against the tug boat captain. [Leigh Zahm, Supervisory Park Ranger]

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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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