RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Tuesday, June 18, 1991
INCIDENTS
90-301 - Chattahoochee (Georgia) - Followup on Attempted Rape
Arrest
In August of 1990, rangers arrested S.C.A. for
attempted rape. The arrest came on the sixth day of an
undercover operation, which had been put into effect after a
series of attempted rapes had occurred in the area, including
two in the park, one in Kennesaw Mountain, and several others in
Cobb County, which surrounds both parks. All of the victims had
reported similar descriptions of the attacker. Patricia
Ashcroft, a seasonal park ranger, volunteered to portray a park
visitor sun bathing along Sope Creek. When S.C.A. assaulted her,
rangers responded and arrested him; Ashcroft suffered only
bruises during the brief attack. S.C.A. was later positively
identified by several victims from assaults in the park and Cobb
County and was ordered held without bond pending trial. Due to
the strong case the United States government had against S.C.A.,
he subsequently pled guilty to seven felony counts, including
assault on a federal officer. On June 4th, S.C.A. was sentenced
to 65 months in federal prison, 36 months of supervised
probation after his release from prison, and fined a small court
assessment. He was sentenced under provision of the Sentencing
Reform Act of 1984, which means that S.C.A. will not qualify for
parole. [Telefaxed report from Ken Garvin, CR, CHAT, 6/16]
91-220 - Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) - Larceny
On June 12th, rangers discovered that the bronze relief panel on
the Wells monument in the south end of the park had been stolen.
The relief is considered to be a priceless national work of art.
The park is offering monetary rewards for information leading to
the recovery of the panel and the identification of the person(s)
involved in the theft. The FBI is assisting park rangers in the
investigation. [CompuServe message from Mac Heebner, CR, GETT,
6/17]
91-221 - George Washington Memorial Parkway (Virginia) - Body Found
Park Police officers following up on a report discovered the
body of a 33-year-old man from Adelphi, Maryland, in the trunk of
a rental vehicle parked at Teddy Roosevelt Island on the
afternoon of the 14th. The victim was found wrapped in plastic
bags. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of
death. The Criminal Investigation Branch is investigating the
death. [Telefax from USPP via Jack Schamp, RAD/WASO, 6/17]
91-222 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - SAR; Fatality
On June 14th, rangers responded to a report of a boating
accident near Terry Beach. Arriving on scene, they discovered
that a small fishing boat had capsized and that the two
occupants had been thrown into the New River. One of the two
men, A.R., was wearing a life jacket and was able
to swim to safety; the other, J.L.B., 58, was not
and was swept downstream. Rangers coordinated a multiagency SAR
response which included specially trained dogs, air overflights,
SCUBA teams, and water and ground searchers. J.L.B.'s body was
discovered on the 15th by divers checking an area that a dog had
alerted on. This is the third drowning in less than a year in
the Terry Beach area and the 15th drowning in that area in the
past ten years. [Telefax from Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 6/17]
91-223 - Tuzigoot (Arizona) - MVA with Fatality
At about 4:00 p.m. on the 16th, a pickup truck being driven by a
14yearold male failed to stop at an intersection on the park's
entrance road and hit a car broadside. The passenger in the car,
27-year-old K.A.M. of Honolulu, Hawaii, was killed;
B.M. of Scottsdale, Arizona, the driver of the vehicle
and the victim's sister, was treated and released from a local
hospital. No further information is available on the driver of
the truck. [Dispatch, TUZI, via CompuServe message from Herb
Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/17]
91-224 - Big Bend (Texas) - Drug Arrest
Ranger Clyde Stonaker saw an individual acting in a suspicious
manner in the Castalon District on the 15th and requested
assistance from ranger Kathy Hambly and her drug-scenting dog,
Judge Roy Bean. Subsequent investigation by the rangers, ably
assisted by the Judge, led to the discovery that the man had
crossed the river from Mexico and was in possession of 32 peyote
buttons. He claimed exemption from drug regulations on the
grounds that he was engaging in protected religious practices
and presented a letter from a church which claimed that he used
peyote in religious ceremonies. He was arrested and
incarcerated. [CompuServe message from Jim Radney, RAD/SWRO,
6/17]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION Preparedness Level I
No large fire activity nationally. Most geographic areas have
low to moderate fire danger. Little or no commitment of
national resources.
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 6/17 6/18 Status
AK AK State Big Rex T2 1,400 1,540 CN
NOTES:
Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report).
T1 and T2 indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
Status - The following abbreviations are employed:
* NR No report received * MS Modified suppression strategy
* CN Contained * MN Being monitored
* CL Controlled * None No estimate of containment
* CS Confinement strategy
3) FIRE ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Fires Acres
1991 (Year-to-date) 33,972 465,654
1990 (Year-to-date) 30,624 566,165
4) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity is increasing in the
Northwest and the Rocky Mountain area.
5) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages anticipated.
[Fire Management Situation Report, NIFCC Intelligence Section,
0533 MDT, 6/18; Yeartodate figures from NICC Daily Situation
Report, 6/17]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: No leave or travel
scheduled.
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Hurd on AL (6/21); Botti on AL (6/17)
and at wildlife rehabilitation workshop, WRO, San Francisco, CA
(6/19-6/21); Farrel at structural fire training, Death Valley or
Lake Mead (6/176/18); Norum on AL (6/17-6/21); Gale on AL
(6/19-6/25).
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)
SEAdog: 1/650