- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, September 5, 1997
- Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, September 5, 1997
Broadcast: 3:50 p.m. EDT
INCIDENTS
97-534 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Rescue
While stopped above Lava Falls (a Grand Canyon class 10 rapid) on August
11th, park staff on a river patrol saw W.N. row a 22-foot Snout boat
into the rapid. As the boat entered the tongue of the rapid, W.N. drifted
to the right side and into a large ledge hole. The hydraulic in the hole
immediately flipped the boat, throwing W.N. and his two passengers into the
water. One passenger was recovered, confused and shivering, from the water
on the left side of the river; the second passenger was recovered from rocks
at the base of the rapid on right side. W.N. was located by a kayaker
approximately a quarter mile downriver, confused and significantly chilled.
The Snout was recovered a mile downriver, where rangers rigged a technical
rope system to right the 2,000-pound boat. W.N. later stated later that
the only thing he remembered was rowing into the rapid and then being picked
up downriver. [Patrick Hattaway, SDR, River Subdistrict, GRCA, 9/4]
97-535 - Glacier NP (MT) - Falling Fatality
On Tuesday, September 2nd, Glacier NP rangers and Waterton Lakes NP wardens
recovered the body of R.N.D., 62, of Kalispell, Montana, from the
east face of Stoney Indian Peaks in Glacier National Park. Shortly after
midnight, rangers were notified that R.N.D., a member of a two-person party,
had fallen while climbing down from an ascent of Mount Cleveland late Monday
afternoon. The other member of the climbing party, M.P. of
Whitefish, hiked out to the Goat Haunt ranger station and reported the
accident. Rangers flew to the site by helicopter at first light and located
R.N.D.'s body at the bottom of a series of cliffs. Due to the steep angle
and exposed location of R.N.D.'s body and the attendant hazards to rescuers,
the rangers requested the assistance of Canadian wardens to effect a
shorthaul recovery. Parks Canada wardens are extremely proficient in the use
of this specialized rescue technique. Since the helicopter could not land in
the area, wardens were attached to a rope fixed underneath a Canadian
helicopter and were flown to the site, where they recovered R.N.D.'s body at
approximately 11 a.m. R.N.D. and M.P., both experienced climbers, had
successfully climbed Mt. Cleveland before the accident and were on their way
back to their campsite. They had planned on and were well-prepared for a
climb of this complexity and were headed down the same route they used
earlier in the day. [Steve Frye, CR, GLAC, 9/4]
97-536 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Suicide
On the afternoon of August 25th, rangers received a report of a suicidal man
with a gun in the Fayette Station area of the park. They responded along
with county and state officers and found the body of J.C., 30, of
Ocoee, Tennessee, lying in the rocks beside the river bank. J.C. had
apparently already been dead for a few hours by the time the report was
received. He was found wrapped in a blanket and clutching a high-powered
rifle; the cause of death was apparently a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A
suicide note was found at the scene inside a waterproof box clipped to his
body with a carabiner. [Rick Brown, Protection Unit Leader, NERI, 8/25]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Wed Thu % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 9/3 9/4 Con Con
CA San Diego RU * Margarita -- - 400 5 NEC
WY Black Hills NF Dewey II T2 4,415 4,380 100 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
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
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FIVE DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Sunday, 8/31 1 1 6 0 28 18 54
Monday, 9/1 2 1 27 0 20 39 89
Tuesday, 9/2 2 11 11 0 114 51 189
Wednesday, 9/3 2 5 2 1 42 46 98
Thursday, 9/4 1 4 8 0 34 28 75
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Sunday, 8/31 55 154 19 21 32
Monday, 9/1 57 142 17 6 87
Tuesday, 9/2 87 169 16 10 4
Wednesday, 9/3 61 52 16 5 92
Thursday, 9/4 49 98 19 11 16
CURRENT SITUATION
Large fire activity continued yesterday in southern California, but there was
little activity anywhere else. Very high and extreme fire indices are being
reported in several areas in California, the western Great Basin and northern
Rockies.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/5]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No submissions.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
6(c) Update - The Department of the Interior has established a new all-bureau
6(c) review team under the BLM at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)
in Boise, Idaho. The team is called the DOI Firefighter/Law Enforcement
Retirement Team (FLERT). The new team will handle all individual 6(c)
claims, 6(c) position description designations, and manage the individual
6(c) files for all bureaus. The plan is for FLERT to eventually serve as a
one-stop location for all technical and individual 6(c) questions and
information. Existing requests to designate positions and to approve prior
service for 6(c)-coverage will continue under the existing process. All
bureaus and offices are urged to immediately start sending all NEW requests
for position description coverage and all new individual claims to:
Firefighter and Law Enforcement Retirement Team
BLM NIFC, FA-104
3833 S. Development Way
Boise, ID 83705-5354
Position description submissions must be annotated to show percentages of
time for major duties, must include an organizational chart for the position,
and must identify a contact person (name and phone) who can answer questions
about the position, if different from personnel. Questions may be directed
to Marcia L. Scifres at 208-387-5345. On another note, the Department has
designated the new deputy assistant secretary for human resources as the
"Secretary's Representative for Retirement Under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) and
8412(d)". The new nominee to that position has not yet been confirmed by the
Senate and therefore can not sign official documents. However, both WASO
Ranger Activities (administrative process) and Personnel (FERS claims
process) are beginning to prepare approval letters that will be signed as
soon as confirmation is received. It appears the NPS will receive 6(c)
funding again next fiscal year. These funds will again be managed in AOC to
pay for all prior year 6(c)-related costs as claims are approved. [Bill
Sanders, RAD/WASO]
Cultural Resource Awards - The FY 1998 cultural resource training initiative
awards have been announce. Twenty proposals have been selected for funding,
including training courses on evaluating and managing culturally significant
linear landscapes, monument maintenance practices on historic cemeteries and
battlefields, and an interpretive concept plan for civil and human rights. A
complete list of funded projects is available upon request from Michael Auer
via cc:Mail. [Michael Auer, HPS/WASO]
Public Health Reminder - Many natural disasters and other emergencies have
critical public health implications that must be coordinated carefully among
various safety, public information, ranger activity, local and state
government and other offices. Please insure that the National Park Service's
Public Health Service official in your region (or support office) is fully
included and informed regarding any incidents having public health
implications before any public health decisions or releases of public
health-related information are made. [Chris Andress, RAD/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.
HEARINGS/MARK-UPS
Tuesday, September 9
House Subcommittee on National Park and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 1849,
to establish the Oklahoma City Memorial as a unit of the national park system
and to establish the Oklahoma City Memorial Trust.
Tuesday, September 16
House Subcommittee on National Park and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 351,
roads at Pictured Rocks NL; H.R. 1714, land acquisition at Jimmy Carter NHS;
H.R. 2186, establishing a national historic trail interpretive center; and
H.R. 2283, boundary expansion at Arches NP.
Tuesday, September 24
House Resources Committee: Hearing on H.R. 1842, termination of the American
Heritage Rivers initiative.
FLOOR ACTION
H.R. 2107, Department of Interior FY98 appropriations - Floor action in the
Senate is likely during the week of September 8th.
* * * * *
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
pertaining to receipt of 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.
--- ### ---