- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, September 19, 1996
- Date: Thurs, 19 Sep 1996
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, September 19, 1996
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
96-540 - Wrangell-St. Elias (Alaska) - Airplane Crash; Fatalities
On the afternoon of Monday, September 16th, the park received a report that
two hunters from Valdez had failed to return from a sheep hunting trip into
the park. The two men - pilot P.M., 33, and passenger J.M.,
45 - had flown to the park in a Citabria Champ on September 12th and were due
back by the 15th. P.M.'s spouse was able to provide detailed information
on their itinerary. State troopers and the rescue coordination center (RCC)
in Anchorage were notified of the missing plane; the RCC advised that they'd
received three "first alert" ELT satellite signals from the area where the
men had flown, but added that they were unable to confirm the reports. Park
pilot Jim Hanna flew a hasty search in the park's C-185, but was unable to
find any sign of the Champ on any of the airfields noted on P.M.'s travel
plan. A full scale, multi-agency search was begun early the following
morning. Just before noon, the Air National Guard (ANG) C-130
communications/refueling ship flying as part of the mission picked up a faint
ELT signal coming from the cliffs above Hawkins Glacier. An ANG Blackhawk
helicopter confirmed that a crash had occurred around the 5,500 foot level,
but was unable to land near the site due to rugged terrain. The pilot was
able to put two crewmen on the ground, however, and they hiked to the site,
identified the plane, and confirmed that both men had been killed in the
crash. The bodies were subsequently flown out to the airport in Gulkana.
Specialized equipment in the C-130 and the Blackhawk's ability to fly in foul
weather brought what could have been a very long search to a quick
conclusion. [Tom Betts, DR, WRST]
96-541 - Natural Bridges/Glen Canyon (Utah) - Assist; Search, Fatality
On September 14th, the San Juan county sheriff's office asked the NPS for
assistance in a search for a party of 13 people who'd been caught in a flash
flood in White Canyon just downstream from Natural Bridges. The group had
started a hike down a slot canyon section of White Canyon known as the Black
Hole. Heavy rains caused the stream to rise rapidly and made it difficult
for group members to cross it and reach the only available escape route. Six
of them were able to cross, but the seventh - 16-year-old T.H. -
lost her footing and was swept away. The six who'd gotten across managed to
scramble up the side of the 600 foot canyon wall and find their way overland
about six miles to the highway. They eventually reached Hite Marina at Glen
Canyon and notified the sheriff's office. Four rangers and maintenance
personnel from Natural Bridges and four rangers from Glen Canyon joined about
30 deputies and SAR volunteers in a night search for T.H. and the
remaining six members of the group. Despite the presence of a state police
helicopter with night vision equipment and search lights, no sign of the
hikers was found, and the search was suspended at 3 a.m. As the search
resumed the following morning, the six hikers who'd been stranded in the
canyon emerged, having crossed the stream when flood waters subsided.
Members of the group were becoming hypothermic by that time. The search for
T.H. continued throughout the day, but was unsuccessful until three
private individuals with wet suits and other gear who'd come to hike the
Black Hole volunteered to search the slot canyon. T.H.'s body was found
suspended from a piece of drift about 30 feet above the existing stream
level. The body was recovered the following day after a difficult
extrication effort. [Steve Chaney, NABR]
96-542 - Black Canyon (Colorado) - Arrest; Illegal Jumping
On September 11th, ranger Amy Bergonzi was assisting with an end of season
trash cleanup in the canyon, which was being done with the aid of a
helicopter, when she saw a man parachute from the Painted Wall. The man,
later identified as J.R., 32, of Portland, Oregon, apparently
did not see the helicopter prior to his jump, and was surprised when it
arrived at his location minutes after he landed. J.R. was cited for
failure to obtain an inner canyon permit and unauthorized air delivery (the
regulation which deals with illegal parachuting). His chute, helmet, and
helmet-mounted video camera were seized as evidence. [Bob Cornelius, DR,
BLCA]
96-543 - Buffalo (Arkansas) - Marijuana Eradication
During the three-day period from September 11th to the 13th, rangers and
local officers conducted annual marijuana detection operations in and around
the park. Helicopter spotters detected 205 plants in eight locations within
and immediately adjacent to park property. The estimated value of the
destroyed plants has been placed at $190,000. [Bob Howard, LES, BUFF]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Tue Wed % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 9/17 9/18 Con Con
ID Hag. Fossil Beds NM * MAHFB1 -- - 125 100 CND
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; LPS = limited
protection status
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FIVE DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Saturday, 9/14 1 2 7 0 69 49 128
Sunday, 9/15 1 11 3 0 24 12 51
Monday, 9/16 0 4 3 0 37 10 54
Tuesday, 9/17 0 3 0 1 31 11 46
Wednesday, 9/18 1 2 1 0 22 11 37
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Saturday, 9/14 77 96 47 0 629
Sunday, 9/15 83 88 40 0 680
Monday, 9/16 44 45 34 0 475
Tuesday, 9/17 40 32 21 0 300
Wednesday, 9/18 37 60 20 0 286
CURRENT SITUATION
There was no significant fire activity yesterday.
NATIONAL OUTLOOK
No unusual conditions are forecast.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Regs/Jurisdiction Update - The following actions have recently taken place:
o 36 CFR Part 2: The proposed rule is still being reviewed by the
solicitor's office.
o 36 CFR 9B - Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights: The rule, which will
clarify existing regulations that were promulgated in 1978 to make them
consistent with existing laws, policies and practices, is currently
being reviewed by the solicitor's office.
o 36 CFR Part 11 - Arrowhead and Parkscape Symbols: The rule is still
with the assistant secretary.
o 36 CFR Part 14 - Rights-of-Way: This proposed rule will revise existing
regulations relating to the issuance of right-of-way permits across NPS
lands. The rule is still with the assistant secretary.
o 36 CFR Part 62: This final rule revises the current regulations for the
National Natural Landmarks Program and is still with the assistant
secretary.
o 36 CFR Part 15: The final rule to delete the "Environman" regulation
was published in the Federal Register on September 4th and was final on
that date.
o 36 CFR Part 61 - Procedures for State, Tribal and Local Government
Historic Preservation Programs: The proposed rule was signed by the
Assistant Secretary on May 29th and has passed through a review by the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House
Committee on Resources. It will now go to the Federal Register.
o Lassen National Park: The final rule deleting 36 CFR 7.11 was published
in the Federal Register on September 3rd and was final on that date.
o ANILCA 1307: This final rule establishes procedures for granting rights
and preferences in the award and renewal of competitive visitor service
authorizations for visitor service providers to conduct business on
national park system lands in Alaska. This rule implements section
1307 of ANILCA which protects certain visitor service providers in
operation prior to January 1, 1979, and which directs that a right of
preference for any future new visitor service be given to local
residents and Native corporations. The rule was signed by the
assistant secretary on July 10th, has cleared OMB, and will now go to
the Federal Register.
o 36 CFR Part 13: A workgroup met in September on the final draft update
of these regulation for areas in Alaska. It is now under internal
review.
o Jurisdiction: Work is currently underway on a concurrent jurisdiction
package for Cumberland Gap NHP for those lands in the state of
Virginia.
[Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO]
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
EXCHANGE
No submissions.
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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