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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT BLACKBERRY EDITION Thursday, May 4, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Katmai NP&P Two Men Charged With Illegally Killing Bears Two men have each been charged with illegally killing two brown bears in Katmai National Preserve in late July 2004. An investigation by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Alaska State Troopers, and the State of Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory determined that the four brown bears at issue were illegally killed along Funnel Creek near Mirror Lake and were left to rot in violation of federal regulations. None of the meat, hides, or skulls were salvaged, according to court records. Two men in their 20s from Kokhanok, a village along Iliamna Lake, have been charged with taking wildlife in a national preserve in violation of National Park Service regulations. The case has been deemed particularly significant because it represents the largest known number of brown bears killed by poachers in a single incident in national parks in Alaska. While hunting is allowed in Katmai National Preserve, NPS regulations incorporate the hunting laws and regulations of the State of Alaska to control hunting there. The charges against the two men are based upon regulatory violations for hunting the bears during a closed season and failing to salvage the skulls and hides of the bears. Each violation is punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. The case also involved two juveniles who were previously prosecuted by the State of Alaska's Department of Law for offenses that included the illegal killing of a different bear in Katmai National Preserve. [United States Attorney's Office, District of Alaska] Petrified Forest NP Pair Arrested for Drug Possession, Fraud and Identity Theft On April 10th, a ranger working the late shift saw a vehicle enter the park's north entrance after regular visiting hours. After stopping it, the ranger saw an open container of alcohol in plain view and scented the odor of an alcoholic beverage. A second ranger was called to the scene to assist with a search of the vehicle. The search led to the discovery and seizure of a plastic bag with white powder, drug paraphernalia, and several file folders and journals that were also in plain view in an open backpack. The latter contained personal information on about 50 people. Neither of the vehicle's occupants could explain whey they had this information in their possession, so the Apache County sheriff's drug task force was called in to lead an investigation. The two people were arrested and are being held in the county jail on five felony counts - possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and fraudulent schemes. [Greg Caffey, Chief Ranger] Shenandoah NP Search and Rescue, Life Saved On the evening of Saturday, April 29th, a park employee reported that her 65-year-old husband was overdue from his hike on the Jeremy's Run Trail in the park's North District. Concerns for his welfare were amplified by the rough terrain in the area and by the fact that he was known to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Over the course of that night, more than 20 searchers from the park conducted hasty searches and set in place containment blockades while overhead team members prepared for a larger search on Sunday. By mid-day on April 30th, more than 100 people from all park divisions were involved in the search. Several clues led searchers to the summit of Knob Mountain, where the man was found off trail at 5:15 p.m. He was able to walk part of the way out, then was placed on a litter and carried the remaining distance over the next two hours. Although he spent the next two days in the hospital being treated for renal failure and dehydration, as of this date he has made a complete recovery. [Dixon Freeland, North District Ranger] OTHER NEWS Links to stories for those of you who are within the NPS… Article on Police Week events: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=4421" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=4421 * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |