- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, May 30, 1997
- Date: Fri, 30 May 1997
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, May 30, 1997
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
97-220 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Memorial Day Weekend Events
Preliminary statistics for the past holiday weekend indicate a sharp increase
in arrests and serious offenses from numbers recorded during last year's
Memorial Day weekend. Although the infamous "Hobie Cat Beach" party has been
eliminated as an event, there was an increase in serious crimes, reflecting a
general trend in the park over the past year. There were 69 arrests (up from
the 28 arrests during the holiday weekend last year), 19 Part I offenses
(only one was recorded last Memorial Day weekend), 252 Part II offenses, 11
assaults, and 35 alcohol and 40 drug/controlled substance incidents (crystal
methedrine, LSD, cocaine, mushrooms and marijuana). Serious accidents and
EMS incidents, however, were down from the same period last year. The number
of incidents is expected to rise as more reports are completed and filed.
Glen Canyon rangers were supported by rangers from Grand Canyon, White Sands,
Zion, Grand Teton, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Curecanti,
Arches, Capitol Reef, Petrified Forest, Navajo, and Bryce Canyon, as well as
officers from law enforcement agencies in Arizona and Utah. [CRO, GLCA,
5/28]
97-221 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Rape Arrest
A female concession employee was sleeping in her dorm room in Bullfrog around
2 a.m. on May 27th when a man entered her room and raped her. Investigation
led to the identification of another concession employee, R.A., 19,
as a primary suspect. Criminal investigator James Houseman and Bullfrog
subdistrict ranger Dixon Freeland interviewed R.A. in his dorm room and
obtained a full confession. He was arrested and has been charged with felony
rape. R.A. has a prior juvenile history of aggravated sexual assault on
minors and spent two years in a mental institution in Salt Lake City
following convictions for those offenses. He has been transferred to a
medical facility for psychological evaluation. [CRO, GLCA, 5/28]
97-222 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Suspected Arson
On May 28th, a local resident reported that the historic Whiteley School was
on fire. Responding rangers found that the unused, one-room frame school
house had burned to the ground. The school was listed on the National
Register of Historic Structures and served Boxley Valley residents from 1913
until World War II. Arson is suspected. An investigation is being conducted
by rangers, Searcy County deputies, and Arkansas state police. [Bob Howard,
LES, BUFF, 5/29]
97-223 - Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP (VA) - ARPA Convictions
On May 23rd, R.G., 46, and T.S., 49, plead guilty in
magistrate's court to a single count of attempting to violate the
Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). The plea resulted from a
March 8th incident in the Chancellorsville Battlefield unit of the park.
This is the first conviction the park has had for an attempted violation of
ARPA. Contributing to the conviction was the fact that both men had been
contacted and identified by the same ranger, Steve Davis, a month earlier in
the same area but outside the park. Both were advised of the law and the
location of the park's boundary at that time. Each was fined $250, sentenced
to two years' unsupervised probation, banned from all federal park lands for
two years, and ordered to forfeit his metal detector and other equipment.
[Mike Johnson, CR, FRSP, 5/9]
97-224 - Fort McHenry NM&HS (MD) - Special Event
On May 20th, the park hosted an event in which 400 of the top high school
seniors from across the country heard presentations from and met with six
recent Nobel Prize winners, numerous corporate chief executive officers, a
Supreme Court justice, the commandant of the Marine Corps and prominent
members of the entertainment industry. The goal of the event, sponsored by
the American Academy of Achievement, was to mix highly motivated youth with
leaders in government, education and business to provide them with role
models and mentors for their development. The group also toured the park.
Park staff coordinated security for the event, which took place after normal
operating hours. There were no incidents. [Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 5/22]
97-225 - Gateway NRA (NY) - Search; Fatality
On May 24th, Park Police officer Margaret Mulkearns was advised by several
people of an apparently abandoned vehicle with keys in the ignition and a
fishing pole nearby. The owner was contacted and reported that his son,
H.S., 45, of Staten Island, had recently been released from a
detoxification program and had been using the car. A thorough search of the
area was conducted, but suspended when a fisherman found H.S.'s body
floating next to the bulkhead in Great Kills Harbor. He had apparently
driven to the park the previous evening to go fishing. It's unclear how he
ended up in the harbor. There were no apparent signs of trauma. The death
is being jointly investigated by city and USPP detectives. [Lt. Michael
Fellner, USPP, GATE, 5/26]
97-226 - National Capital Parks East (DC) - Body Found
The body of J.B., 18, of southeast Washington, was found on the
shoulder of Fort Davis Drive in Fort Dupont on Saturday, May 24th.
Preliminary investigation indicates that J.B. died of a gunshot wound.
Park Police and city detectives are investigating. [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCRO,
5/27]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Tue Wed % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 5/27 5/28 Con Con
CA Santa Barbara County * Happy - - 1,600 100 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, 5/24 1 1 0 0 19 16 37
Sunday, 5/25 0 2 0 1 39 23 65
Monday, 5/26 0 1 2 0 40 11 54
Tuesday, 5/27 2 12 3 1 147 16 181
Wednesday, 5/28 0 10 2 0 67 22 101
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Saturday, 5/24 12 22 6 1 3
Sunday, 5/25 15 26 9 0 1
Monday, 5/26 11 22 9 5 1
Tuesday, 5/27 7 18 9 1 2
Wednesday, 5/28 9 6 7 0 2
CURRENT SITUATION
One new large fire was reported in southern California on Wednesday, but
there was little fire activity in other areas of the country. Units in
southern California and the Southwest continue to report high to extreme fire
indices.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 5/29]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No submissions.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Biological Technical Assistance - WASO Natural Resource Stewardship and
Science is seeking information on the availability of biological technical
assistance within the Service. A survey has been sent to all superintendents
and regional and support office natural resource personnel; a copy of the
survey has also been posted on the natural resources bulletin board for any
interested employees who would like to respond. Responses are due to Gary
Johnston by June 30th. Please contact him via cc:Mail at NP-WASO-MIB for
further information. [Gary Johnston, WASO]
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, June 10
House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 588,
American Discovery Trails, and H.R. 1513, Lincoln National Historic Trail.
\House Committee on Resources: Hearing on H.R. 901, the American Land
Sovereignty Protection Act.
Wednesday, June 11
Senate Committee Energy and Natural Resources: Oversight hearing on state
funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Tuesday, June 17
House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 1567,
the Eastern Wilderness Act.
Saturday, June 21
House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment: Field hearing at
Murray State University, Kentucky, on Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area
to consider whether the TVA should continue to manage the area.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: Field hearing in Mattawa,
Washington, on S. 200, wild and scenic river designations for the Columbia
River at Hanford Reach.
* * * * *
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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