- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, July 31, 1997
- Date: Thurs, 31 Jul 1997
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, July 31, 1997
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
96-534 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Follow-up on Sexual Assault
J.H., who was convicted by a Knoxville jury in January for the
abduction and rape of a 17-year-old female in September, 1995, was sentenced
on June 14th to incarceration in a federal prison for 216 months (18 years).
Rangers Jerry Grubb and Helen McNutt and criminal investigator Bill Acree
conducted the investigation. [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 7/17]
97-418 - Capitol Reef NP (UT) - Flash Floods
Flash-flooding caused by heavy thunderstorms around 11 a.m. on the morning of
July 19th temporarily trapped visitors in Capitol Gorge, a narrow canyon
located off the park's Scenic Drive. The gorge, which features a road and
trail in a normally dry wash bottom, is a popular park destination. Rangers
driving into the gorge to check the trailhead were initially forced to turn
around, as the road disappeared when the water level climbed from two inches
to nearly three feet within about five minutes. The flood reached a depth of
between five and seven feet along the canyon's trail. As the water decreased
to about two feet in the upper canyon, roads and trails foreman Bob Cox,
driving a road grader, lead a rescue team down the canyon to the trailhead.
Interviews with visitors waiting out the flood in their vehicles revealed
that a number of other visitors, including several small children, were
stranded near "The Tanks," a scenic attraction a mile downstream from the
parking lot. As ranger Robert Baron began escorting visitors out of the
canyon, ranger Jimmy Barna and chief of operations Bob Van Belle hiked
downstream in knee-deep water in heavy rain and lightning to locate the
remaining visitors. Although cold, wet and scared, all 15 were okay. They
had read the flood safety messages found on signs and site bulletins and had
followed their recommendation that visitors leave the wash for higher ground
during storms. A second storm began to move into the area as the visitors
were being led through the water to the parking lot. All remaining vehicles
and visitors followed the grader out of the canyon. The operation concluded
around 6:30 p.m. Tom Cox was the IC. The 25 stranded visitors were from
eight countries. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 7/25]
97-419 - Sequoia-Kings Canyon Nps (CA) - Cave Resource Violations
On July 20th, a park volunteer spotted a vehicle whose occupants were
suspected of looting and vandalizing Clough Cave over a period of several
months. The cave is located in a remote area of the park, and is closed to
the public because of its sensitive habitat for several endemic species.
Rangers began surveillance of the entrance of the cave and the trailhead
where the vehicle was parked. Three men exited the cave and got into the
vehicle several hours later. The vehicle was stopped; about ten pounds of
speleotherms (cave formations) and a small amount of marijuana were
subsequently found in it during a consent search. The three men have been
charged with violations of 36 CFR and the Federal Cave Resources Protection
Act. [Debbie Bird, CR, SEKI, 7/30]
97-420 - Congaree Swamp NM (SC) - Rescue
On the afternoon of July 15th, J.W. was swimming in the Congaree
River at Bates Bridge Landing outside the park. While swimming against a
swift current, he became fatigued and unable to reach shore under his own
power. Ranger Jim Watkins, who was concluding a boat patrol along the park's
south boundary, heard J.W. shouting for help and went to his aid. J.W.
was hauled aboard and returned to the landing. A short time later, he began
experiencing difficult in breathing. Assistance was requested, and J.W.
was transported to a local hospital. Following evaluation there, he was
transferred to a mental health facility in Columbia. [CRO, COSW, 7/28]
97-421 - Colorado NM (CO) - Rescue
On July 28th, J.M., 20, and his brother, Jason, 19, were hiking in the
park's backcountry. They left the trail they were following near the Liberty
Cap rock formation and tried to climb a steep and very exposed cliff. The
brothers became stuck about half way up, unable to either climb further or
descend. They began calling for help around 12:30 p.m.; a hiker who heard
them hiked out of the backcountry and telephoned for help around 6 p.m.
Ranger Lisa Lawrence responded and summoned assistance from the Grand
Junction fire department's technical rescue team. Lawrence and the team
rappelled down to the J.M.s, set up a raising system, and rescued the
brothers. Neither was injured. [Ron Young, CR, COLM, 7/30]
97-422 - Fort Stanwix NM (NY) - Special Events
A series of special events was held at the park as part of the city of Rome's
"Honor America Days" celebration between July 22nd and the 29th. One of the
mobile replicas of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was temporarily located on
park grounds, and five large special events were held in the park, including
a weekend encampment with 60 volunteers and a concert by the Syracuse
Symphony attended by about 25,000 people. Mike Kusch, chief of visitor
services, managed the events, and Saratoga NHP provided staff assistance.
About 45,000 people visited the park during the week, almost equaling the
visitation to the area for all of 1996. There were no serious incidents.
[Gary Warshefski, FOST, 7/30]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Tue Wed % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 7/29 7/30 Con Con
AK Southwest Area Inowak T2 482,000 490,700 0 NEC
Chiniklik Mt. T2 3,340 3,340 35 8/3
Galena District Paimiut T2 1,197 1,197 90 8/3
Simels -- 342,700 344,450 0 NEC
NJ State Rockwood #2 -- 1,000 1,700 60 7/30
ID Boise District Saylor Creek -- 300 270 100 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, 7/26 0 2 14 1 26 29 72
Sunday, 7/27 0 4 25 1 44 74 148
Monday, 7/28 1 3 37 0 86 105 232
Tuesday, 7/29 3 10 34 1 86 153 287
Wednesday, 7/30 0 1 26 0 65 68 160
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Saturday, 7/26 47 95 26 8 144
Sunday, 7/27 69 130 27 13 183
Monday, 7/28 89 114 42 6 184
Tuesday, 7/29 73 137 37 6 203
Wednesday, 7/30 57 127 45 7 214
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT
1997: YTD Ten Year Average: YTD
Number of fires 40,543 50,476
Acres burned 2,117,845 1,759,989
CURRENT SITUATION
Initial attack moderated in the Northwest and northern California yesterday.
Progress continues on large fires in Alaska, although fire intensity has
increased. Recent monsoon moisture in the Southwest, Great Basin and Rockies
has diminished the very high and extreme fire indices reportedly recently
from units in those areas.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/31]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Saint Croix NSR (WI/MN) - Zebra Mussel Update
On July 12th, juvenile zebra mussels were found on a monitoring device in the
St. Croix River within the park. The mussels were discovered during routine
monitoring inspections. The sampler is located 50 miles upstream of the
confluence with the Mississippi River, and approximately two miles upstream
of a hydroelectric dam. At risk are two federally-endangered mussel species,
17 state listed mussels, and the aquatic resources of the St. Croix. After
the discovery, the park placed six additional samplers downstream of the site
and arranged for a dive team to inspect the area on June 18th. Searches were
made of the river substrate, 137 native mussels, docks, boats, and a
breakwall associated with the dam, but no additional zebra mussels were
found. An interagency task force is meeting to discuss the finds,
implications and response. At this point, neither the source of the zebra
mussels nor the level of infestation is known. Possibilities currently being
explored include boats trailered in from infested waters, a tributary stream
source, or a deliberate introduction. [Sue Jennings, Resource Management
Specialist, SACN]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No submissions.
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
EXCHANGE
No submissions.
OBSERVATIONS
This section, which appears intermittently in the Morning Report, contains
observations regarding the National Park Service, the System and the several
professions of park employees.
Today's observation is the first of a series which will appear in this
section over coming weeks which have been excerpted from a collection of
quotations entitled "John Muir: In His Own Words," compiled and edited by
Peter Browning.
"I often wonder what man will do with the mountains - that is, with their
utilizable, destructible garments. Will he cut down all the trees to make
ships and houses? If so, what will be the final and far upshot? Will human
destructions like those of Nature - fire and flood and avalanche - work out a
higher good, a finer beauty? Will a better civilization come in accord with
obvious nature, and all this wild beauty be set to human poetry and song?
Another universal outpouring of lava, or the coming of a glacial period,
could scarce wipe out the flowers and shrubs more effectively than do the
sheep. And what then is coming? What is the human part of the mountains'
destiny?"
John Muir, August, 1875, from "John
of the Mountains"
* * * * *
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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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