Gulf Coast Parks
NPS Oil Spill Response Continues To Expand
The National Park Service now has approximately 80 people responding to the oil spill created by the sinking of the oil rig Deepwater Horizon on April 20th. NPS staff continue to draft plans with USCG for wildlife reconnaissance and recovery and shoreline cleanup and assessment; conduct surveys, sampling, and flyovers to document baseline conditions; mobilize resource experts to direct USCG and responsible party contractors during cleanup and recovery; and provide guidance and prioritization for protection measures such as boom placement in sensitive areas. Learn more about the NPS response at http://www.nps. gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm . This update covers oil spill response activities for the following parks — Padre Island, Jean Lafitte, Gulf Islands, and the South Florida parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, DeSoto, Dry Tortugas, and Everglades):
Padre Island NS — The park began its precondition assessment, which will include photo points and soil and water sampling. The survey is expected to take several days and conclude on Friday.
Jean Lafitte NHP — Flyovers will be conducted over shorelines and open water to determine whether landfall has occurred in the park.
Gulf Islands NS — All beaches and park sites remain open and operational. No closures are in place. Projections still show the plume south of the park on Friday, but potentially approaching land over the weekend. Park staff continued to work with the animal response group today, finalizing the process for deploying wildlife biologists. Two NPS teams were created to respond to reports of stranded and deceased animals. Both teams are currently staged on the Davis Bayou (Mississippi) side of the park, but have the ability to respond simultaneously to reports in both the Mississippi and Florida districts. Two large compressed gas tanks were reported yesterday in one to two feet of water on the north side of Horn Island. USCG and NPS personnel responded and found the tanks in eel grass. NPS biologists have been assigned to monitor the removal of the tanks, which has been tentatively scheduled for Saturday morning. It has not yet been established whether the tanks were part of the Deepwater Horizon or from another rig.
South Florida Parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, DeSoto, Dry Tortugas, Everglades) — The resource assessment branch of the south Florida national parks' Type III IMT continues to make progress on pre-condition assessment planning for all five NPS units. A final assessment plan for De Soto is now awaiting final approval, and additional plans for Dry Tortugas, Everglades, Big Cypress, and Biscayne are nearing completion. It is hoped that assessments will begin at De Soto by next week. The resource assessment branch will also be developing potential strategies for mitigation and resource rehabilitation. The IMT received confirmation that Chris Ziegler, Dry Tortugas National Park, would serve as our liaison with the US Coast Guard Sector Key West. Local media interest continues to be heavy. In consultation with the GUIS Type II team, each of the five south Florida units will be developing public information pages on their park website to facilitate access. It is anticipated that all sites will be active by tomorrow. The Everglades site can be accessed here: http://www.nps.gov/ever
For more information on the NPS and national oil spill responses, please see the following:
- NPS Oil Spill Response — http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm
- National Oil Spill Response — http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (TX)
Missions Closed Due To Refinery Explosion And Fire
The AGE Refinery, located between Missions San Jose and San Juan in San Antonio, was rocked by an explosion late yesterday morning. The San Antonio fire and police departments quickly shut down access roads within a mile radius around the refinery. A tanker truck apparently exploded at a loading dock in the city's only refinery, injuring at least two workers. One other tanker has apparently exploded as well, and firefighters are spraying water and foam on nearby storage tanks and lines to prevent further explosions. AGE Refinery refines jet fuel and diesel. Park officials immediately responded by closing Mission San Juan and Mission Espada. Mission San Juan will remain closed on May 6th, while Mission Espada will be reevaluated for employee and visitor safety today pending developments last night. The park visitor center at Mission San Jose remains open, but if smoke starts to billow into the area the situation will be reevaluated. Mission Concepcion has not been affected by the fire. Park staff are working closely with emergency hazmat teams to identify the locations of critical park resources located immediately adjacent to the refinery. The San Juan acequia, an intact Spanish colonial irrigation system constructed in the 1740s, runs directly behind and adjacent to the AGE Refinery. Booms have been deployed to support containment systems to prevent chemicals from entering both the acequia and the nearby San Antonio River. It is too early to know if the river and/or the acequia have been affected by the refinery fire. For more information, click on the link below. [Submitted by Al Remley] More Information...
Amistad National Recreation Area (TX)
Ranger Saves Truck Driver After Rig Crashes Into Lake
In the pre-dawn hours of April 25th, the driver of a loaded semi-tractor trailer lost control of his rig on the US Highway 90 bridge over Lake Amistad. The truck first struck a boat trailer being towed by a truck, destroying the boat, then ran onto the guard rail for approximately 30 feet before falling into the lake. Rangers who were approximately a mile away at the time heard the sound of the impact. Supervisory ranger Erich Robb responded and entered the water in an attempt to remove the driver from the truck, which was submerged in approximately 15 feet of water. The driver had apparently been thrown clear of the truck, and Robb found him floundering on the surface with his head going under. He was able to pull the driver out of the water and begin first aid. Attempts to get to a second man who was trapped in the crushed cab of the truck were unsuccessful. The surviving driver was life-flighted to a San Antonio hospital and is expected to recover. The tractor and trailer were removed that day, with cleanup of the truck's diesel and oil completed the next day. Cleanup of the cargo in the lake (unwound spools of automotive wiring) is continuing and should be completed by the end of the week. Robb was IC for the initial response. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the collision. [Submitted by Regina Klein Dissler, Chief Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights
National Fire Activity — Preparedness Level 1
NIFC remains at PL 1. Initial attack was light on Wednesday.
Fire Weather Forecast
A large low pressure system will move across the Northern Rockies today creating gusty winds across much of the Rocky Mountain Area into the Southwest. An exiting storm system will leave breezy conditions across Michigan, the Mid-Atlantic states and the northeast.
Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)
|
Date |
Fri |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
|
Day |
4/30 |
5/3 |
5/4 |
5/5 |
5/6 |
|
Initial Attack Fires |
106 |
77 |
152 |
64 |
57 |
|
New Large Fires |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Large Fires Contained |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Uncontained Large Fires |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)
|
Date |
Fri |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
|
Day |
4/30 |
5/3 |
5/4 |
5/5 |
5/6 |
|
Area Command Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
NIMO Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Type 1 Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Type 2 Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NPS Fire News
| Park | State | Fire | Type | Acres | Percent Contain |
Est. Full Contain |
| Shenandoah National Park | VA | Big Meadows 2010 | Prescribed Fire Treatment | 51 | 100 | April 20, 2010 |
 |
||||||
For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:
- Archived fire news — http://www.nps.gov/fire/public/pub_firenews.cfm?archive=true
- Map of fire locations — http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
- Details on all current major fires — http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
- Fire news and fire year in perspective - http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm
- InsideNPS Fire and Aviation — http://inside.nps.gov/fire
- InsideNPS Structural Fire — http://inside.nps.gov/fire/structuralfire
- NPS Fire and Aviation - http://www.nps.gov/fire
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Northeast Region
NPS Participates In Operation Liberty RadEx Exercise
During the last week of April, NPS personnel assisted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a national exercise entitled "Operation Liberty RadEx." The exercise was sponsored and designed by the EPA to practice and test federal, state, and local assessment and cleanup capabilities in the aftermath of the explosion of a radiological dispersion device, also known as a "dirty bomb," with the epicenter located at Independence Hall.
Liberty RadEx was unique as it focused on a 60-day "post emergency" phase of responsibilities and coordination, and worked with stakeholders and the public to plan for community recovery. NPS personnel assisted in the cultural resource post planning and mitigation of a venue site that represented Independence Hall and the aftermath of the explosion and radiation contamination. Reproduction artifacts from the park were allowed to be used for testing of special foam designed to "wash" radioactive material off historic items. Test results on the items have not been provided at this point.
The exercise allowed the NPS to have an opportunity to share information and procedures while strengthening relationships among federal, state and local partners in Pennsylvania and adjoining states. Recommendations were passed onto the EPA pertaining to NPS involvement and practices. Over 1,000 players and observers, as well as over 30 agencies participated in the massive exercise.
Participating from NPS were Jason Flood and Robert Stemple from the Midwest Region Incident Management Team and Rob Louden, Pat Dantona and Tim Mauch from Northeast Region.
[Submitted by Tim Mauch, Timothy_Mauch@nps.gov, 215-597-7135]
More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
62
GS-0020-11/12 Community Planner
Dates: 05/03/2010 - 05/17/2010
The Denver Service Center Planning Division is seeking a community planner to work on interdisciplinary teams to assist park staff, in collaboration with the public, with developing long-term, defensible strategies for managing visitor use and user capacity in parks. This position is located in Lakewood, Colorado. It is open to status candidates in the local commuting area under one announcement, and is open to all qualified U.S Citizens under a separate announcement. Please choose the appropriate announcement to apply under.
The Planning Division provides direct planning services to the parks and their partners, serves to innovate, test and refine best planning practices, and helps build planning capability for the NPS planning program. The division also provides project and contract coordination and management services.
The announcement closes May 17th. For more information, click on the link below.
[Submitted by Lindy Allen, lindy_allen@nps.gov, 303.969.2588]
More Information...
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IN)
GS-0341-12/13 Administrative Officer
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is recruiting for an administrative officer/business manager. This is a full-time, permanent supervisory position located in Porter, Indiana. The announcement, available below, closes on May 28th.
For additional information on this duties of this position, please contact Deputy Superintendent Garry Traynham at 219-395-1680.
More Information...
War In The Pacific National Historical Park (GU)
GS-11 Chief of Resources Management (Lateral)
Dates: 05/04/2010 - 05/15/2010
War in the Pacific NHP and American Memorial Park are seeking qualified applicants interested in the chief of resources management position for these parks, located on Guam and Saipan.
This is in interdisciplinary position (GS-11 may be hired in various occupational series) responsible for leadership and management of a wide variety of natural and cultural resource and science programs. In addition to appropriate technical knowledge, applicants must possess the skills and flexibility necessary to work and live in a multicultural environment.
Coral reef management is the center of the natural resources program. Current projects include sedimentation studies, wetlands and vegetation management, shoreline and uplands erosion control, watershed restoration, and invasive species monitoring. Protection and preservation of the historic WWII sites is the focus of the cultural resources program, which includes management of the parks' collections and preservation of archeological resources, historic structures, cultural landscapes, and oral histories. In addition, the resource management program includes public outreach such as annual "Reef Rangers" youth camps, monthly "Curator's Corner" presentations, and participation in other public events.
The incumbent will work closely with the territorial governments, the Pacific Islands Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, the University of Guam, and federal agencies. The position is responsible for managing the parks' GIS and NEPA/NHPA compliance, development of program budgets, annual plans, funding requests, and reports direct, and supervision of up to five employees. The incumbent is a member of the management team and directly supervised by the Superintendent. Frequent travel to Saipan is necessary. Travel to Guam and Saipan, as well as to/from the US mainland and Hawaii, requires a valid US passport.
War in the Pacific NHP commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II at seven geographically separate units covering a total of 2000 acres. Approximately half the NPS managed area is marine lands. The beach units are very popular for picnicking, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, walking, and kite flying. The Asan Bay Overlook is often the site of WWII commemorative events, but other upland units of historical significance are little used by the public. Resource protection issues consist of illegal harvesting of marine resources, vandalism, wildland fires, off-road vehicles, and boundary encroachment.
American Memorial Park (133 acres) honors those who died in the World War II Mariana Islands campaign with the Court of Honor as its central feature. The park plays an important role in the community, hosting numerous special events and it is the prime recreation/open space area for the surrounding neighborhood with walking paths, picnic areas, ball fields, tennis courts, marinas, and a 1200-seat amphitheatre. There is a natural wetland providing habitat for several species of concern, as well as a constructed wetland that drains storm water from the village of Garapan through the park. Shoreline erosion, water quality and the prevention of brown tree snake introduction to Saipan are serious concerns.
Both islands offer numerous recreational opportunities such as world class diving, snorkeling, golf, tennis, and "boonie stomping." For those who like to travel, there are frequent flights to Japan, Taiwan, Manila, and other Micronesian Islands (and one flight daily to Honolulu). If you are interested in World War II and military history, Asian cultures, and life on a small island, this would be a great assignment. There is a large military presence on Guam (Air Force and Navy) that is likely to grow with the proposed transfer of Marine units from Okinawa.
Guam and Saipan are about 1300 miles south of Japan, 1200 miles east of the Philippine Islands, and 3200 miles west-southwest of Hawaii. The climate is warm and humid with temperatures in the 70's and 80's all year. The rainy season runs from July to November, with frequent storms and typhoons possible. January to April is the dry season with lower humidity. Schools, basic medical facilities, and shopping are readily available on Guam; however, the cost of living is expensive, since goods are imported and the economy is driven by tourism. Park staff do not have access to military housing, medical, or shopping facilities.
Applicants should send a resume (no more than 5 pages) by May 15th to the superintendent, barbara_alberti@nps.gov. For more information, call 671-477-7278, x1003 (note it may be an international call). Guam, "where America's day begins," is west of the International Date Line, 15 hours AHEAD of the US east coast and 18 hours AHEAD of the west coast (your late afternoon/evening is our early morning the next day).
[Submitted by Barbara Alberti, barbara_alberti@nps.gov, 671-477-7278 x1003]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.