- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, May 15, 1997
- Date: Thurs, 15 May 1997
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, May 15, 1997
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
97-197 - Capitol Reef NP (Utah) - Rockslide; Highway Closure
A large rockslide which occurred about five miles east of the visitor center
on the afternoon of May 12th completely blocked Utah Highway 24. This
highway is the primary east-west travel corridor across southern Utah and is
an important connecting road on the very popular "Grand Circle" tour of
national parks. A large section of vertical cliff measuring about 100 feet
high, 250 feet long and up to 20 feet thick fell directly onto the highway,
depositing rubble and large boulders across the road. Road closures were
immediately implemented, forcing travelers to take three- to four-hour
detours. One of the first travellers forced onto the 120-mile-long dirt road
detour was the park's chief ranger, who ended up on the wrong side of the
rockfall. State highway crews began to blast and remove the huge pile of
debris on Tuesday morning. Two large sections of slab remained intact as
they fell, creating two 30-foot-high "towers" in the center of the debris.
At the highway crew's request, Bob Van Belle, the park's chief of operations,
free climbed the vertical towers to clear away loose rock on top, permitting
blasters to work safely below. An eight-mile-long stretch of road may open
today. The visitor center, campground and most of the park remain open.
Statewide media interest has been high; a number of media interviews have
been conducted, and two TV helicopter crews and three ground crews were in
the park on Tuesday. Thea Nordling is PIO; Tom Cox is IC. [Tom Cox, CR,
CARE, 5/14]
97-198 - Badlands NP (South Dakota) - Visitor Bitten by Rattlesnake
R.S., 52, of Waverly, Iowa, was bitten by a juvenile prairie
rattlesnake while hiking the Castle trail late on the afternoon of Wednesday,
May 13th. R.S. was leading a geology field camp for Wartburg College at
the time. He sent his students ahead for help while hiking the remaining
mile to his vehicle. Ranger Patricia Sampson and supervisory visitor use
assistant Cheryl Thede responded. Sampson contacted the local ambulance
service and arranged transportation for R.S. to a hospital in Rapid
City. R.S. was in good condition at the time of the report, but was to
remain under observation for 24 hours. [Marianne Mills, PIO, BADL, 5/14]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Tue Wed % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 5/13 5/14 Con Con
UT State Cogswell - 1,200 2,380 0 5/15
Cedar City District Kolob Creek - 115 145 75 5/17
NV Winnemucca District Tolbert - 500 1,200 50 5/15
Toiyabe NF * Wheeler - - 250 10 5/15
MT Miles City District * Timber Creek - - 140 100 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, 5/10 2 1 1 0 0 17 21
Sunday, 5/11 1 2 0 0 32 29 64
Monday, 5/12 0 9 11 1 179 37 237
Tuesday, 5/13 1 5 1 0 171 13 191
Wednesday, 5/14 0 7 3 1 31 7 49
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Saturday, 5/10 26 7 4 0 0
Sunday, 5/11 17 27 5 1 53
Monday, 5/12 15 43 8 1 14
Tuesday, 5/13 30 69 8 2 31
Wednesday, 5/14 32 49 13 2 11
CURRENT SITUATION
Large fire activity continued yesterday in the Great Basin. NICC mobilized
crews, an air tanker and a helicopter to that area.
NATIONAL OUTLOOK
No fire weather warnings or watches posted.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Reports, 5/15]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No submissions.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No submissions.
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
EXCHANGE
No submissions.
UPCOMING IN CONGRESS
The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming weeks
on matters pertaining to the National Park Service. For inquiries regarding
legislation pertaining to the NPS, please visit the Office of Legislative and
Congressional Affairs Website at http://www.nps.gov/legal, or contact the
main office at 202-208-5883/5656 and ask to be forwarded to the appropriate
legislative specialist.
Tuesday, May 20
House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 60,
establishment of Casa Malpais National Historic Landmark.
Senate Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations: Hearing on the Department of
Interior's FY 98 budget request (rescheduled from May 1st).
Wednesday May 21
Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation:
hearing on S. Res. 57, Lewis and Clark expedition bicentennial; S. 231,
National Cave and Karst Research Institute; S. 312, Abraham Lincoln
Birthplace NHS boundary revision; S. 423, George Mason Memorial extension; S.
669, Jimmy Carter NHS land acquisition; S. 731, National Peace Garden
extension.
* * * * *
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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