NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

INCIDENTS

Chiricahua NM

Tour Group Leader Cited For Failure To Obtain Permit

On March 19th, park interpretive staff contacted law enforcement rangers regarding bicyclists who had failed to stop at the visitor center to pay entrance fees. The entrance station was closed at the time, but a sign posted there advised that the required fees should be paid at the visitor center. The cyclists were contacted inside the park and said that they were part of an organized tour group which they believed had prepaid the required entrance fees. Investigating rangers interviewed the tour group leader, who admitted he had collected money for the bicycle tour from the participants but had neither obtained NPS permits nor paid the required entrance fees. The group leader was provided information and an education regarding the NPS fee collection and permitting policy and was cited for failure to obtain a permit. An investigation is underway regarding the tour company and its compliance with NPS tour group and recreation fee policies in other park areas. [Chief Rangers Office, Southeast Arizona Group]

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 - The National Park Service has collaborated with a group called Global Explorers to create a public service announcement - a video entitled “The Day The Lights Went Out” - about the wonders of night skies.

Blue Ridge Parkway - Blue Ridge Parkway rangers and local musicians recently hosted a 12-member film crew and South African music star Juanita Du Plessis at the Blue Ridge Music Center near Galax, Virginia.

Curecanti NRA - This summer, Junior Rangers visiting Curecanti National Recreation Area and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park will be challenged by new activity booklets.

Office of Communications - Alma Ripps has been selected as the new chief of the Office of Policy. She has been Director Jarvis' deputy chief of staff since 2010.

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The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov).

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