Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Four Climbers Presumed Dead In Avalanche
An avalanche on Mt. McKinley's West Buttress during the early morning
hours of June 14th is presumed to have claimed the lives of four
Japanese climbers. The five-member Miyagi Workers Alpine
Federation (MWAF) expedition was descending Motorcycle Hill near 11,800
feet at 2 a.m. last Thursday morning when an avalanche swept them all
downhill. The five were travelling as one rope team, although the rope
broke during the avalanche. One team member survived the
event. H.O., 69 of Miyagi Prefecture, was swept into a
crevasse and subsequently climbed out with minor injuries. H.O. was
unable to locate his teammates in the avalanche debris. Throughout the
day, he descended solo to the Kahiltna base camp at 7,200 feet, where he
reported the accident shortly after 4 p.m. That evening, two rangers
flew to the avalanche path in the park's A-Star B3 helicopter to conduct
an aerial hasty search. There was no sign of the missing climbers
or their gear in the avalanche debris. In light of the time
elapsed, it is presumed that the four perished in the accident. Rangers
and volunteers began probing the debris zone on Friday to look for signs
of the climbers. The four missing climbers are Y.K., 64, Ma.S.,
50, Mi.S., 56, and T.S., 63. All are from Miyagi
Prefecture, Japan. As of June 16th, there were 395 mountaineers
attempting routes on Mt. McKinley, the majority on the West Buttress
route. Out of the 630 climbers who have already returned from
expeditions this season, 234 reported reaching the summit, equating to a
37% summit rate. Substantial snowfall and windy conditions in
recent weeks have kept most climbers from reaching the top.
[Submitted by Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
Padre Island National Seashore (TX)
Seasonal Biotech Saves Child's Life
On Tuesday, June 12th, seasonal biotech Angela Trnka was patrolling
for sea turtles and came upon a two-and-a-half year old unconscious
child. The child, who was accompanied by his mother and two young
siblings, apparently ran into the surf unexpectedly and was knocked down
by a wave. During the time before his mother recovered him, he swallowed
a substantial amount of seawater and lost consciousness. Trnka called
for emergency assistance, performed infant/child CPR on him, and was
able to clear the child's airway and restore breathing. Her quick action
and professional response, along with the assistance of the rangers who
responded, undoubtedly saved the child's life. Based upon follow-up
stories in the local media, the child is apparently doing well and is
recovering from the accident.
[Submitted by Travis
Poulson, Chief Ranger]
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Vehicle Collision Results In Fatality
A two-vehicle collision last Thursday resulted in the death of
J.R.G., 59, of Rochester Hills, Michigan. The collision between a
Chevy Camaro, driven by J.R.G., and an older model Ford F350 pickup truck
occurred just after noon on Highway 89/287 near the Oxbow Bend of the
Snake River. J.R.G.'s wife, the only passenger in the vehicle, was also
injured and transported to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson. The
driver and passenger of the Ford pickup were not taken to the hospital
for medical treatment. An investigation into the circumstances of the
collision is being conducted by park rangers and Wyoming Highway
Patrol.
[Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]
Bandelier National Monument (NM)
Campground Closed Following Bear Incident
Early last Wednesday morning, a black bear swatted at a tent occupied
by a sleeping juvenile who was camping with his family in Ponderosa
Campground. The tent was torn and the bear's claws grazed the back of
the juvenile's neck, causing a minor abrasive injury. The family
immediately left the campground. Rangers were informed of the incident
later that morning. Bandelier natural resources staff and park rangers
worked closely with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to
determine the proper course of action to take. In accord with both
National Park Service and state policies, efforts were begun to remove
the bear. Ponderosa Campground will be closed for up to ten days,
pending capture and removal of a black bear.
[Submitted by Chris
Judson]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights
National Fire Activity – Preparedness Level 3
NIFC is at PL 3. Strong surface winds and low relative humidity will produce critical fire weather conditions today across Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.
Fire Weather Forecast
Strong westerly flow aloft will keep a front stalled over the Great Basin and the central Rockies. Strong winds at the surface and low relative humidity will produce critical fire weather conditions across Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms will accompany cooler weather into the Northwest and northern Rockies. Hot and dry conditions will continue over most of the Southwest. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will move through the Great Lakes region as well as the western Gulf states. In Alaska, scattered showers will form along the South coast with widely scattered thunderstorms developing in the Southeast.
To see a NOAA map of today's critical fire weather areas, click on this link: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/fwdy1.html
Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)
|
Day |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
|
Date |
6/14 |
6/15 |
6/16 |
6/17 |
6/18 |
|
Initial Attack Fires |
92 |
98 |
-- |
128 |
116 |
|
New Large Fires |
1 |
3 |
-- |
4 |
10 |
|
Large Fires Contained |
5 |
2 |
-- |
4 |
5 |
|
Uncontained Large Fires |
10 |
9 |
-- |
12 |
16 |
National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)
|
Day |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
|
Date |
6/14 |
6/15 |
6/16 |
6/17 |
6/18 |
|
Area Command Teams |
0 |
0 |
-- |
0 |
0 |
|
NIMO Teams |
1 |
2 |
-- |
2 |
2 |
|
Type 1 Teams |
2 |
2 |
-- |
2 |
2 |
|
Type 2 Teams |
2 |
1 |
-- |
2 |
3 |
NPS Fire Summaries
No updates on National Park Service fires have been received since yesterday.For additional information on all fires, check the following National Park Service and NIFC web sites:
NIFC
- Summary of current fires – http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
- Detailed reports on major fires – http://www.inciweb.org/
- Fire news and fire year in perspective – http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm
- Map of fire locations – http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
NPS
- Details on current NPS fires – http://www.nps.gov/fire/wildland-fire/fires.cfm
- InsideNPS Fire and Aviation – http://inside.nps.gov/fire
- InsideNPS Structural Fire – http://inside.nps.gov/fire/structuralfire
- NPS Fire and Aviation - http://www.nps.gov/fire
OPERATIONAL NOTES
25
Weekly Legislative Activities Report
The Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs puts out weekly reports on hearings, new legislation and other activities on the Hill. This report covers the week ending June15th.
In order to obtain the full text of any of the bills that appear below, click on the following link: http://thomas.loc.gov/ . That will take you to Thomas, the Library of Congress legislative tracking system. Enter the bill number in the “Search Bill Text” block, being sure to also click on the “Bill Number” option below the block.
*****************
New Public Laws
Nothing to report.
Floor Action
Nothing to report.
Committee Activity
Nothing to report.
New Bills Introduced
The following bills of interest to the NPS were introduced:
- H.R. 5930 (McKinley, R-WV-1) – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the rehabilitation credit for commercial buildings and to provide a rehabilitation credit for principal residences.
- S. 3300 (Bingaman, D-NM) – A bill to establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington, and for other purposes.
Upcoming Committee Activity
On June 27th, the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks (Udall) will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills of interest to the National Park Service. The hearing is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in room SD-366 Dirksen. The Department's witness will be Bert Frost, Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science:
- S. 1897 (Casey, D-PA), a bill to amend Public Law 101-377 to revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station, and for other purposes.
- S. 2158 (Kohl, D-WI), a bill to establish the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway National Heritage Area, and for other purposes.
- S. 2229 (Tester, D-MT), a bill to authorize the issuance of right-of-way permits for natural gas pipelines in Glacier National Park, and for other purposes.
- S. 2267 (Gillibrand, D-NY), a bill to reauthorize the Hudson Valley National Heritage Area.
- S. 2272 (Murkowski, R-AK), a bill to designate a mountain in the State of Alaska as Mount Denali.
- S. 2273 (Murkowski, R-AK), a bill to designate the Talkeetna Ranger Station in Talkeetna, Alaska, as the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station.
- S. 2286 (Lieberman, I-CT), a bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Farmington River and Salmon Brook in the State of Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.
- S. 2316 (Kerry, D-MA), a bill to designate the Salt Pond Visitor Center at the Cape Cod National Seashore as the "Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Salt Pond Visitor Center", and for other purposes.
- S. 2324 (Hutchison, R-TX), a bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Neches River in the State of Texas for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic River System.
- S. 2372 (Burr, R-NC), a bill to authorize pedestrian and motorized vehicular access in Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area, and for other purposes.
- S. 3300 (Bingaman, D-NM), a bill to establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington, and for other purposes.
*****************
For additional information, please visit the Legislative and Congressional Affairs Office website at http://www.nps.gov/legal/
[Submitted by Scott Simmons]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Office of Risk Management
Health and Wellness Program Manager Selected
Gabrielle Fisher has been selected as the first Servicewide health and wellness program manager, reporting to the chief of the Office of Risk Management.
Gabrielle will lead the strategic development of a Servicewide health and wellness program, which is intended to promote employee health and well being through education and awareness on issues including, but not limited to, physical fitness, diet and nutrition, disease prevention, health promotion, stress management, and smoking cessation.
Gabrielle has served for over four years on the National Safety Leadership Council's health and wellness working group. She previously served as a program specialist providing expertise to increase the effectiveness of the NPS Public Risk Management Program.
Gabrielle can be reached at 202-513-7160.
[Submitted by Michael K. May, Deputy Chief]
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.