NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Glen Canyon NRA
Fire Destroys Concessioner Dormitory
Park dispatch received a call regarding a fire in progress at the Wahweap concession employee housing area at 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 6th. Responding firefighters arrived to find Dormitory #1 engulfed in flames. The building housed 21 occupants and 20 were soon accounted for. The missing person, who was unconscious inside the building, was quickly found and rescued by park and city of Page firefighters, taken to Page Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, then flown by helicopter to Flagstaff Medical Center. The concessioner, Aramark/Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas, has five dorm buildings at this location. Residents displaced by the fire have been accommodated in other dorms. Park firefighters were supported by the Page and Greenehaven fire departments. The fire has been contained. The cause is unknown and an investigation is being conducted. [Marianne Karraker]
Delaware Water Gap NRA
Searchers Continue Efforts To Find Missing Fishermen
The National Park Service and the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Unit continued the search yesterday for T.P., 57, and R.S., 62. The two men have been missing since Thursday, April 3rd, when their boat capsized on the Delaware River within the park. A third man, R.P., 58, made it to land and reported the mishap. Monday's search of the river corridor involved 12 people and five boats, as well as a search dog and his handler. In addition, the New Jersey State Police Aviation Bureau conducted an aerial search by helicopter. The search area encompasses a section of river and shoreline approximately 24 miles in length from a point about four miles south of Dingmans Ferry Access to Arrow Island , south of the Delaware Water Gap. River conditions - high water levels, fast current, and lack of visibility - have prevented National Park Service divers from searching underwater. Conditions are being assessed daily for indications they are favorable for dive operations. The search resumes today with eight people in four boats. [Deb Nordeen, Public Affairs Officer]
Shenandoah NP
Search For Missing Man Enters Eleventh Day
The search for J.A.M., Jr. of Manassas, Virginia, who has been missing since late March, enters its eleventh day today. In order to facilitate the search, the park has closed the Keyser Run and Little Devils Stairs areas, including the following trails - Keyser Run Fire Road, Little Devils Stairs, Piney Branch, Piney Ridge, Pole Bridge Link, Sugar Loaf, and Hull School (from Thornton River to Keyser Run). The rain and fog that prevailed over the weekend did not hamper the search effort, which currently involves more than 50 employees and trained volunteers. Gordon Wissinger is the IC. [Karen Beck-Herzog, Information Officer]
Walnut Cave NM
Multi-Ton Boulders Still Block Walnut Canyon Trail
Two separate rockfalls last December seriously damaged the park's popular Island Trail, depositing a 49-ton boulder, several other large rocks, and 100 additional tons of debris on it and demolishing concrete stairs, handrails and a bench. [Click on the link below for the original report]. The trail was immediately closed to the public and park staff began evaluating how to go about cleaning it up, a process that seemed physically imposing but straightforward. It proved more complicated than first appeared, though, and it now seems likely that the trail will remain closed at least through September. This presents a serious impediment to visitors, who would normally use the trail as part of their primary park experience. The cleanup process has presented a number of daunting challenges:
For several weeks, heavy snow covered details of the damage and perpetuated the wet soil conditions that triggered the rockfalls. Crews were unable to work safely in the area, evaluate the situation, or inspect natural or archeological features below the rockfall until the ground dried.
Movement of the largest boulder left an exposed cut slope and artifacts which must be protected from erosion. This and steep canyon terrain also prevent construction of a detour trail.
The truck-sized boulders are too big to move without large equipment that would be too large for the trail. Breaking them into smaller pieces requires blasting and/or extensive handwork by personnel in precarious positions.
Park staff are exploring two options for disposal of the smaller pieces - dispersal into the canyon (risking damage to natural and cultural resources below) or hand removal (via wheelbarrow through the visitor center, 150 vertical feet above).
The trail is an historic asset, constructed initially by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
The possible presence of Mexican spotted owl nests will require staff to limit noise and other disruptions during the spring and summer months.
A plan for trail repair is being developed, with expert assistance from Grand Canyon National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Northern Arizona University, and work crews from the American Conservation Experience. Although the planning process has been time-consuming, it has proved effective. As work proceeds in the coming months, the park will encourage visitors to appreciate both the human effort and the natural forces at work in the canyon. [Charles Strickfaden, Chief Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS:
Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6362" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6362
Midwest Region - Reed E. Detring has been appointed as the new superintendent of Ozark National Scenic Riverways. He succeeds Noel Poe, who retired from federal service late last year.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1876" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1876
National Park of American Samoa - Taito Fale Tuilagi passed away on March 29th after suffering a stroke. He was a high chief in American Samoa as well as a respected marine biotech at the park for the past seven years.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1877" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1877
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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).
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