- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, June 7, 1996
- Date: Fri, 7 Jun 1996
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, June 7, 1996
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
96-251 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Follow-up on Double Homicide
The intensive, full-scale, multi-agency investigation into the murders of
J.W. and L.W. continues. The nature of the investigation
precludes dissemination of any further information on developments at this
time. Details will be released and reported whenever possible. [PIO, Bridal
Trail Incident, SHEN]
96-264 - Denali (Alaska) - Search in Progress
The park has begun a ground and air search for a German climber last seen at
Denali Pass on Mount McKinley on Monday, June 3rd. The climber, whose name
is being withheld pending notification of his relatives, was descending with
a partner in high winds and whiteout conditions when the pair became
separated. The partner reported the incident on Tuesday to the park ranger
camped at 17,200 feet on the West Buttress route, but bad weather prevented a
search until yesterday. Today's search has involved flights by the park's
high-altitude helicopter and ground patrols by a ranger and volunteer climber
in the Denali Pass area. [John Quinley, PAO, AFDO]
96-265 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Hiking Fatality
Around 8 p.m. on the evening of Wednesday, June 5th, park dispatch received a
call from FAA personnel in Los Angeles; they relayed a radio call for help
that had been picked up by a commercial airliner flying in the vicinity of
the park. The message indicated that a young man was unconscious near the
Colorado River. Both the park helicopter and primary back-up helicopter were
down due to mechanical problems, and the state DPS helicopter could not be
dispatched due to the late hour and associated safety concerns. A commercial
helicopter flew to the site the next morning. The crew reported that the 14-
year-old male had died. Initial reports indicate that he may have succumbed
to dehydration while hiking with a church group from Bountiful, Utah. The
group's coordinator had applied for a permit to hike into the canyon from the
North Rim. The permit was issued for the group to begin the hike on June
10th. No request to modify the permit dates had been received by the park.
The individual to whom the permit was issued was not with the group. The
county medical examiner will conduct an investigation to determine the cause
of death. Other members of the hiking group were interviewed by rangers at
park headquarters. No other members of the group were injured or required
medical treatment. [Steve Bone, CR, GRCA]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Unit Fire IMT 6/5 6/7 Con Con
AK State Millers Reach T1 11,000 35,760 15 6/10
Graveyard Creek T2 5,100 7,500 40 NEC
AZ State Rose Well -- 1,000 700 100 CND
NM State * Wheeler -- - 1,000 20 6/7
* Onava -- - 600 50 6/7
CA Bakersfield District * Cook -- - 743 90 6/6
Heading Notes
Unit -- Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire -- * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex; LSS =
limited suppression strategy; CSS = containment suppression
strategy
IMT -- T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con -- Percent of fire contained
Est Con -- Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report
FIRE SUMMARIES
Millers Reach Fire - Decreased winds, higher humidities and additional
resources aided suppression efforts yesterday. Significant progress was made
on the north and where spotting and runs occurred on the evening of June 5th.
Major threats still exist to many subdivisions to the east and north,
including the towns of Wasilla, Houston, and Willow. The Nancy Lake
recreation area is also threatened. The number of residences burned is still
undetermined; assessment teams will start surveying the damage losses today.
Onava/Wheeler Fires - Interstate 25 was closed yesterday due to heavy smoke
issuing from the two fires.
FIRES AND ACRES BURNED
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 0 4 5 0 78 16 103
Acres Burned 0 65 2,157 0 32,953 24 35,199
COMMITTED RESOURCES
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 59 50 25 3 222
Non-federal 38 109 11 0 398
CURRENT SITUATION
Initial attack fires occurred in several areas in the West and Alaska
yesterday. Alaska has committed another Type II incident management team to
a new fire on the Kenai Peninsula that started last night. Large fires also
occurred in the Southwest. Resource mobilization (mostly overhead) continued
to Alaska and the Southwest.
NATIONAL OUTLOOK
Increased initial attack is expected in the Southwest due to hot, dry weather
and forecasts calling for dry lightning.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/7]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Dinosaur (Colorado) - Mexican Spotted Owls
NRPP-funded survey efforts have led to the documentation of Mexican spotted
owls in the park. This is the first confirmation of this owl's presence in
the park. The discovery on June 2nd also represents the northernmost
recorded appearance of the species in recent years. Radio telemetry will be
considered in an effort to identify habitat use in adjacent areas. [Stephen
Petersburg, DINO]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No submissions.
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
EXCHANGE
No submissions.
OBSERVATIONS
Today's submission comes from Costa Dillon at Homestead. Note the date of
the observation:
"If the American people held a popularity contest among all the activities of
the Federal Government, it is a safe bet that the work of the National Park
Service would stand high in the front ranks...But the very popularity of the
parks is threatening their existence. They are right now in the process of
being loved to death by the American people. The hordes of tourists that
pour into the parks and monuments and historic sites in increasing numbers
every year are overwhelming the facilities of the National Park Service to
take care of them. Appropriations have indeed gone up in dollars....but they
are hopelessly inadequate. The result is that the parks are in many cases
literally falling apart....If the parks brought somewhat greater financial
returns to the Federal Treasury from their millions of visitors, Congress
might find it a little easier to appropriate more money for them. The fees
charged by the parks now are non-existent or merely nominal. We should think
that any American that wanted to tour a national park in his car would be
willing to pay a good deal more than that for the privilege. In any case,
Congress should give close attention to the situation in the parks if it
expects them to continue to serve their great purpose."
New York Times editorial, November
24, 1953.
Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators. Please address requests
for the Morning Report to your servicing hub coordinator.
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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