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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, December 14, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Haleakala NP Repairs To Storm Damage Continue The winter storm that hit the Hawaiian parks last week forced closures and caused damage in the park's summit area. Power and phones were finally restored around noon on Tuesday after six days without either service. The Summit Visitor Center and restrooms had been closed due to both the power failure and water damage. Wind gusts of 80 mph tore roofing off of the summit observation building, and large amounts of rain flooded the Sliding Sands Trail and left the pathway destroyed. The trail will remain closed due to safety concerns. Crews are assessing wilderness cabins for damage. Permits are being issued into the wilderness for Holua Cabin only. Backpackers can enter the wilderness via the Supply Trail by Hosmer Grove. Hosmer Grove Campground and Nature Trail are open. Campers are advised to check in at the visitor center for weather updates. All visitor facilities were open as of Wednesday. Additional information can be obtained by calling the main park line at 808-572-4400. [Dominic Cardea, Public Affairs Officer] Delaware Water Gap NRA Hunting Season Marked By Arrests, Accidental Shooting Rangers dealt with a number of significant incidents during the fall hunting seasons in the park (hunting is permitted by law within Delaware Water Gap): November 29th - A small game hunter in New Jersey shot a pheasant. When he rested his still-loaded shotgun against a tree and went over to pick up the bird, the shotgun fell to the ground and discharged, hitting him in the lower leg. Other hunters and rangers Mike Fernalld, Joe Hinkes, and Chris Kross arrived on scene within minutes, with the rangers providing medical treatment. The hunter was flown to an area hospital and is recovering. December 1st - Ranger Don Philpot and Sandy Hook rangers Mike Klubek (FTR) and Chad Horne (trainee) were running a decoy operation in Pennsylvania around 8 a.m. when they saw a beer can being thrown from the window of a pickup truck traveling down the road. The rangers contacted the driver/hunter and found him to also be in possession of marijuana. On that same morning, the rangers saw another hunter exit his vehicle and run down the roadway with a loaded rifle, then stop and shoot at the decoy from the road. Each hunter was cited for numerous state and federal violations. December 3rd - Ranger Chris Kross contacted a hunter sitting in his vehicle in the New Jersey District. The hunter had a rolled up $20 bill in one hand and was in the process of dumping a bag of a white powdery substance on his center console. He admitted to having already ingested one bag of heroin that morning and was found to be in possession of eight more bags of heroin. He was arrested and cited on multiple state and federal charges, including gunning under the influence, OUI, and possession of a controlled substance. December 8th - Delaware Water Gap and Sandy Hook rangers ran decoy operations during the day in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Ranger Nate Bungard saw a Dodge pickup approach a decoy near Old Mine Road in New Jersey late that morning. The front seat passenger fired a round of buckshot at it from inside the truck out the driver's side window. Bungard found that both the driver and the passenger were drinking at the time and had open containers of beer in the truck. They were charged with numerous violations, including use of a vehicle to aid in hunting, shooting from a vehicle, shooting across a roadway, possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle, and possessing open containers of alcohol. Meanwhile, a hunter on the Pennsylvania side of the park shot at another decoy from within his vehicle. He was charged with multiple violations.
[Chris Kross, Kittatinny Supervisory Ranger] OTHER NEWS The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS (internal) or NPS Digest (external): Office of Public Affairs - Ornaments from almost every park in the system are hanging from the White House Christmas tree this season. Two new web sites have been developed with images of them - the NPS has a page with individual photos and the White House has a slideshow. Links are provided. HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6073" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6073 National Partnership Office - This year's "Share the Experience" photo contest, the official photo contest of the Federal Recreation Lands program, will soon be coming to an end. December 31st is the final day for contestants to submit their entries. HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6067" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6067 Blue Ridge Parkway - District Ranger Bruce Bytnar will retire on January 3rd after more than 32 years of service as a ranger with the National Park Service. Photo included. HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1765" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1765 Training Calendar - A listing of upcoming training courses offered by both the NPS and its partners across the nation. Today's listing includes new entries for an introduction to park program management course at Mount Rainier, an interdisciplinary resource protection and law course in San Antonio, and an EMT refresher in Needles, California. HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775 Events Calendar - Today's listing of upcoming NPS and NPS-related events. New on this week's calendar is an entry for the national concessions conference that will be held in Los Angeles in February - the first such conference in ten years. HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=776" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=776 * * * * * 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 ( Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828). --- ### --- |