NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, January 14, 2011

INCIDENTS

Biscayne NP

Two Charged With Firearms Violations

Ranger Scott Johnson received a call from dispatch on December 31st relaying a report from a fishing guide that two men were firing automatic weapons in Biscayne Bay. The guide said that he was within a quarter mile of their vessel and could see rounds hitting the water near his boat. The dispatcher could also hear automatic weapons fire in the background during the conversation. The boat was subsequently seen leaving the area, heading west towards Miami. Ranger Jared Brierley responded by vessel from Adams Key and headed towards Matheson Hammock Marina to locate the two men. The Coast Guard and Coral Gables PD Marine Patrol also responded by vessel to assist in the search. Coral Gables police were able to locate a boat matching the description of the one involved in the incident at the boat ramps at Matheson Hammock Marina and found one man on board. He admitted to firing weapons from his boat while on the water. Brierley arrived shortly thereafter and determined through questioning that the man had been discharging his weapons in the park. The GPS unit onboard the vessel confirmed the man's statements. Items seized as evidence were a fully automatic .223 AR-15, a 12 gauge pump shotgun, four boxes of .223 caliber ammo, seven spent 12 gauge shotgun shells, eleven spent .40 caliber shell casings, and 27 spent .223 shell casings. The man said that a friend had told him it was OK to travel offshore and shoot guns from his boat. Further questioning revealed that there was another man on board who was firing his .40 caliber handgun and that he'd been dropped off at another location. On January 2nd, Brierley contacted the second man. Both men have been charged with discharging a firearm in Biscayne National Park and with discharging a firearm in a manner that endangers persons and/or property. [Didier Carod, Chief Ranger]

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/):

Vicksburg NMP - Several interrelated events were held in the park last Saturday to commemorate Mississippi's secession from the Union and the firing of Confederate artillery on a Union gunboat - the first shots of the Civil War in the West. Photo.

Yellowstone NP - Increased predation, ongoing drought, and hunting pressure have all contributed to an ongoing decline in the northern Yellowstone elk population. Overall numbers dropped 24 percent last year and are down by about 70 percent since 1995.

Denali NP&P - The 2010 Annual Mountaineering Summary for Denali National Park and Preserve is now available on the park's website. A link is provided.

Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs - Harold Werner has retired following a 31-year-career as a professional scientist and resources manager at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Photo.

Northeast Region - Dave Clark, the regional environmental coordinator for Northeast Region, has retired from the NPS after fifty years of service.

Upcoming Training and Conference Calendar - A compilation of upcoming training courses and conferences across the nation. Added to this week's calendar are the following - an introduction to wildlife diseases, two courses on managing volunteer programs, two wilderness stewardship training sessions, six new Fundamentals II sessions, and nine maintenance skills courses.

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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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