NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, June 10, 2010

INCIDENTS

Gulf Coast Parks

Snare Boom Removed From Perdido Key At Gulf Islands

The men and women of the National Park Service continue to be an integral part of the national federal response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. All NPS units along the Gulf remain open and are conducting regular park operations.

Gulf Islands NS - Very little oiling occurred at Horn and Petit Bois Islands, Ft. Pickens and the Santa Rosa area and clean-up went well yesterday. Perdido Key received heavier oiling than other park areas. More than 140 clean-up crew personnel were assigned to Perdido Key. Resource advisors continue to monitor the work of the clean-up crews and provide them with relevant information to ensure the protection of sensitive resources. Snare booms have been removed from park areas following National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommendations. Volunteers were assigned to Perdido Key to meet visitors and provide information about the park, the ongoing clean-up, and related public health issues. Interest in volunteering remains high, and volunteer coordinators at the park have scheduled an orientation for the Florida District at 10 a.m. on Saturday and are in the process of finalizing an orientation for the Mississippi District on Sunday. For more information on oil impacts and conditions (including swimming and fishing information), visit the HYPERLINK "http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/53023/" Deepwater Horizon Response website

South Florida Parks (Big Cypress , Biscayne, DeSoto, Dry Tortugas, Everglades) - No new developments.

Jean Lafitte NHP&P - No new developments.

Padre Island NS - No new developments.

The national parks in the Gulf of Mexico and south Florida preserve wildlife habitats and historical areas that are unique to our country. Coral reefs, mudflats, mangroves, marshes, and seagrass beds provide nurseries, refuge, and feeding areas for wildlife, while lighthouses, seacoast fortifications, and shipwrecks preserve evidence of trade, war, and maritime technology dating back to the 16th Century. Millions of people come to these seashore and island national parks for relaxation, inspiration and fun. In national park lands and waters the oil spill could contaminate and destroy the food sources and nesting areas for marine wildlife, including endangered least terns and Kemp's Ridley turtles. Spilled oil can permanently damage historic brick coastal fortifications on the water's edge, like Fort Massachusetts at Gulf Islands National Seashore, or underwater shipwrecks like the Windjammer at Dry Tortugas National Park . Of additional concern, oil clean-up crews and equipment could disturb or damage sensitive wildlife habitats and archeological sites. Beaches, bayous, and waters will be closed if they become contaminated.

For more information on the NPS, DOI and national oil spill responses and for a link to the BP online oil spill safety training needed by all incident staff, please see the following sites:

HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm" NPS Oil Spill Response

HYPERLINK "http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/index.cfm" DOI Oil Spill Response

HYPERLINK "http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/" National Oil Spill Response

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Conferences&id=1957" Oil Spill Safety Training

[Mindi Rambo, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response]

Arches NP

Searchers Find And Save Man Lost In Park

A 75-year-old man left his wife and dog in their vehicle to take a short walk to Turret Arch for photos on the afternoon of Sunday, June 6th. Temperatures at the time were above 100 degrees and he had neither water nor food with him. When he failed to return, his wife went looking for him; when that effort proved fruitless, she contacted the park. Arches staff, later assisted by Grand County Sheriff's Department personnel and county SAR team members, staff from Canyonlands, and a BLM helitack module, conducted a search that lasted throughout the night. Dogs, a helicopter and ground searchers were deployed during the season's first period of extreme heat. Ground searchers found the man lying on a rock and not moving about 24 hours into the search. He was semiconscious and incoherent. A park medic from Canyonlands conducted an assessment and provided care, then flew with the man to Allen Memorial Hospital in Moab. He was eventually transferred to St Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, where he's receiving treatment for a fractured wrist and kidney failure resulting from heat-related illnesses. [Denny Ziemann, Chief Ranger]

Buffalo NR

Horse Rescued From Wrecked Trailer, But Later Dies

On the afternoon of Wednesday May 19th, staff at the Tyler Bend Visitor Center received a phone call from Searcy County Sheriff's Office reporting that a horse trailer had overturned on the Calf Creek Road in the Middle Buffalo District. Rangers, deputies, and park maintenance personnel arrived on scene to find a one-horse trailer on its side in a three-foot-deep ditch, with an 11-year-old gelding named “B.” trapped in the canopy portion of the trailer. The horse had both rear legs and his right front leg through the canopy and under a portion of the trailer. Rangers called for a veterinarian, who arrived on scene and administered tranquilizing agents to B., who continued to thrash about and cause further injury to himself prior to sedation. The Marshall Rescue Squad was also summoned and used their ‘Jaws of Life' hydraulic tools to peel back the roof of the trailer. Park maintenance staff assisted with this process using a reciprocating saw. Once the roof was removed, park maintenance personnel used a backhoe to slide B. out of the trailer and then lift him onto a second trailer. After a grueling, five-hour-long extrication operation, B. was transported home to rest under the watchful eye of his vet. The following day, the horse was assisted in getting up and was able to stand on his own at first. B.'s owner had high hopes for his full recovery, but, to the extreme disappointment of all involved in the rescue, the horse had an apparent heart attack and expired after being up and walking for just a few hours. A total of 31 people (including civilian horseback riders) responded to the incident and were part of the overall effort. Strong teamwork was essential during this complicated and emotional incident and everyone worked flawlessly under high stress for B.'s welfare. [Kevin Moses, Middle Buffalo District Ranger]

Gila Cliff Dwellings NM

Trailhead Reopens To Vehicle Access

After four-and-a-half months of closure, Mexico State Department of Transportation staff have completed repairs to the north abutment of the West Fork Bridge on Highway 15 and reopened it to vehicles on June 8th. With the bridge reopened to vehicle traffic, visitors are now able to drive to the trailhead to the cliff dwellings, eliminating the two mile walk that had been required since the January 22nd closure due to storm damage. Effective this Friday, entrance fees, which had been waived since the bridge was closed, will resume at $3 for individuals over 16 years and $10 for families. Both Lower and Upper Scorpion Campgrounds on the Gila National Forest have reopened for car camping, but the closest potable water will continue to be at either the multi-agency Gila Visitor Center or the nearby RV station until Forest Service and National Park Service staff can replace the water line across the bridge. TJ Corral and the West Fork Trailhead are now accessible by vehicles for those wanting to use the trailheads for wilderness travel, but visitors are cautioned not to use trailheads for long-term parking if heavy rains are forecast, as the West Fork Bridge may be closed during periods of heavy rains or high water in the Gila River to prevent visitors from being trapped on the north side of the bridge if the approach should again be damaged. [Steve Riley, Superintendent]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:

Office of Sustainable Tourism - The National Park Service had a major presence at the recent POW Wow USTA International Tradeshow, where representatives from a number of countries expressed strong interest in training their staffs on the NPS and its mission and offerings.

NPS Wilderness Leadership Council - On May 11th, the Washington Office issued a memorandum to all regional directors and wilderness park superintendents entitled "Recruitment for the NPS Wilderness Leadership Council." The full text is included.

Workplace Enrichment - The Association of National Park Rangers continues to offer insurance for seasonal workers. Details and a link are provided.

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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