The Morning Report

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

INCIDENTS


Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (AZ,UT)
Man Convicted Of Sexual Abuse Of Juvenile In Park

On July 27th, B.P. of Taylorsville, Utah, was sentenced to thirty months in prison when he pled guilty to one felony count of sexual abuse of a juvenile within the park.

An investigation was begun after victim reports were received in 2010, and it was revealed that B.P. had sexually abused his guardian niece and had illegal sexual contact with his nephew while out on a boat at Lake Powell in the summer of 2002.

"Today's outcome is a testament to the dedicated work of the National Park Service in diligently investigating a pattern of misconduct that had occurred many years earlier," said U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo. "The conviction and sentence should help bring some measure of justice to the victims."

An extensive investigation by the Investigative Services Branch had revealed B.P. began sexually abusing his guardian niece shortly after her fifteenth birthday and continued to do so until she vacated his home as an adult. B.P., who was also court-ordered to attend counseling, will be required to register as a sexual offender when he is released from prison.

[Submitted by Investigative Services Branch]


Lava Beds National Monument (CA)
Traffic Stop Leads To Recovery Of Stolen Property

Ranger Shane Kempf made a traffic stop for an equipment violation while on patrol in the park on August 12th. As he approached the vehicle, he saw a large quantity of food and clothing in the back seat and smelled the strong scent of an alcoholic beverage.

The driver admitted that her adult passenger had been drinking in the vehicle, but denied having any open alcohol containers. She was unable to produce a driver's license and said it was valid but had recently been stolen. When Kempf returned to the vehicle, he saw the driver grabbing near the floorboard of the passenger seat. A subsequent search revealed they were attempting to hide an open alcohol container and that the driver had a suspended license under a different name then the one she had originally given. The passenger also had a suspended license.

Since many of the clothing items were still on store hangers and had price tags attached but there were no shopping bags or receipts, Kempf was suspicious that they hadn't been obtained lawfully. He contacted the store where the driver said the items had been purchased over the past few days. By using the UPC numbers of several items from the vehicle, they were able to determine that the items had not been purchased at that store in over a month. The driver remained adamant that the items had been paid for until Kempf located an item still in the security packaging that is removed at the time of purchase. He then obtained a recorded confession of the theft of approximately two dozen items with a total value of several hundred dollars.

Federal charges are pending, including possession of stolen property, providing false information, driving with a suspended license, and possession of an open alcohol container in a motor vehicle. The couple has been living in the vehicle and using campgrounds in the region. Later consultation with the law enforcement agency where the store was located revealed that one of the individuals had recently fled during a contact with an Oregon sheriff's deputy and a BLM officer.

[Submitted by David Hansen, Chief Ranger]


FIRE MANAGEMENT


NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights

National Fire Activity

NIFC is at PL 5. There are 76 uncontained large fires burning nationwide, down two from yesterday. Current resource commitments appear below, with changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses:

  • 49 incident management teams, including two area command teams (down three)
  • 591 crews (down 80)
  • 29,316 firefighters and overhead (down 3,002)
  • 1,797 engines (down 88)
  • 190 helicopters (down 27)

Fire Weather Forecast

High pressure will continue over the western U.S. today with warm, dry, and breezy weather overall. A shortwave trough will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to the southwest, including southern California. Isolated thunderstorms are also anticipated through the Four Corners region and higher elevations of the Rockies. The eastern half of the Nation will be under an unseasonably strong trough of low pressure centered over the Great Lakes, where conditions will be cool and showery from the upper Mid-West through the Northeast. Heavy rainfall may produce flash flooding in Hawaii as Tropical Depression Kilo and Tropical Storm Loke move through.

For more information:

NPS Fire Summaries

Crater Lake NP — The National Creek Complex includes two fires — the Crescent Fire in Crater Lake National Park and the National Fire burning on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The fires have burned 10,833 acres (no change from yesterday) and are 10% contained. Yesterday, crews continued to build a dozer containment line and improve existing Forest Service roads to connect with Bert Creek Trailhead on the fire's west flank. Firefighters working along the Crater Lake North Entrance road continued to patrol and monitor for any new spot fires east of the road. More information:

Glacier NP — The Thompson-Divide Complex is comprised of the Sheep and Granite Fires on Flathead National Forest and the Thompson Fire in Glacier National Park. They have burned 17,753 acres (up 407 acres from yesterday) and are 14% contained. Crews achieved more containment on Sunday and are close to finishing mop-up of all edges of the fire. Yesterday a crew was flown into the Nyack Creek Drainage and continued to mop up and control fire line as needed. The fire remains west of the Continental Divide and poses no threat to communities around East Glacier and St. Mary. Crews are shifting into a monitoring status. They will leave their pumps and hose lays in place in case a future need arises. The fire will go into monitoring status. More information:

North Cascades NP — The Upper Skagit Complex has burned 5,605 acres (up 1,263 acres from yesterday) and is 0% contained. The complex includes eight fires, all within the park. On Sunday, firefighters continued to assess and implement structure protection measures in the towns of Newhalem and Diablo, as well as around the park's visitor center. Fire engine crews continued implementing hose lays, pumps, sprinkler systems, and removing vegetation to protect infrastructure. In addition direct suppression efforts continue to keep the fire from moving west of Goodell Creek. Additional information:

Additional Information

For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:

[Submitted by Bill Halainen, Editor, InsideNPS]


NEWS AND NOTES


Office of Communications
Today Is Founders Day

As we celebrate the signing of our founding legislation 99 years ago today, we have a great opportunity to reflect on all we have accomplished this year and highlight some of the exciting things to come as we move into our centennial year. We should all be proud of the work we are doing in four key areas--A Call to Action, Find Your Park, nationwide programs, and activities and events--that will help us achieve our centennial goal of connecting with and creating the next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates. Don't forget to watch Director Jarvis's webchat from last week that also highlights our 99th birthday!

Call to Action: From connecting people to parks, to advancing the NPS education mission, to ensuring the safety and wellness of all NPS employees, we have made significant progress toward achieving the vision and goals of A Call to Action. You have shared nearly 800 success stories from all across the country and from our programs! The work you are doing in support of a Call to Action is preparing us for a second century of service. For example, since the program launched in 2008, we completed Operational Leadership training for more than 21,000 seasonal and permanent employees (#32 Play It Safe). This year we launched the NPS Urban Agenda and placed staff in 10 pilot cities to demonstrate how we can align the resources of our parks and programs to better serve urban communities (#4 In My Back Yard.)

Find Your Park: In April, we launched the Find Your Park public engagement campaign, and have had some great success engaging not only our current fans, but also reaching out to entirely new audiences. Notably, our national Facebook page has surpassed 500,000 fans--that's huge! And, we've garnered nearly two billion PR impressions with an estimated ad value of $32 million. We could never get that kind of attention alone, and we thank our partner, the National Park Foundation, for their support of this huge endeavor. Right now we're inviting the public to discover "99 Ways to Find Your Park". The list encourages people to explore the National Park System, and includes activities to represent the incredible breadth and depth of our organization.


Nationwide Programs: You have been doing fantastic work preparing us for the next century, and this year we'll be involved in some important nationwide programs including the Every Kid in a Park initiative that officially launches next week. Make sure to check out the internal Google site for more details about this cool project, and to see how you can get involved. A new, public website for this program will be unveiled on September 1. We've also made some great strides to Go Digital, including the launch of a mobile nps.gov site, and the coming release of the new and improved trip planning tool. And, the Centennial Challenge leveraged a $10 million congressional appropriation with $16 million of private, matching funds to prepare national parks and programs for a second century of service. The 106 projects totaling $26 million will improve visitor services, support outreach to new audiences, and strengthen partnerships.

Activities and Events: Throughout 2016, activities and events at the local, regional, and national level will keep our centennial celebration going strong. January will be a big moment for us, when the Rose Parade "Find Your Adventure" theme will be on full display to help bring more awareness to our 100 year celebration. There will be lots of events in the spring, including the Brand USA release of the IMAX film "America Wild: A National Parks Adventure", the Philadelphia Flower Show, National Park Week, and a nationwide BioBlitz event, to name just a few. We'll share details about each of these events soon, and I know you are planning lots of fun events all across the country.

Be sure to visit www.nps.gov/centennialto learn more about the centennial plans. And from the Office of Communication and the Centennial Office: thanks again for the work you do each and every day that brings us ever closer to our Centennial goal.

[Submitted by Office of Communication and Centennial Office]


Law Enforcement, Security, and Emergency Services
EICC Moving To Harper's Ferry Center

This fall, the Emergency Incident Coordination Center (EICC), a program managed by the Washington Office's Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, will physically move its operation from Shenandoah NP to the Harpers Ferry Center.

This move will provide better autonomy to both the park-based communications center and the EICC. It also addresses other emergency preparedness mandates at both the bureau and departmental level. While the move means a change of address, the type of services EICC provides will be unchanged. A summary of EICC's mission and the services it will offer will be forthcoming.

A key step in the transition process is filing two vacant positons. The EICC is advertising several emergency response coordinator positions (GS-0303-7) that can be found via USAJobs at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/413517700.

For more information about either EICC or these jobs, please contact Ken Phillips, acting chief of the Branch of Emergency Services, at ken_phillips@nps.gov or (928) 606-3862..

LES&ES would like to thank Shenandoah National Park and the Northeast Regional Office for all the support that they have provided EICC over the years.

[Submitted by Will Reynolds, Acting Chief]


Office of Communications
New Director's Blog Now Available

On August 17th, Director Jarvis hosted an employee webchat to talk with Will Shafroth from the National Park Foundation about our 99th birthday and looking ahead to our centennial next year.

The webchat transcript is now available, and you can read the Jon's Blog following up with some details.

If you would like to submit a question, feedback, or topic for future webchats, please email >DirectorWebchats@nps.gov.


Wilderness Stewardship
2013-2014 NPS Wilderness Report Now Available

The Wilderness Stewardship Division has released its biannual report for 2013-2014.

The report highlights key accomplishments across the NPS Wilderness Stewardship program including information about the revised Director's Order and Reference Manual 41, interdisciplinary efforts to integrate wilderness character into park planning, management and monitoring, reporting on the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, and recognizing recipients of the Wes Henry Wilderness Stewardship Awards.

Reports for past years can be found on Reference Manual 41:Wilderness Stewardship under Section 1: Background and Purpose.

[Submitted by Erin Drake, erin_drake@nps.gov, 303/969.2091]

More Information...


North Cascades National Park (WA)
Park Mourns Death Of USFS Firefighter

Three Forest Service firefighters — Tom Zbyszewski, 20, Andrew Zajac, 26, and Richard Wheeler, 31 — were killed on the Twisp Fire last week. The three men were members of an engine crew from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest who were involved in initial attack operations when the fire overwhelmed their vehicle.

Four others were also injured, including Forest Service firefighter Daniel Lyon, 25, whose injuries are deemed life-threatening.

Andrew Zajac is the husband of Jenn Zajac, NPS fire effect monitor for the North Cascades Fire Management Program. This is Jenn's second season with North Cascades.

The Zajac family issued the following statement: "We were devastated to learn of the death of our beloved husband, son, and brother, Andrew Zajac, 26, while fighting the wildfire near Twisp, Washington, on August 19, 2015. Andrew grew up hiking and camping and carried that passion with him, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013 with Jenn. He and Jenn were married in November 2014 in a ceremony held outdoors near the Gila National Forest and planned to live a long and happy life in the outdoors together.

"Andrew loved nature, pursuing both a bachelor of science in biology from Case Western Reserve in 2010 and a master of science in biology from the University of South Dakota in 2014. This was Andrew's second year as a firefighter for the US Forest Service, serving in 2014 in Mimbres, New Mexico, and starting in April 2015 in Winthrop, Washington. We are saddened that a life with such promise has ended so soon and we will miss him deeply."

Service arrangements will be announced soon.

[Submitted by Denise M. Shultz]


Midwest Region
Passing Of Rick Larson

Richard W. "Rick" Larson 54, Midwest Region's fleet and equipment program manager, passed away on August 12th after a courageous eight-year battle with cancer.

Rick began his career with the National Park Service in 2006, and played a significant role in helping to develop and shape the fleet and equipment program in Midwest Region and the entire National Park Service. His passion and dedication to the program was very apparent to those that knew him well.

Before joining the NPS family, Rick proudly served in the Air Force for 23 years, achieving the rank of master sergeant.

Rick is survivors by his wife of 25 years, Katie, and his sons, Ryan, Tyler and Kyle Larson.

Rick will truly be missed.

[Submitted by Mike Johnson]


CAREER OPPORTUNITIES


Pacific West Region
GL-0025-9 Protection Rangers

Dates: 08/20/2015 - 09/04/2015

Golden Gate National Recreation Area is seeking qualified candidates for potential lateral reassignment.

Multiple, fulltime positions are anticipated; the number of vacancies and duty stations to be determined. This is a nonsupervisory law enforcement position in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division. As a Level I Commissioned Law Enforcement Ranger, the incumbent is responsible for performing law enforcement duties including detection, investigation, apprehension, and prosecution under applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

The San Francisco Bay Area has over 7 million residents in 9 counties and 101 cities with abundant amenities and activities to pursue. The Bay Area has great diversity in people, restaurants, social events, schools, hospitals, and outdoor activities. Golden Gate National Recreation Area supports a number of these outdoor activities to include fishing, hiking, cycling, equestrian use, hang gliding, paragliding, surfing, mountain biking, etc. Cost of living for the San Francisco Bay Area is high and a respectable COLA is provided.

Golden Gate has a very diverse set of cultural, natural, and historical resources to include federally endangered plants and animals, historic coastal defense batteries, dramatic coastlines, and significant trail systems.

A strong background and interest in EMS and law enforcement, to include community policing, are highly desired for this position. An EMT level certification is required, search and rescue and equestrian experience are also highly desired. Work will be performed on a 4/10 schedule to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Permanent change of station (PCS) moving expenses may be authorized. Government housing is not available.

Interested applicants should contact Matt Knowles, Law Enforcement Supervisor, directly at 415-289-3152 or by email at matt_knowles@nps.gov

Application packages should include the following:

* Your resume/application

* Copy of your Level I law enforcement commission

* Any certifications (such as EMT, CPR, Red Card, instructor certifications)

* A copy of your most recent performance appraisal

* Current SF50, "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting permanent status

Applications may be submitted electronically via email. All application materials must be received by COB on Friday, September 4, 2015. Submit your application materials electronically to Annie_Chinn@nps.gov. Please include "Lateral Opportunity for Park Ranger (Protection) GL-0025-09" in the subject line of the e-mail message.

[Submitted by Matt Knowles, matt_knowles@nps.gov, 415-289-3152]


Yosemite National Park (CA)
GS-0020/0807-12/13 Wilderness Plan Team Leader

Dates: 08/20/2015 - 09/02/2015

Yosemite National Park is looking for candidates for a position as leader of an interdisciplinary team working to complete the park's Wilderness Stewardship Plan. Duties include:

  • Leads and manages an interdisciplinary team of professionals through controversial and complex planning projects encompassing natural and cultural resources and visitor use management. Manages large and complex public outreach and involvement programs and effectively coordinates with governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations interested in the planning process.
  • is responsible for managing and overseeing planning contracted efforts, writing scopes of work, developing Government estimates, negotiating of task orders and modifications, and providing quality guidance for contracted products. Exercises contracting officer representative authority for the execution and administration of professional services and contracts. Must be able to obtain a Level II COR certification within 90 days of entry of duty and must maintain a COR Level II or higher certification during employment in this position.
  • Leads, manages and produces work that meets high quality standards as well as meeting schedules and budgets for complex multi-year planning projects. Prepares project agreements outlining scope, staffing, scheduling, and budget needs. Examines policy issues and strategic planning objectives with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities. Makes oral and written presentations of project status to other professionals and interested parties.
  • Negotiates with individuals and groups internally and externally, develops networks with other organizations, and successfully navigates the internal and external politics that impact the park and planning project. Leads conflict management resolution efforts among public and private entities on complex and controversial projects to build support.
  • Represents the park at public functions and meetings with other agencies and organizations. Incumbent is required to operate a non-commercial government vehicle (less than 10,000 GVW) in order to attend meetings, transport people and visit proposed job sites as part of their assigned duties. In performing this driving assignment, the incumbent must have a valid driver's license.

It closes on September 2nd.

[Submitted by Kathleen Morse, kathleen_morse@nps.gov, 209-379-1270]

More Information...
Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NC)
GS-0318-7 Secretary (OA)

Cape Hatteras National Seashore has issued an announcement for a secretary to serve as an executive assistant in the Office of the Superintendent.

Click on the links below for copies of the announcements with full details on duties, area information, and procedures for applying.

It closes on September 4th.


North Cascades National Park (WA)
GS-1601-9/11 Facility Management Systems Specialist (Detail)

North Cascades National Park Complex http://www.nps.gov/noca is seeking candidates eligible for detail and/or temporary promotion under the provisions of agency merit promotion policy to the position of Facility Management Systems Specialist GS-1601-09/11. This is a temporary developmental assignment up to 120 days, beginning shortly. You will return to your regular duties at the end of the assignment. During the detail assignment, the permanent vacancy is expected to be advertised and filled with an estimated EOD concurrent with the end of the detail opportunity.

This purpose of this temporary assignment will be to allow for operational coverage and support while the permanent vacancy is advertised. North Cascades National Park Complex Facility Management Division manages a diversified infrastructure consisting of multiple visitor/resource venues, standard utility systems, and multiple asset types. Buildings vary in structural makeup, and grounds may involve extensive landscaping. Maintenance responsibility includes buildings and utilities, roads, trails, Docks and water craft, telecommunications, and campgrounds throughout the park. The purpose of the position is to provide technical support and QA/QC for all activities involved in asset management work associated with the Facility Management Software System (FMSS), the Facility Condition Assessment System (FCAS), and the Cost Estimating Software System (CESS), and to participate in the formulation and execution of long-range strategies for facility management for parks within the network. The position also provides technical support for fleet, work order and real property data management in the Financial Business Management System (FBMS) and Administrative Financial System (AFS). The work is primarily sedentary work performed in an office setting, but will occasionally include travel to front-country and back-country units of the network parks for the purpose of assisting in the performance of condition assessments and the development of preventive maintenance plans. The aspect of the work may include strenuous travel along rugged backcountry trails.

The possible duty stations for this temporary assignment will be:

Sedro-Woolley, Washington is the "Gateway" to the North Cascades and upper Skagit Valley and is headquarters for North Cascades National Park. Sedro-Woolley has a population of approximately 9,000. Most services are available in Sedro-Woolley, including banking, medical, hospital, and schools. Other major shopping is available in the town of Burlington and Mount Vernon, approximately 5-10 miles from Sedro-Woolley. Mount Vernon is the largest city (population of 26,000) in Skagit County and Burlington has a population of 7,000. Government housing is not available, but rentals are available in the Sedro-Woolley area ranging from $700 to $1000 per month. Seattle, Washington, is located approximately 70 miles south of Sedro-Woolley and Vancouver, British Columbia, is approximately 75 miles north.

Marblemount, Washington is located on State Route 20 (North Cascades Scenic Highway), approximately 45 miles east of Interstate 5. Marblemount has about 350 residents and boasts a small grocery store, gas stations, churches, community center, a post office and a number of small restaurants. Recreation in the park and Marblemount area focuses on outdoor activities including hiking, mountaineering, fishing and boating. About 18 miles down valley, the larger town of Concrete provides a larger grocery store, medical office, and specialty stores such as those selling hardware goods. Many people shop in the larger towns of Burlington, Sedro-Woolley and Mount Vernon, about an hour drive away. The weather in the summer is relatively dry with high temperatures in the 80's, with some warmer periods in the 90's. Nighttime temps are in the 50's. Annual average precipitation is 84 inches. It can snow at any time of year in the high country. Closest metropolitan area is Seattle, Washington (100 miles).

Funding: During this assignment, for those on detail (already at the GS-11 level), salary will continue to be paid by the selectee's home park at the same rate. For those on temporary promotion (currently at the GS-09 level), salary will continue to be paid at the same rate by the selectee's home park/office, with the promotional difference paid by North Cascades National Park. Travel and per diem will be paid by North Cascades National Park (lodging may be provided in park housing, with reduced per diem consistent with NPS travel policies).

To Apply: If you are interested in this developmental assignment, you must discuss this opportunity with your first-line supervisor and obtain concurrence from your manager prior to applying. Once approval is gained, you should submit:

1. A resume, no more than two pages, detailing your work history, educational background, and any special qualifications.

2. An SF-50 reflecting your tenure and current grade level

Submit your application materials electronically to nwshro_staffing@nps.gov no later than Friday, September 4th. Please include "NOCA FMSS Detail-Temporary Promotion" in the subject line of the message.

Please contact Don Sharlow, Facility Manager, North Cascades National Park Complex at: don_sharlow@nps.gov (360-854-7260) for any additional questions you may have about this developmental opportunity.