NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, July 23, 2010

INCIDENTS

Gulf Coast Parks

Kemp's Ridley Eggs To Be Relocated

Personnel at areas around the Gulf of Mexico are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Bonnie and making preparations for its arrival. Eggs will be removed from an endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtle nest at Gulf Islands today and sent to the Kennedy Space Center for incubation.

Gulf Islands NS - Biologists from the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Florida will today excavate a Kemp's Ridley's sea turtle nest and prepare the eggs to be transported, via FedEx, to the Kennedy Space Center where they will be incubated, hatched, and ultimately released into the Atlantic Ocean. “"This relocation is particularly significant because it is a Kemp's Ridley nest, the rarest of the endangered sea turtles found along the Gulf coast," said acting superintendent Nina Kelson. Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill began, thousands of turtle eggs have been transported from sensitive lands such as national park areas and wildlife refuges, but this is the first time that a Kemp's Ridley from Gulf Island's National Seashore will be a part of this process. Rick Clark, the park's chief of science and natural resources, explains that the benefits of this unprecedented process outweigh the inherent risk of leaving them alone. There is a high probability of mortality that could result to the hatchlings because of the high concentrations of oil that are still in the Gulf of Mexico. Kemp's Ridleys are the smallest of the sea turtles and weigh around 100 pounds when fully grown. Hatchlings are dark grey and their shells change color as they age. They lay one to four clutches every year, containing about 100 eggs each, on sandy beaches. After 50 to 60 days, the tiny hatchlings emerge from the shell to make their way to the ocean. The event will be attended by park staff, agency and other partners, local officials and the media.

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

Jean Lafitte NHP&P - The park is monitoring Tropical Storm Bonnie; park staff are being updated regularly on the storm's status and have been encouraged to review the park's hurricane action plan.

Padre Island NS - No new developments.

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.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/53023/" Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response

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

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

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

HYPERLINK "http://www.restorethegulf.gov/" Restore The Gulf

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

HYPERLINK "http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/" GeoPlatform

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1006&id=9336" NPS ICS 209 Incident Status Summaries

HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/NPS%20-%20Public%20Health%20Notice%20SIGNAGE%206-26-10.pdf" Gulf Islands Public Health Precautions Notice

HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/archive/features/oilspillresponse/OilSpillSafety/index.htm" Public Health Service Oil Spill Safety Video

HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/archive/features/oilspillresponse/" Oil Spill Media Page

For more on Tropical Storm Bonnie's probable course, click on the link below.

[Jeff Wolin, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response]

HYPERLINK "http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/085015.shtml?5-daynl#contents" http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/085015.shtml?5-daynl#contents

Grand Teton NP

Climber Killed, Sixteen Injured During Lightning Storm

Rangers launched a multi-faceted, complex rescue operation to reach numerous climbers who were injured by lightning during the passage of an active and severe thunderstorm in the Teton Range on Wednesday, July 21st. Lightning bolts struck at a number of locations on the 13,770-foot Grand Teton at around noon, and 16 climbers received moderate to severe injuries from indirect electrical charges radiating from the lightning. One climber who was still missing on Wednesday evening was discovered during an aerial search by helicopter yesterday morning. Brandon Oldenkamp, 21, of Sanborn, Iowa, apparently fell about 2,000 feet to his death when he was impacted by a lightning strike. His body was located off the Northwest Face of the Grand Teton below a feature called the Black Ice Couloir. Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received an initial cell phone call at 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday from one of the climbing parties, requesting help for injured persons. Rangers were staging a rescue mission for that climbing party when another cell phone call was received from another climbing party that had also been hit by lightning. Eventually, a third group made contact to summon help and the rescue mission increased in size, scope and complexity. Rangers summoned the Teton interagency contract helicopter and began to fly rescue personnel and equipment to the 11,600-foot Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton. Once equipment and staff were in place there, rangers quickly climbed to various areas on the Grand Teton where the injured people were located. As they reached the separate climbing parties, they provided emergency medical care and prepared the injured people for evacuation from the mountain. The 16 climbers all received lightning-related injuries—burns and varying levels of neurological problems—as they were indirectly affected by an electrical charge from one or more lightning strikes. The rescue mission continued in the midst of rain squalls, thick clouds and additional thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening hours of Wednesday. The rescue operation involved a sequential evacuation of the 16 climbers. Two climbers reached the Lower Saddle on their own, but were flown via helicopter to the Lupine Meadows rescue cache. Seven climbers were able to make their way down from a ledge above the Black Ice Couloir at 13,200 feet with the assistance of professional guides from Exum Mountain Guides. The remaining seven climbers, located between 13,300 and 13,600 feet, were reached by rangers and transported via short-haul to the Lower Saddle, where they were treated by an emergency room doctor from St. John's Medical Center before being placed in a second helicopter to be flown to the to the Lupine Meadows rescue cache on the valley floor. The passage of a late afternoon thunderstorm temporarily delayed the transport of the climbers from the Lower Saddle. As weather conditions improved, the aerial evacuation continued until all the injured persons were delivered to the valley floor and waiting ambulances that then transported them to St. John's Medical Center. The rescue is one of the largest missions conducted by Grand Teton National Park staff, given the number of injured people, the vertical terrain, and the inclement weather conditions. [Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]

Blue Ridge Parkway

Click It Or Ticket Campaign Has Positive Results

In May of this year, Blue Ridge Parkway, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), participated in the first “Click it or Ticket” campaign conducted in the National Park Service. This high visibility enforcement seatbelt program was conducted along a 30-mile stretch of the parkway as it runs through Roanoke, Virginia. The program was kicked off with a baseline study conducted in high-use areas of the parkway, targeting local commuters in the Roanoke area. Initial observations showed a compliance rate of 84% for drivers, and 76% for front seat passengers. Signs were posted throughout the enforcement area, and press releases went out to local media. Between May 17th and May 28th, rangers from Blue Ridge Parkway and New River Gorge conducted high visibility saturation patrols on that same stretch of motor road, focusing on all traffic violations but with an emphasis on seatbelt enforcement. Traffic enforcement was focused around daylight hours, when local commuters were likely to be driving on the parkway. Drivers who were stopped by rangers were given verbal safety messages about driving safely on the parkway. During that time, rangers made three arrests, issued 102 violation notices for failure to use a seat belt, and issued 43 violation notices for other offenses. A second observation survey was conducted at the conclusion of the enforcement effort. Overall seat belt use increased from 82.5% to 91.7%. Belt use increased significantly more among passengers after the enforcement, increasing a total of 16.7%. Two additional waves of enforcement are scheduled for FY 2011 on the same stretch of the parkway. With the success of this initial enforcement effort, NHTSA hopes to be able to duplicate this program in other areas around the Service. [Lena Boesser-Koschmann, Assistant Chief Ranger]

Fire Island NS

Rangers Assist Man Severely Injured By Boat Propeller

Suffolk County PD dispatch received a 911 call on the afternoon of Sunday, July 18th, reporting that a man had suffered a deep laceration to his leg from a boat propeller in Great South Bay near Davis Park. Since Suffolk County Marine Bureau vessels had an ETA of about 20 minutes, rangers Bernardo Felix, Edward Page and Richard Fhaner responded by boat and were on scene within minutes. The operator of a 17-foot Boston Whaler - a Good Samaritan who was transporting the injured man to Davis Park Marina - flagged down their patrol boat. The rangers found that a 50-year-old man had sustained a severe open wound on his lower right leg from just below the knee to just above the ankle. He'd sustained it while climbing back on board his anchored vessel, striking his leg on the propeller blade in the process. The engine was not running at the time. Felix treated the man for injury and shock, while Page and Fhaner cleared a helicopter landing zone and assisted with crowd control and getting the man on board the helicopter. A flight medic assumed care when the man was onboard. He was flown to a regional trauma center, where he received more than 60 stitches to close the wound. Indications are that there may be no permanent damage to the leg from the injury. [Jay Lippert, Chief Ranger]

Statue of Liberty NM

Smoke Alarm Triggers Evacuation

An automatic smoke/fire alarm was activated within the base of the Statue of Liberty at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21. Visitors within the museum, pedestal and the statue were evacuated by U.S. Park Police and National Park Service personnel within five minutes of the alarm sounding. No injuries were reported as a result of the evacuation. A small amount of smoke and the odor of oil as well as the odor of an overheated component were noticed by the USPP officers who initially investigated the alarm, which originated in the elevator room at the Statue of Liberty. Members of the New York Fire Department arrived at Liberty Island shortly thereafter, but by the time they arrived, the small amount of smoke had dissipated. The lack of smoke in the elevator room prompted the park's chief of maintenance to suspect a faulty smoke head and he ordered it replaced. Once the investigation was finished and the alarm system was reset, the monument was reopened to the public (approximately 2:35 p.m.). The remainder of Liberty Island, including the visitor center, restaurant and gift shop, remained open to the public throughout the incident. FDNY responded to smoke at the Statue of Liberty caused by an overheated elevator motor on July 16th. The elevator at the statue has been removed from service at this time. [Mindi Rambo, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Chattahoochee River NRA - Park staff joined in a model teacher training week focusing on the Highly Effective Teaching (HET) model, which links the biology of learning, instructional strategies, and a conceptual curriculum together to help students learn effectively. Photo.

Gateway NRA - From July 12th through September 3rd, a fresh infusion of youthful energy, drive and fun returns to the National Parks of New York Harbor as this year's Youth Conservation Corps program gets underway. Photo.

Natural Resource Program Center - The NPS has been asked to participate in a survey to help improve communications between bird conservation scientists and land managers. A link is provided to the survey.

Servicewide Training and Conference Calendar - A compilation of upcoming training courses and conferences across the nation. Added to this week's listing are the following - a Forest Service-sponsored class on archeological damage investigation and assessment in Ohio, certified NPS structural firefighter training at Glacier Bay, a course at NCTC on preparing instructors for interactive television, and three TEL station courses - one on the reemergence of bedbugs as a pest problem in facilities, one on interpretive and educational evaluation tools, and one on protecting visitors and parks.

NPS incident submission standards can be found online at the HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id=8728&lv=2&pgid=3504" serious incident notification web page.

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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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