NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Monday, February 22, 2010
INCIDENTS
Gateway NRA
Man Pleads Guilty To ESA Violation
In late January, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania man pled guilty in federal court on charges that resulted from a joint investigation by NPS law enforcement rangers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents. The investigation stemmed from information received in November of 2009 that the man had knowingly disturbed the remains of a leatherback sea turtle that had washed ashore in the park's Sandy Hook Unit. The leatherback sea turtle is an endangered species and taking, disturbing or possessing any part of an endangered species is a violation of the Endangered Species Act and is subject to criminal and civil penalties. The man pled guilty to the charges of interfering with agency functions and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. As part of the plea agreement regarding the violation of the Endangered Species Act, he will be banned from all Department of Interior lands encompassing national parks and wildlife refuges in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the duration of probation. The man is scheduled to be sentenced in accordance with the plea agreement in April. [Peter Tortorell, Law Enforcement Specialist]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:
Washington Office - A change in federal law that goes into effect today allows firearms in many national parks. People who can legally possess firearms under federal and state law can now possess those firearms in the national parks in that state.
Homestead NM - The Heritage Center fully reopened to the public on February 12th. While the upper level of the building reopened on January 13th, the lower level exhibit area had been closed since an early January water main break outside the building left more than an inch of water in some parts of the lower level and water damage to the building.
Natural Resource Program Center - A call for proposals for fall and winter 2010/2011 Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP) positions has been issued. Submissions are due by April 2nd. Photo.
Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.
Fire and Aviation Management - Trudy Hess, fire program management assistant at New River Gorge National River, has received the 2009 Jeanie Harris Award, which was presented at the NPS Fire & Aviation Workshop held in San Antonio during the first week of February. Photo.
To see these and other stories posted on InsideNPS (or NPS Digest, its public version), click on one or the other of the following links (please note that not all stories in the former appear in the latter):
NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index
Non-NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/notify" http://inside.nps.gov/notify
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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. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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