NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, August 17, 2007

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INCIDENTS

Caribbean Parks

Preparations Underway For Hurricane Dean

Hurricane Dean, which this morning is a Category Two storm with winds over 100 mph, is headed for the eastern Caribbean. Parks in that region are accordingly making preparations:

Virgin Islands NP - The park has implemented ICS. Employees have been notified of storm forecasts and preliminary emergency plans are being put into effect. Preparations include shuttering of park residences and facilities. All boats are being secured, except for one that will be used for emergency purposes if necessary. The park's incident management team will meet again at 2 p.m. today to assess the storm's activity.

Salt River Bay NHP - Management staff met with employees on the afternoon of August 15th and are engaged in preliminary emergency preparations. The park has so far moved about 75% of visitor vessels out of its waters and has also shutdown operations at visitor contact stations. Park staff are securing buildings and grounds. Sandbags are being utilized to prevent flooding of park residences and buildings, particularly buildings housing exhibits. Park personnel will meet again today at 3 p.m. to assess the storm's projected track and intensity.

San Juan NHS - Management and division chiefs met yesterday morning and put the park's hurricane plan into effect. Preparatory activities include securing buildings and grounds. Management will meet again today to assess the storm's projected track and intensity.

[Jeff Brice, NPS Assistant Coordinator, Southern Area Coordination Center]

Isle Royale NPS

Concession Seaplane Makes Forced Landing

The park's five-passenger concession seaplane experienced a mechanical failure while en route from the island to the mainland, 60 miles away, just after 1 p.m. on Monday, August 13th. The plane was eight miles offshore at the time, so the pilot turned back and landed safely under power near West Caribou Island in the 15-mile-long Rock Harbor Channel. Skies were clear at the time, with a light east wind and relatively calm waters. The pilot notified the park of the situation via marine radio and rangers Peter Maggio and Marshall Plumer responded from seven miles away in their 23-foot patrol boat. Moose/wolf biologist Rolf Peterson, who was in a small skiff in the area, provided immediate assistance by taking one of the bow float lines and towing the plane to keep it from being blown to shore. The plane's four passengers were off-loaded into the park's patrol boat, and the rangers then towed the seaplane to park headquarters on Mott Island, where it was secured with the assistance of staff there. The passengers and pilot were later transported from the island to Copper Harbor on the mainland via the concession ferry vessel Isle Royale Queen IV. The plane was returned to the mainland on Wednesday aboard the park's 165-foot Ranger III. The Ranger III crew employed the ship's on-board crane to lift the plane onto the forward cargo deck. They were assisted in unloading the plane in Houghton by the crew of a vessel from the Coast Guard's Portage Station. It was then towed by the Coast Guard and park vessels to a landing, where it was pulled out of the water for repairs. Logistics were coordinated by chief of maintenance Keith Butler, chief ranger Larry Kangas, and Bill Hanrahan, captain of Ranger III. [Larry Kangas, Chief Ranger]

Yosemite NP

Marijuana Gardens Raided

On Monday, August 13th, rangers located and seized 7,428 mature marijuana plants from three gardens in the park, all part of the same growing operation. The value of the marijuana plants is estimated at about $22 million. A number of agencies cooperated in Monday's multi-agency operation - several national parks, the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office, the Army National Guard, and the California Department of Justice's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP). The illegal cultivation sites bore the characteristics of a Mexican drug trafficking enterprise, including a sophisticated watering system and use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. The growing operation resulted in considerable natural resource destruction. Yosemite National Park, along with other national parks in California, is taking an aggressive stand against growing marijuana on park lands. “This is an unacceptable activity that will not be tolerated in Yosemite National Park”, said acting superintendent Kevin Cann. “We will work with the Justice Department on these cases to ensure that marijuana cultivation does not get established in Yosemite and that the park remains safe for visitors.” The park's strategy is to completely deny access to marijuana growers. Chief ranger Steve Shackelton said that the park is maintaining a “full court press” on the Mexican organizations that have extended their network of marijuana gardens throughout the Sierra Nevada. The park is working with several California counties, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, and other national parks to mount a comprehensive campaign against the California-based crime families that often use illiterate and financially desperate Mexican nationals to do the actual cultivation. “For years we've been seeing these people make millions of dollars in profit while they devastate the environment on private property and California's majestic public lands,” said Shackelton. “They destroy habitat, pollute streams with poisons and nitrogen fertilizers, kill wildlife, and pose a fire threat. The only thing missing is public outrage.” [Adrienne Freeman, Public Affairs Officer]

Yellowstone NP

Concession Employee Killed In Auto Accident

An employee of Xanterra Parks & Resorts was killed in a single-vehicle rollover accident near the Old Faithful interchange at approximately 7:30 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, August 15th. J.S., 27, from Grand Ledge, Michigan, was driving in the Old Faithful area when his vehicle left the road, rolled, then hit a tree, trapping him inside. Rangers and emergency response personnel found him unresponsive and without a pulse. Extrication equipment and personnel were required to access and recover his body. A motor vehicle accident reconstruction specialist from the Wyoming Highway Patrol is assisting rangers with the investigation. This is the first fatal accident in Yellowstone National Park this year. [Public Affairs]

Devils Tower NM

Sturgis Rally Visitor Influx Managed Under ICS

The week of August 6th to August 10th marked the 67th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Nearly 12,000 people visited the park, more than double the normal figure. Staff from every park division, including campground hosts, volunteers and history association staff, were involved in activities ranging from garbage pickup, fee collection and parking to interpretive programs and EMS responses. Additional protection rangers were brought in from Mount Rushmore, Bighorn Canyon, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain. A fire truck from Wind Cave and an engine boss from Badlands were stationed at the park in the event of a wildfire. The Christian Motorcycle Association returned for their 13th rally to handle parking an estimated 8,500 motorcycles over the course of the week. Without this additional help, the park could not have safely handled the high influx of visitation and would like to thank everyone involved. Although park visitation doubled, there was only one minor EMS response within the park. Rangers made numerous visitor contacts, informing people about the current open burning ban, smoking on trails, dogs on trails and motorcycles on the paved tower trail. Climbing activity on the tower was also unusually high. The event was handled using ICS. Chief ranger Dona Rutherford serving as IC. [Taryn Flesjer, Acting Chief of Resource Management]

Agate Fossil Beds NM/Hubbell Trading Post NHS

Felony Indictments Filed In Thefts From Two Parks

M.G., 51, and his brother G.G., 45, have been indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado for transporting items stolen from Hubbell Trading Post in Arizona to the state of Colorado and for transporting items stolen from Agate Fossil Beds in Nebraska to the state of Colorado. They've also been charged with aiding, abetting, counseling, inducing and procuring each other's participation in these offenses. The two men could be sentenced to 10 years and up to $250,000 on each of the two counts. For more information, go to this news article

HYPERLINK "http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/july/073007jch_hblareabrglrs.html" http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/july/073007jch_hblareabrglrs.html . [Brian O'Dea, Special Agent]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories (among others) can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites are, respectively, HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ and ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/).

* Dave Schuller is the new NER chief of safety.

* Wilson's Creek is advertising for a visitor use assistant.

* Big Thicket is advertising for an info tech specialist.

* This week's training calendar is out. New courses include the FY 08 NPS Fundamentals offerings.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828).

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