NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Intermountain/Midwest Regions

Update On Hurricane Ike Recovery

Recovery operations continue at Big Thicket, but sufficient headway has been made to warrant demobilization of the Central incident management team and transfer of the incident to a park team:

Big Thicket NP - Lake Meredith's saw crew cleared the Sundew Trail in the Hickory Creek unit on Friday, and moved on to clear Cotton Road within the Lance Rosier Unit. The Chickasaw bucket truck crew removed hazard trees from an employee residence and assisted the Lake Meredith crew. Support for the nearby Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas has been transferred to BIA. FMSS assessments continued The Central incident management team turned the incident over to a park Type 3 team on Sunday and demobilized.

Jefferson NEM - The Mississippi River began to recede from flood stage last Thursday and was expected to drop below flood stage by Sunday. Both Jefferson NEM and nearby Ulysses S. Grant NHS experienced some basement flooding at their sites from recent heavy rains. The interpretation office at the former sustained damage to computer equipment and office furniture when storm waters from the rainfall entered the basement via storm grates.

William Howard Taft NHS - The park reopened on Thursday, September 18th.

[Jackie Henman, MWRO; Eric Scott, Central IMT]

Glen Canyon NRA

Two Killed, Two Injured In Flashflood In Grand Staircase-Escalante

Garfield County dispatch received a 911 call around 5 p.m. on September 10th reporting that a flashflood had swept through Egypt Three, a narrow slot canyon within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which borders the park. The caller said that two canyoneers had been injured and that two others had been swept away. A Garfield County deputy and the county SAR team responded. They were assisted by Glen Canyon rangers Jeff Kracht, Lance Mattson, Grant Stolhand, Chad Hunter, Steve Luckesen and Gordon Olson and Bryce Canyon rangers Mark Hnat, Rayne Rohrbach and Tim Sveum. A Classic Lifeguard helicopter was dispatched to the scene and the crew located the bodies of K.C. and G.C., both 60, of Walnut Creek, California. They were found approximately a quarter mile downstream from the point where they'd been swept away. Their bodies were recovered the following day by a Utah Highway Patrol helicopter, personnel from the Garfield County Sheriff's Office, and a local canyoneering guide. The C.s were canyoneering with their son, daughter-in-law, daughter, and son-in-law when the flash flood occurred. Both the daughter-in-law and son-in-law were injured and had to be flown to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St George, Utah, where they were treated and released. Egypt Three is visited by canyoneers from all over the world. Flash floods are common this time of year. [Lindy Mihata, Law Enforcement Specialist]

OTHER NEWS

Among the stories in today's edition are the following:

Washington Office - The National Park Service will provide enhanced programs and services for injured military members through a partnership established last week with the Wounded Warrior Project.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PressReleases&id=818" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PressReleases&id=818

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=6899" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6899

Alaska Region - Debora Cooper has been selected as Alaska Region's associate regional director for resources and subsistence.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6897" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6897

Pacific West Region - Les Inafuku, a 33-year veteran of the National Park Service, is the new superintendent of Manzanar National Historic Site

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=2071" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=2071

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363

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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