NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, March 29, 2012

INCIDENTS

Wind Cave NP

Rangers Confiscate Illegally Collected Antlers

Rangers have increased their backcountry patrols to combat the illegal poaching of elk antlers. Each spring, antlers, some weighing as much as 25 pounds, drop off the elk in preparation of growing a new set. Poachers illegally collect and sell the antlers for use in western decorations and in furniture such as chairs and chandeliers. In mid-March, three people from Minnesota were apprehended after they attempted to take numerous rocks, skulls, and more than 35 antlers from Wind Cave. Elk antlers left in the wild eventually cycle back into the ecosystem where they provide a source of calcium and minerals for many animals such as mice, ground squirrels, bison, and even elk. [Tom Farrell, Public Affairs Officer]

Glen Canyon NRA

Man Charged With Child Molestation

In October 2010, a California police department contacted special agents with the Service's Investigative Services Branch and relayed information to them regarding the sexual assault of a minor that occurred within the park on the Fourth of July weekend that year. The incident occurred during a family trip to the park and the perpetrator was known to the victim. ISB special agents in California and Arizona conducted the investigation. On February 2nd, the man was indicted by Coconino County for his actions and was charged with child molestation. Coconino County issued a nationwide extraditable arrest warrant and on March 8th the man was arrested in California. A conviction of child molestation carries a presumptive term of imprisonment of 17 years. [Investigative Services Branch]

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/):

Pecos NHP - Perfect spring weather last weekend drew a record number of visitors to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass - a battle that determined the outcome of that war in the Southwest.

Intermountain Region - Three projects in two regions have been selected for support in 2012 through the Park NAGPRA intern program.

Redwood N&SP - Staff from Redwood National and State Parks were recently invited to travel to Chile to look into the possibility of forming a sister park relationship with the newly created Alerce Costero National Park.

Geologic Resources Division - Vincent Santucci, the senior NPS geologist in the Geologic Resources Division, has received the 2011 George B. Hartzog Jr. Award from the Coalition for NPS Retirees for efforts toward conservation of fossil resources in our national parks.

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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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