RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Thursday, May 23, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-169 - Everglades (Florida) - Marijuana Raid
On May 21st, rangers from Everglades, Big Cypress and Biscayne
participated in a joint marijuana raid on a site on Biscayne's
boundary with agents from DEA, Fish and Wildlife, and the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). They seized 1,478
marijuana plants with a potential value of $1.5 million from
eight separate sites. Plants ranged in size from small
seedlings to fivefoottall plants. The seizures almost equalled
the total for all seizures made in Dade County last year. The
joint raid was the culminating exercise in a joint FDLE/DEA
domestic marijuana eradication school, where rangers and
officers are taught aerial detection, ground operations, booby
traps, evidence processing, seizures and arrest procedures. A
marijuana spotter team in Everglades' contract helicopter
detected and confirmed the sites. [Telefax from Mark Lewis, LES,
Everglades, 5/22]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Three members of the NPS Alpine Hotshot Crew - Jim Mattingly,
William Moe, and David Niemi - have been named as recipients of
the Department of Agriculture's Valor Award for actions they
took to prevent injury and loss of life to members of their crew
and to obtain medical treatment and safe transport from a
lifethreatening situation for a badly burned firefighter from
another crew while working on the Dude Fire in June of 1990.
The three have also been recommended for the DOI Valor Award.
The entire crew has been nominated for the DOI Exemplary Act
Award, and three other members Mark Kaib, James Higgins and
Michael Beasley have been recommended for individual Exemplary
Act Awards. [J.T. Reynolds, RAD/RMRO]
THIS DAY IN NPS SAR HISTORY...
May 23, 1943 - A B-17 with 11 airmen on board crashed in
Yellowstone, killing ten. The eleventh landed in the park and
was found by ranger Tom Ela. The plane was buried in place and
forgotten until the fires in 1988 uncovered it again.
May 23, 1968 - Ranger Joe Cayou dove underneath a capsized
sailboat at Lake Mead and rescued a person trapped in the boat's
rigging. Cayou received the DOI Valor Award for his efforts.
May 23, 1977 - John "Jack" Dorn, a rescue climber from Camp Four
at Yosemite, was killed in a 600-foot fall from Yosemite Falls
Trail while on a rescue.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Sisto at planning course at
Santa Monica Mountains (5/20-5/24); Marriott at drug operations review,
Yosemite (5/20-5/23).
Branch of Fire: Hurd at NWCG meeting, Boston, MA (5/22-5/24); Botti
attending orientation to fire science lab, Missoula, MT (5/20-5/23);
Cook training Arrowhead Hotshot Crew, Sequoia (5/20-5/23); Broyles and
Farrel at fireline safety committee meeting, Boston, MA (5/20-5/24);
Norum working on wildfire response procedures, Fairbanks, AK (5/19-5/25).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
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