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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Wednesday, October 11, 2006 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Canyon de Chelly NM Scout Leader Pleads Guilty To Entering Sacred Site On October 6th, W.S., 58, of Texas, pled guilty in federal court to entering canyons in the park without a guide and to entering archeological ruins. He was sentenced to a year's unsupervised probation, during which time he is banned from all national park areas in Arizona, and a $1,500 fine. According to the affidavit, on August 22, 2005, W.S., an associate director for the Cub Scout Division of the Boy Scouts of America, was observed by park visitors entering Yucca Cave, an inner canyon archeological site that contains Native American ruins dating back to 750 A.D., including a kiva (a religious structure), ancient habitation architecture, and rock art. The cave is considered sacred by both the Navajo and Hopi peoples. "This was an excellent cooperative effort between park rangers and archeologists, a National Park Service special agent, and the U.S. Attorney's Office," said Elaine F. Leslie, the park's acting superintendent. "Hopefully, this case will help educate visitors to our national parks and all archeological sites on federal and tribal lands to respect these important historical and cultural treasures." The investigation in this case was conducted by an NPS special agent and park rangers. The prosecution was handled by Camille D. Bibles, assistant U.S. attorney, District of Arizona, Flagstaff. [Elaine Leslie, Acting Superintendent] Hot Springs NP Taser Employed In Arrest Following Chase Ranger Jeff Johnson was on patrol on the afternoon of September 29th when he encountered four young men at the Shelter House on North Mountain. All were yelling and laughing loudly. When contacted, they said that they were smoking salvia divinorum, a ‘legal drug' that they'd obtained from a local ‘head shop,' which had made them high. Johnson attempted to identify the four men. One gave a false name and a social security number that came back to a woman. Johnson attempted to detain him until he could positively identify him, but the man broke free, told Johnson he wasn't going to comply, and began running for the nearby woods. Johnson used his taser on the man's torso and leg, incapacitating him. The man slid about 15 feet on a grassy area and was taken into custody without incident. He was then taken by ambulance to a local hospital, treated and released to law enforcement officials. He was found to have two no-bond warrants posted against him by two separate Arkansas law enforcement agencies. He was cited for providing false information, fleeing and failure to obey a lawful order. For a link to the Wikipedia entry on salvia divinorum, click on HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_divinorum" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_divinorum . [Dennis Stock, Chief Ranger] NEWS Yukon-Charley Rivers NP - A military recovery team, assisted by an NPS historian, traveled to a remote site in the park this past August in an effort to find remains of members of the air crew of a B-24 Liberator that crashed there in 1943. HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=4839" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=4839 Structural Fire Program - This week is Fire Prevention Week. On each day, InsideNPS will carry a link to a newsletter addressing a topic pertaining to fire safety. Today's concerns residential smoke alarms and washer and dryer fire safety. HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=4841" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=4841 MEDIA Glacier NP - The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway wants to lob artillery shells into mountain-goat habitat inside the park to help control winter avalanches. HYPERLINK "http://www.startribune.com/484/story/726961.html" http://www.startribune.com/484/story/726961.html PEOPLE Great Sand Dunes NP&P - Art Hutchinson, who has been with the NPS for 17 years, has been selected as the next superintendent of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. He will assume his new responsibilities on November 26th. HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1339" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1339 Florissant Fossil Beds NM - Nineteen-year National Park Service veteran Keith Payne has been named superintendent of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1334" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1334 JOBS Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP's - The parks are currently recruiting for two highly-motivated GS-9 park rangers. They will work out of the Grant Grove Subdistrict - one position is permanent year-round and the other is permanent subject-to-furlough, with a furlough period not expected to exceed one month. HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Jobs&id=2525" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Jobs&id=2525 * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |