Big Bend National Park (TX)
Ranger/Packer Team Makes Back-To-Back Night Rescues
During the early morning hours of Sunday, October 23rd, a park
visitor hiked out of the backcountry and placed a 911 call for medical
assistance for his companion, who was camped at Laguna Meadows in the
high Chisos Mountains. Supervisory ranger and park medic Michael Ryan
responded and expeditiously made his way up the steep trail in the
darkness to the site, where he found a 19-year-old woman experiencing
severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. While en route, Ryan had
asked a park packer to join him with a mule team. Shortly thereafter,
packer J.M. and his mule, C., made their way up the
mountainside in the dark. The woman was stabilized, secured on C., and
escorted out of the backcountry at sunrise to a waiting ambulance.
Fourteen hours later, as the sun was setting, the park received another
911 call for assistance in the Chisos, this time from Southwest #4
campsite, the furthest and most remote campsite in the Chisos Mountains.
Ryan, J.M. and C. again responded, this time joined by ranger Scott
Taylor. Due to the remote location, it took several hours of night
hiking to reach the site. There they stabilized and evacuated a
20-year-old man with an incapacitating spleen infarction. While
medical evacuations common at Big Bend, night evacuations in the high
Chisos are rare, especially made by the same response crew within a few
hours of each other.
[Submitted by Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (AZ)
Two Sentenced For Drug Smuggling
On March 28th, rangers tracked a group of suspected drug smugglers
into the Alamo Canyon area of the park, an area open to and frequented
by visitors. The smugglers dispersed when approached by rangers, but two
were caught and six backpacks with 291 pounds of processed marijuana
were seized. The two men - O.S.-V. and J.M.B.-D.
- were convicted of smuggling. Burgos-Diaz was sentenced to
13 months in federal prison earlier this year; on October 24th,
O.S.-V. was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
[Submitted by Robert W. Mullikin, Special Agent in Charge, Investigative
Services Branch — Central]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
The White House
President Designates Fort Monroe A National Monument
President Obama yesterday signed a proclamation designating Fort Monroe a national monument under the Antiquities Act. Until recently, Fort Monroe was the third-oldest Army post in continuous active service, and is integral to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military. Yesterday's announcement is part of a series of executive actions to put Americans back to work and strengthen the economy.
"Fort Monroe has played a part in some of the darkest and some of the most heroic moments in American history. But today isn't just about preserving a national landmark- it's about helping to create jobs and grow the local economy. Steps like these won't replace the bold action we need from Congress to get our economy moving and strengthen middle-class families, but they will make a difference," President Obama said.
"With the strong support of the people of Virginia, from the congressional delegation to Governor McDonnell to Mayor Ward and the citizens of Hampton, President Obama has ensured that this historic fort, a symbol of the long struggle for freedom for African Americans, will be preserved as a national park for generations to come," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.
First exercised by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to designate Devil's Tower in Wyoming as the first national monument, the Antiquities Act has been used by 14 presidents since 1906 to protect some of the most unique natural and historic features in America, such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Today marks the first time President Obama has used this authority under the Antiquities Act
According to an economic analysis commissioned by the Fort Monroe Authority in 2009, the implementation of the Fort Monroe Reuse Plan - the centerpiece of which envisions the preservation of the majority of buildings located within the 570-acre National Historic Landmark District as well as significant landscapes and viewsheds - will help create nearly 3,000 jobs in Virginia.
Fort Monroe, a historic fort in Virginia's Tidewater region, played a pivotal role in the history of slavery in the United States. Built between 1819 and 1834, Fort Monroe has occupied a strategic coastal defensive position since the earliest days of the Virginia Colony. It was the place where Dutch traders first brought enslaved Africans in 1619. During the Civil War, the fort remained in Union possession and became a place for escaped slaves to find refuge. Fort Monroe was the site of General Benjamin Butler's "Contraband Decision" in 1861, which provided a pathway to freedom for thousands of enslaved people during the Civil War and served as a forerunner of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.
According to the National Parks and Conservation Association study in 2006 each federal dollar invested in national parks generates at least four dollars of economic value to the public. National parks are responsible for $13.3 billion dollars of local, private-sector economic activity nationwide, supporting 267,000 private-sector jobs. There are currently 21 national park units located in Virginia; Fort Monroe would be the 22nd and the 396th nationwide.
For the full text of the proclamation, click on the link below.
[Submitted by Office of the Press Secretary] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Office of the Comptroller
GS-0301-13/14 Space Management Specialist
Dates: 11/01/2011 - 11/14/2011
The Property Management Office within the Office of the Comptroller has issued an announcement for a space management specialist. For a copy with details on duties and application procedures, click on the link below.
It closes on November 14th.
[Submitted by Brian D. Harper, (202)354-1992] More Information...
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id;=8728&lv;=2&pgid;=3504
All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.