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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, June 14, 2012 INCIDENTS Point Reyes NS Man Pleads Guilty To Felony Drug Charge During the summer of 2011, rangers received information regarding outdoor marijuana cultivation on National Park Service property that was under a reservation of use and occupancy agreement. Rangers and an NPS special agent began surveillance of the property and the marijuana plantation. Last November, a federal search warrant was obtained and executed by rangers, NPS and DEA agents, and members of the Marin County major crimes task force. The search warrant also identified an indoor marijuana cultivation operation and the presence of a firearm, methamphetamine, and narcotics paraphernalia. Based on information obtained during the execution of the warrant, child protective services was notified and a separate investigation was begun based on the presence of children on the property. A $275,000 felony arrest warrant was issued by the Marin County superior court for the arrest of J.M., 45, of Point Reyes Station. On February 22nd, NPS personnel, county deputies, and California Highway Patrol officers conducted a high-risk felony vehicle stop on J.M. and arrested him without incident. On May 6th, J.M. pled guilty to all counts against him, including felony charges for illegally cultivating marijuana and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and misdemeanor charges for resisting an officer and driving on a suspended license. Sentencing is set for August. [Chief Ranger's Office] Acadia NP Two Rescued Following Separate Falling Incidents Rangers rescued two people seriously injured in separate falling accidents last week. On the afternoon of June 8th, a 19-year-old Massachusetts man was jumping around on the rocks near the summit of Acadia Mountain with friends when he slipped and fell approximately 10 feet off a boulder, then rolled down the steep mountainside for an additional 75 feet. Rangers and the Mount Desert Island (MDI) SAR team set up a series of low angle raises and lowers to get him back onto the trail and then down the steep trail to the trailhead. He sustained head trauma, facial injuries, and a broken neck in the fall. Two days later, on the afternoon of June 10th, rangers received a 911 call reporting that a 23-year-old woman had fallen approximately 30 to 35 feet. Upon arrival, they found that the Montana woman had been bouldering (rock climbing without ropes) on the sea stack at Monument Cove, located along the park's rocky shoreline. It was her first time climbing. At a distance of 30 to 35 feet above the ground, she fell from the rock face and landed on the cobblestone beach below. After a technical rope rescue by park rangers and MDI SAR, she was flown from the scene by a Life Flight helicopter. The woman sustained extensive injuries, including a broken neck, a basal skull fracture, a broken collar bone, bilateral ankle fractures, and thoracic bleeding. [Stuart West, Chief Ranger] Natchez Trace Parkway Driver Arrested For Crack Cocaine Possession On June 10th, field training ranger Brent Mahle and trainee Brad Jones observed a vehicle whose driver was not wearing a seatbelt. When they attempted to stop it, the driver fled down the parkway. A brief high-speed pursuit ensued that ended when the driver arrived at a dead end and attempted to flee on foot. He was apprehended during the subsequent foot pursuit and taken into custody without further incident. A search of the bag that he fled with revealed two and a half pounds of marijuana, 40 grams of crack cocaine, and $2,000. A check of his criminal history showed a previous arrest for possession with intent to distribute. This was the second felony drug arrest by Jones last weekend. He also had four DUI arrests (two of them felonies) and two other PCS cases during the first two weeks of this training phase. [Sarah Davis, 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/): Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front NHP - On Saturday, May 26th, the park held a grand opening of its new visitor center - a much-anticipated project that has been in the pipeline since the park's establishment in 2000. Learning and Development - The Service's leadership case study program is seeking submissions from current NPS employees at the division chief, superintendent, or equivalent program staff level or above who have experienced significant leadership challenges that represent opportunities for broader learning. The submission deadline has been extended to June 27th. * * * * 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). --- ### --- |