Shenandoah National Park (VA)
Operation VIPER
On Wednesday, January 7th, the NPS and Virginia Department of Game
and Inland Fisheries announced the results of a multi-year, joint
undercover investigation that has led to the filing of charges for
numerous wildlife violations and has linked the communities surrounding
the park with the multi-million-dollar international black market in
American black bears and ginseng plants. A total of 487 state charges
— 193 felonies and 294 misdemeanors — and 204 federal charges
— 99 felonies and 105 misdemeanors — have been filed against
over 100 people in seven states, the District of Columbia and one other
country. Operation VIPER (Virginia Interagency Effort to Protect
Environmental Resources) is the latest in a series of cooperative
interagency investigations into illegal wildlife activities. This
operation built upon previous state and federal undercover
investigations, including Operations SOUP (Special Operation to Uncover
Poaching), which was concluded in January, 1999. Evidence obtained from
Operation SOUP revealed the existence of extensive illegal taking and
trade in black bear parts from Virginia, including Shenandoah NP,
primarily with Asian markets in the Mid-Atlantic states and overseas.
Operation SOUP also revealed that many of the people involved in the
illegal bear trade were involved in the illegal commercial trade in wild
American ginseng roots, some of which were taken from the park. Over the
past three years, investigators have analyzed the flow of ginseng and
black bear parts and their interrelationship with each other — as
well as other commodities on the black market, including other
federally-protected species. An undercover agent set up and operated a
sporting goods business near Elkton that bought and sold bear parts and
ginseng roots, thereby making it possible for investigators to
infiltrate the community involved in these illegal takings. Operation
VIPER has uncovered evidence that whole bears, gall bladders, bear paws
and other bear parts originating in Virginia are being trafficked to
Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey,
New York, California and overseas. A direct connection between Virginia
and South Korea has been identified, as well as links to other
countries. Support for the operation was provided by the FBI, Maryland
Department of Natural Resources, the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic
Laboratory, the United States Attorney's Office, and the Virginia
Commonwealth Attorney's Office.
[Submitted by Claire Comer]
Pipe Spring National Monument (AZ)
Water Damage to Building
A sprinkler system head in the joint Pipe Spring National
Monument-Kaibab Paiute Tribe visitor center complex failed on the
afternoon of December 31st. An NPS contractor recently equipped the
building with a dry pipe sprinkler system during rehabilitation of the
structure as a partnership visitor center and museum. The sprinkler head
that failed was located in a room in an unoccupied end of the building
intermittently used by the tribe or its lessees as a kitchen for public
food service. The two brass uprights holding the sprinkler deflector to
the body of the dry pendant sprinkler broke, the glass activation bulb
broke, the system activated, and water poured from the sprinkler body
into the kitchen and café area to an approximate depth of more than an
inch. Park maintenance personnel responded and cleared water from the
building. An investigation into the cause of the failure and an
evaluation of the extent of the damage are being conducted.
[Submitted by John Hiscock, Superintendent]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Law Enforcement and Emergency Services
New Special Park Uses Application Forms
The Office of Management and Budget has renewed the three special park uses applications through 2006. While the information collected by these applications remains the same, the format was adapted to create forms that are more user friendly (for both park staff and the applicant) and more uniform in appearance. Parks are required to use these OMB approved applications. The forms must have the OMB control number on them and an expiration date of December 31, 2006. Parks should download the files from the special park uses program page (click on "More Information" below) and customize them by adding the park's name, address and the amount of the park's application fee. The old forms with an expiration date of September 30, 2003 should no longer be used. The NPS commitment to the eGovernment initiative will require most parks to have these applications available to the general public through the park's web site by the end of this fiscal year. Assistance will be available, if needed, from the WASO Special Park Uses Office to help parks create park specific applications in PDF format.
[Submitted by Lee Dickinson] More Information...
Fee Management Program
2004 National Parks Pass
Parks are now able to order the 2004 National Parks Pass through the NPP call center at 1/888/GOPARKS or through the NPP website at: https://buy.nationalparks.org/b2b/B2BLogin.asp. However, the passes will not be available to be shipped until early to mid-January. Production of the passes was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. For more information and a copy of the official memo regarding 2004 NPP stock orders, customer service procedures, and returning 2003 inventory, visit the Fee Program website at: http://inside.nps.gov/programs/programcustommenu.cfm?menuid=870&div=87&prog=501[Submitted by Jolene Johnnson, jolene_johnson@nps.gov, 540-745-3388]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Buffalo National River (AR)
Death of Retired Ranger
On January 2nd, retired park ranger Mark Moseley, 66, of Jasper, Arkansas, was killed in a motor vehicle accident just south of Harrison, Arkansas. Mark was on his way to work when a vehicle went through a stop sign and struck the drivers side of his pickup. He was killed instantly. Mark worked for the National Park Service for 37 years at Yellowstone NP, Everglades NP, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Hot Springs NP, and Buffalo NR, where he was one of the first (if not the first) rangers hired. Mark served as district ranger for Upper District for 15 years and as a visitor protection specialist, a SET member, a firearms instructor, and a DARE instructor for area schools. He retired in 1999 and became a security guard at the Federal Building in Harrison, where park headquarters is located. Anyone who had the opportunity to get to know Mark Moseley knew how dedicated he was to the Park Service and were touched by a gentleman's wisdom and heart of gold. Mark will be sorely missed by the park family at Buffalo National River. He will continue to touch our hearts as he has always done; with every story he told came a moral and a hearty laugh. [Robert Maguire]
Flagstaff Area National Monuments
Sam Henderson Retirement
Sam Henderson retired on January 3, 2004, after more than 36 years with the National Park Service. During his career, he served in numerous positions in the southwest, including park manager, archeologist, interpreter, and protection ranger.
A farewell dinner is planned in Flagstaff on Jan. 17, starting at 6:00pm. If you would like further details, contact Nancy Schultz at: 928-526-1157 X224 or Nancy_Schultz@nps.gov.
Sam has spent the last 13 years as the Superintendent of the Flagstaff National Monuments (Wupatki, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Walnut Canyon National Monuments). In previous assignments, he served as Superintendent at Walnut Canyon and Casa Grande Ruins National Monuments, Management Assistant at Hohokam-Pima National Monument, and Acting Superintendent at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
He also served as Staff Archeologist in the Southern Arizona Group Office in Phoenix, and as Archeologist at both the Western Archeological Conservation Center in Tucson and the Southwest Archeological Center in Globe. During his tours of duty at the two archeological centers, Sam worked on documentation and preservation projects in almost all the parks with cultural resources in the greater Four Corners areas.
Sam began his career as a seasonal employee at Navajo National Monument in 1966 during the fifty-year anniversary celebrations of the National Park Service. After graduation from Northern Arizona University, he got his first permanent assignment at Grand Canyon National Park as a trainee at the Albright Training Center. Other positions included Chief Ranger at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Archeologist at Navajo National Monument and Archeologist at Mesa Verde National Park.
Sam says he takes some incredible memories and great friendships with him into retirement. He and his wife Mary will remain in Flagstaff, enjoying their grandsons and doing only what they want to do.
[Submitted by Carol Kruse, Carol_Kruse@nps.gov, 928-526-1157 x271]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.