NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, March 19, 2012

INCIDENTS

Delaware Water Gap NRA

Fire Destroys Historic House

On Monday, March 12th, a fire destroyed the James Van Campen House (more recently known as the Miller Farmhouse) on Old Mine Road on the New Jersey side of the park. The fire was reported to the park's 24-hour emergency communications center at 4:38 a.m. on Monday morning by an individual driving on River Road in Pennsylvania who could see something burning across the river on the New Jersey side. Within five minutes, a second phone call was made to confirm that a building was on fire. Firefighters from the Knowlton, Blairstown and Portland fire departments and from the National Park Service responded. By the time they arrived, though, the house had burned completely. The building was vacant at the time of the fire. James Van Campen built the original portion of the two-story, frame house in 1812 on property he inherited from his father, Abraham Van Campen. The house was typical of the early, rural farmhouses in the area and had local, historic significance as part of the Old Mine Road Historic District. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, but is under investigation by the National Park Service. Anyone with information that may aid with the investigation is asked to call the park's emergency communications center at 1-800-543-4295. [Deb Nordeen, Public Affairs Officer]

Organ Pipe Cactus NM

Rangers Rescue Lost Hiker

On March 3rd, a 63-year-old Alaska man who thought he was walking a loop trail on a day hike in the Estes Canyon area ended up atop 4,808-foot Mount Ajo, the park's highest peak, and was evidently unable to continue. Around 7:30 p.m., rangers received word from the Pima County Sheriff's Office that the hiker was off trail and lost in the Estes Canyon area. Rangers, Border Patrol agents, and a US Customs Service aircraft responded. The man had called 911 on his cell phone and reported he was unprepared to spend the night out. He told the sheriff's 911 dispatch that he had left the Estes Canyon/Bull Pasture Trail and had climbed to the very top of Mount Ajo. The pilot of the Customs aircraft confirmed the man's location but could not land nearby. Ranger Mark Wozniak and a Border Patrol agent hiked to Bull Pasture, where they found the man, who had made his way down from the mountain. He was in fairly good condition and walked out to the trailhead with minimal help. [Matt Vandzura, 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/):

Office of Communications - National Park Week this year will run from Saturday, April 21st, through Sunday, April 29th. The theme is “Picture Yourself in a National Park.”

Climate Change Response Program - To supplement guidance available in Management Policies 2006, Director Jarvis recently issued a policy memorandum entitled “Applying NPS Management Policies in the Context of Climate Change.”

Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings, newly introduced bills, and the status of legislation of interest to the National Park Service. This report covers activities during the week ending on March 16th.

Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - Ken Phillips, a 29-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been selected as the chief of the Service's Branch of Search and Rescue. He will assume his duties on March 25th.

NPS LETC - The yearly training class on law enforcement for managers was held during the first full week of March and attended by 34 regional directors, superintendents, and chief rangers from around the United States.

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The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced with the support of the Office of the Assistant Director for Information Resources and 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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