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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, January 26, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Redwood N&SP Mountain Lion Attacks Hiker On the afternoon of January 24th, a mountain lion attacked one of two adults hiking in the Prairie Creek area of Redwood National and State Parks. The man and his wife were able to fend off the lion after a protracted struggle which included stabbing the lion in the eye with a pen. They then walked out to the roadway where park staff discovered and assisted them. The man had significant wounds and can likely attribute his survival to the presence and actions of his wife. He was transported to the hospital were he underwent reconstructive surgery and is ICU doing well. The area was closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. California Department of Fish and Game responded and is investigating along with staff from the parks. [Rosie White, Park Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-cougars26jan26,1,5982536.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california" http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-cougars26jan26,1,5982536.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california Haleakala NP Smoke From Wildfire Forces VC Closure Intense, caustic smoke from a fire on neighboring state land forced a closure of Haleakala National Park's summit visitor center on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. (local time). Wind shifts funneled the smoke column from the Polipoli State Park fire up the ridge of Haleakala and over the summit, completely enveloping the backcountry and crater wilderness. Visibility dropped to less than 100 feet. The closure was made to assure the long-term safety and health of both staff and visitors. The Headquarters Visitor Center at 7,000 feet remains open. Ranger programs and demonstrations have been moved to the headquarters area and Hosmer Grove. The summit area and backcountry remain open to the public, but the park is recommending that visitors not go beyond headquarters. [Dominic Cardea, Chief of Interpretation] OTHER NEWS Other news from today's edition of InsideNPS, the National Park Service's home page: Glacier Bay - Harbor seals in Alaska's Glacier Bay have seen a dramatic decline in recent years, and biologists aren't sure why. DOI - The Department of the Interior newspaper, People, Land and Water, is now available on-line. FLETC - The Ranger Honor Guard has extended its application deadline until February 17th. Mississippi National River - Paul Labovitz, program manager for the Midwest Region Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA), has been selected as the park's new superintendent. Gulf Islands - The park is currently recruiting for a GS-12 park ranger (protection). The person in this position will serve as the district ranger for the Florida district. Training Calendar - Today's summary includes this year's Gilder Lehrman Institute history seminars, seven new inland SAR training courses at locations across the country, two wilderness management courses, a fee supervisors training course, an introduction to park program management course, a fixed assets subsystem class, interview and interrogation training and an annual LE refresher. To link to InsideNPS, click on HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ * * * * * Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA. --- ### --- |