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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Monday, July 21, 2014 INCIDENTS Grand Canyon NP Man Convicted Of Operating Illegal Business On October 19, 2013, rangers in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park became suspicious of the large number of hikers attempting to hike from the North Rim to the South Rim in a single day (known as a “Rim to Rim” hike). The hikers claimed to be hiking only with a small number of friends and not as part of a large group, but many appeared to be avoiding contact with rangers and they all described similar travel arrangements. Subsequent investigations revealed that S.B. of Phoenix, Arizona, had chartered five buses to transport nearly 300 people to Grand Canyon National Park to hike across the canyon. S.B. advertised the hike as the “23rd Annual” trip of a similar nature and charged each participant a set fee. Investigations also revealed that he had specifically instructed each hiker, both verbally and in a written itinerary, to tell rangers that they were “not with a group of 300,” that they were with a small group and had been transported by car or van. The large number of hikers in the canyon that day caused impacts to vegetation and created long lines at the Phantom Ranch canteen and restroom facilities. The Phantom wastewater treatment operator reported that the sewage treatment plant was operating at capacity. Rangers took complaints from hikers who complained about congestion on the trails. Several minor medicals and search and rescue operations were also attributed to S.B.'s group. During interviews, S.B. claimed that his trip was “organized” but not commercial, and that he had not profited. In January 2013, rangers served a search warrant on an online event registration website that S.B. had used to solicit trip participants and collect fees. The evidence gathered from the search warrant was used to develop probable cause to charge S.B. with engaging in an illegal business operation (36 CFR 5.3) and making false statements (18 USC 1001(a)(2)). Rangers estimated that S.B.'s gross income for this event was over $47,000, and he profited by approximately $9,500. On June 10th, S.B. was convicted on one count of engaging in business operations without obtaining a permit in violation of 36 CFR 5.3. Pursuant to a plea agreement, he was sentenced to a year of probation, during which time he is banned from Grand Canyon National Park and from conducting or advertising for any tours or guided trips on national park or national forest lands. He was also fined $500 and ordered to serve 50 hours of community service. S.B. has since formally notified all trip participants that he will no longer be conducting his annual trip, and has pledged to donate $2,000 to Grand Canyon National Park. The investigation was led by rangers and conducted with the assistance of Investigative Services Branch special agents. [Debbie Brenchley, Canyon District Supervisor] Grand Teton NP Local Man Killed In Rollover Accident A 45-year-old Jackson resident died in a single vehicle rollover accident a mile north of the park's Moose entrance station sometime during the early morning hours of July 16th. Just before 5 a.m., the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call from a passerby who reported seeing a single car tire in the road. A park maintenance worker on his way to report for an early morning shift also saw the tire and then caught sight of the vehicle down the Teton Park Road embankment, lying upside down on its rooftop. He advised the dispatch center and rangers and EMS personnel were on scene within minute. The operator was found to have died in the crash. Circumstances surrounding the accident have yet to be determined. Multiple reports of a thick fog lying across this area during the early morning hours were provided by passersby and park staff; the foggy conditions may have been a contributing factor. An accident reconstruction was conducted by Teton County sheriffs mid-morning on Wednesday and the vehicle removed by noon. [Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer] OTHER NEWS The following stories are among those in today's webpage editions of InsideNPS (available to NPS employees only) and the Morning Report (available to all readers): Office of Communications - National park visitors contributed $26.5 billion to the nation's economy and supported almost 240,000 jobs in 2013, according to a report released by the National Park Service last week. Office of Risk Management - As of July, 19,000 seasonal and permanent employees -- 75% of the Service's workforce -- have participated in just over 1,050 NPS Operational Leadership all-employee training classes. Grand Canyon NP - Two rabid bats were found in the park on separate days and in separate locations last week. The park has begun taking precautionary measures and is working with the Service's public health and wildlife health offices. 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 Service. This report covers activities in Congress for the week ending July 18th. Biological Resource Management Division - Dr. Bruce Peacock. chief of the Environmental Quality Division within the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, has received the distinguished Superior Service Award To see the full text of these stories, readers should go to one or the other of the following sites: NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index Non-NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/" http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/ The Morning Report is 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). --- ### --- |