RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Thursday, November 21, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-160 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Follow-up on Pollution Case
Last spring, an acid mine runoff in Wolf Creek, which runs through the park,
killed over 500 fish and threatened water quality for area residents. The
U.S. attorney subsequently asked the NPS and FBI to conduct a joint
investigation of the incident. On November 15th, L.L. and his company,
Mine Management, Inc., were found guilty by a federal jury on 16 felony
counts of violating the Federal Clean Water Act. L.L. faces both fines and
possible sentences of three years in prison on each count. The case is
being viewed as a significant shift in the use of the Clean Water Act.
Rangers, FBI agents and members of the U.S. Attorney's Office - all members
of an environmental crimes task force - are now investigating two
additional environmental crimes involving water quality in the park.
Arrests are expected. [Telefax from Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 11/20]
91-628 - Kennesaw Mountain (Georgia) - ARPA Investigation
Ranger Rick Black was on patrol near Cheatham Hill on November 18th when a
park visitor advised him that a man was using a metal detector and digging
holes below the Illinois Monument. Black investigated, and came upon
W.S.M., 32, of Lancaster, Texas, who was carrying a metal
detector in one hand and ear phones in the other. Black asked him if he'd
found anything, and W.S.M. showed him a minie ball. Black then
accompanied W.S.M. back to the monument, where W.S.M. showed him several
holes he had dug. Ranger Frank Graham arrived on scene, interviewed
W.S.M., then contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office. They advised that
W.S.M. be arrested. He was therefore jailed and brought before a U.S.
magistrate for an initial appearance the following morning. He was
subsequently released on a $10,000 bond. SEAC archeologist Kenneth Wild
has conducted an archeological damage assessment and will be completing a
report. W.S.M. is scheduled to appear in court in late December or early
January. This is the third ARPA case which has occurred in the park in the
past six weeks. [Telefax from Frank Graham, Acting CR, KEMO, 11/20]
91-629 - Delaware Water Gap (Pennsylvania) - Assist on Felony Arrests
Early on the evening of November 9th, the Pennsylvania State Police advised
rangers that two men had committed an armed robbery just outside the park
and that they were fleeing in a stolen vehicle toward the park. Rangers
Deborah Forbes, Mitch Williams and Greg Jablonski responded; while in the
process of doing so, they were advised that the stolen vehicle had crashed
within the park. Forbes arrived at the scene first, secured the weapon
which had been used in the robbery (a starter's pistol), then helped local
EMS responders provide medical assistance to the vehicle's driver, M.C.,
26, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Forbes then detained M.C. until
state troopers arrived and took him into custody. The second suspect, a
juvenile runaway from Philadelphia who'd left the scene of the accident on
foot, was picked up by a passing motorist and taken to the post office in
Bushkill. Williams accordingly headed for the post office and contacted
the juvenile. Williams found that he had sustained a gunshot wound in the
hand and provided first aid, then detained the juvenile with Jablonski
until the state police could arrive on scene. Both suspects were treated,
released to the state police, and imprisoned pending the filing of multiple
felony charges. NPS and state investigators have since determined the
sequence of events prior to the accident. After the two men committed the
first armed robbery, they fled in the victim's vehicle, which soon broke
down. A passing motorist stopped, helped the two men push the vehicle off
the road, then gave the men a ride. Once in the vehicle, the juvenile drew
his gun on the driver and told him to get out. As they drove off in the
second victim's vehicle, the two men got into an argument and crashed. The
incident is believed to be drug related. The state police are continuing
the investigation. [CompuServe message from DEWA, 11/20]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Archeological Excavation
Emergency archeological field work resumed this week at the prehistoric
site discovered on the beach last year. Dunes up to ten feet high covered
the unexcavated portion of the site prior to the passage of the severe
coastal storm late in October. That storm leveled the dunes, destroyed
about 40 percent of the known site area, and left the balance vulnerable to
destruction by forthcoming winter storms. A series of 100 shovel test pits
will be excavated in order to verify the existence of the site and to
define prehistoric habitation and activity areas. Once a site map has been
developed and the data from the test pits is analyzed, a determination will
be made regarding the need for further excavations. Rangers will be on
site around the clock for the duration of the project in order to protect
and interpret the site. [Dennis Burnett, CACO]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Brady on annual leave (11/18-11/22).
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin instructing at safety for
line managers course, Beckley, WV (11/18-11/20); Kreis at regional fee
coordinator meeting, WASO (11/19-11/22).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Norum at meeting of prescribed fire and fire
effects working team, Charleston, WV (11/17-11/22); Gale serving as
incident commander for 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, U.S.S. Arizona
Memorial, HI (11/25-12/9); Botti at Western Region FMO meeting, Yosemite,
CA (11/18-11/22); Broyles at training working team meeting, White River, AZ
(11/7-11/22).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: All Offices - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax: Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO-FIRE-WO
SEAdog: Branch of R&VP - 1/650
Branch of F&A (WASO) - 1/655