Capitol Reef National Park (UT)
Lacey Act Conviction
On November 7, 1998, ranger Jimmy Barna contacted a bison hunting
party near Bitter Creek Divide within the park. The three men —
A.S. and J.S. of Helper, Utah, and local guide D.H.A.
of Richfield, Utah — were in the process of unloading bison meat
from packhorses. When asked, A.S. identified himself as the
shooter. Despite statements by D.H.A. to the contrary, Barna
determined that the bison had been taken inside the park. In the course
of subsequent interviews, D.H.A. denied "guiding" the S.s,
contending that he'd only rented his horses, truck, horse trailer and
associated equipment to the hunters. Due to D.H.A.'s long history of
suspected poaching elsewhere in the state, the state of Utah argued that
they be allowed to prosecute the case. The S.s agreed to testify
against D.H.A. and no charges were filed against them. D.H.A.'s
initial hearing was held in May, 2002. During that proceeding, the Utah
district court judge hearing the case refused to bind the state charge
(wanton destruction of protected wildlife) over for trial. As a result,
the park decided to pursue federal charges. Following consultation with
the US Attorney's Office and the USFS, USFS agent Bonnie Bell was
assigned the lead investigative role, to be assisted by NPS staff. In
April, 2003, a federal grand jury indictment and arrest warrant were
handed down against Danny D.H.A. for felony violation of the Lacey
Act. In November, 2003, acting under the advice of his attorney, Danny
D.H.A. entered a guilty plea to a third degree felony violation of the
Lacey Act. On January 7th, a full five years and two months after the
violation occurred, D.H.A. was sentenced to seven months
incarceration, payment of $5,875 in restitution to the state of Utah
(for the bison), three years of supervised release with the condition
that he cannot hunt, outfit or guide or be associated with those
activities, and payment of $100 in court costs. The trophy bison head
was also seized from Alan Sillitoe and forfeited to the United States.
[Submitted by Ken Kehrer, Chief Ranger]
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (LA)
Special Event: Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial
On December 20, 1803, the final papers for the transfer of the
Louisiana Purchase lands were signed in New Orleans and the American
flag rose over the territory for the first time. On December 20, 2003,
re-enactors hoisted flags and fired off a cannon in a re-creation
coordinated by the park as part of the Louisiana Purchase bicentennial
closing ceremonies. The park brought in over 200 living history experts
from throughout North America to represent French, Spanish, and United
States officials, military personnel, and civilians. Speakers at the
event included Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Senator Mary Landrieu of
Louisiana, the mayor of New Orleans, Haiti's ambassador to the United
Nations, the ambassadors from France and Spain to the United States,
Louisiana's governor and lieutenant governor/governor-elect, and the
speaker of the French national assembly. A recreation of the signing of
the transfer papers took place in the original room in the Cabildo on
New Orleans' Jackson Square and was shared with the public and over a
thousand special guests via big-screen televisions. The hoisting of the
flag ceremony included the raising and lowering of the Spanish flag to
symbolize the November 30, 1803, return of the Louisiana lands from
Spain to France. The signing ceremony was followed by the lowering of
the French flag and the raising of an 1803 version of the American stars
and stripes, punctuated by cannon fire.
[Submitted by Kristy
Wallisch, Park Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
New Center Publications and Services
The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center recently published a report entitled Southern California Firestorm 2003 - Urban Interface Lessons Learned. A six person information collection team interviewed 107 federal, state and local agency personnel at all levels to capture their lessons learned in:
- Fire behavior
- Interagency cooperation
- Command and control
- Evacuations and homeowners
- Incident resource management
- Work-rest and personal safety
- Strategy and tactics
- Documentation
- Preparing for post incident
- Issues for organizational leaders
View the report at: http://www.wildfirelessons.net/Index.htm under "Information Collection Teams." Use the bookmarks tab in the pdf file to access a specific section of the report.
Also new on the Lessons Learned Center home page is an ICS search function. View lessons learned, best practices, research, and information on:
- Incident Command
- Agency Administrator
- Fire Use
- Prescribed Fire
- Fire Information
- Safety
- Planning
- Operations
- Logistics
- Finance
View this ICS search page at: http://www.wildfirelessons.net/ICS_Search.htm
New in the center library are case studies on incident command and fire behavior from recent and historical wildfires. View the case studies at: http://www.wildfirelessons.net/Case_Studies.htm. Please send the center your case studies and success stories in wildland fire and all risk.
The center is also very interested in how you have successfully used this knowledge resource center in your line of work.
[Submitted by Paula Nasiatka, Center Manager, Lessons Learned Center]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Gettysburg National Military Park (PA)
Rangers Recognized for Park Watch Patrol
Northeast Region has recognized rangers Rick Pearce and Randy Phiel for creating and managing Gettysburg National Military Park's Park Watch Patrol volunteer program. Pearce and Phiel organized the Park Watch Patrol in 1996 to address increasing vandalism on the 6,000-acre civil war battlefield. Regional Director Marie Rust presented rangers Pearce and Phiel with the region's Protection Volunteer Award at the chief ranger's conference last month.
The Gettysburg battlefield hosts nearly two million visitors a year and includes 35 miles of paved roads, more than 1300 monuments, 400 artillery pieces, and 70 historic buildings. A dramatic upswing in vandalism and other incidents in 1996 created concerns for park staff charged with protecting resources. Incidents included random destruction of civil war monuments such as when the head of the sculpture on the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters monument was broken off, a saber handle was broken off and stolen from the 4th New York Cavalry monument, and the statue on the 4th NY artillery monument was toppled from its pedestal. At the time, incidents of artifact looting were also on the rise. On one occasion rangers arrested two New York state residents who traveled to Gettysburg to metal detect for artifacts, and on another a Park Ranger discovered 45 holes dug by two men looking for artifacts.
In response, rangers Pearce and Phiel recruited and trained twelve volunteers to form Gettysburg's Park Watch Patrol, to serve as additional "eyes and ears" for park protection staff. The program has grown into an extremely successful and effective model for protecting park resources and enhancing visitor services. Currently 120 volunteers participate; some who routinely travel from as far away as California, Kentucky, Ohio, and New Jersey to participate.
Volunteers patrol the park on foot, by bicycle, horseback, and their personal vehicles during all hours of the day and night, logging more than 8,300 hours of patrol time and services in 2003. In 2002 there were only six incidents involving vandalism to monuments and the estimated damage was about $900. This represents a 73% decrease in the number of incidents when compared with 1996, the year Park Watch began.
In addition to the decrease in vandalism and looting, Park Watch Patrol has enhanced protection at Gettysburg NMP in a variety of other ways. Volunteers patrol the park after hours and frequently alert Rangers to the presence of people in closed areas. Drug and alcohol related incidents have understandably increased due to increased observation and reporting of these incidents by the volunteers. As one example, in 2002 volunteers reported a car speeding through the Devil's Den area and heard the occupants shouting obscenities out of the windows. A Ranger stopped the car and found all three of the occupants were under the influence of alcohol and all were underage. The driver was arrested for DUI.
In another case a volunteer noticed a suspicious and damaged vehicle speeding away from a remote area of the park. The vehicle was stopped as it entered a tourist filled section of Gettysburg. The volunteer's keen observation and quick action lead to the suspect being identified, and taken into custody for DUI and a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident.
Although the focus of Park Watch remains for the volunteers to be the " eyes and ears" of the park's protection staff, it has expanded to include low-risk surveillance operations, assistance with parking and crowd control at special events, and campground host duties. Park Watch volunteers routinely assist on-duty park rangers during motor vehicle accidents, searches, park closures, weather emergencies and medical emergencies.
Gettysburg Park Watch volunteers have received the Pennsylvania Governor's annual Crime Prevention Award five times since 1996.
Intermountain Region
Sam Henderson Retires from National Park Service
Sam Henderson retired on January 3, 2004, after more than 36 years with the National Park Service.
Henderson spent the last 13 years as the Superintendent of the Flagstaff National Monuments. His duty assignments have included the Superintendent of Walnut Canyon and Casa Grande Ruins National Monuments, Management Assistant at Hohokam-Pima National Monument, Acting Superintendent at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. He served as Staff Archeologist in the Southern Arizona Group Office in Phoenix, Archeologist at the Western Archeological Conservation Center, Tucson and the Southwest Archeological Center in Globe. He held the position of Chief Ranger at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Archeologist at Navajo National Monument and Archeologist at Mesa Verde National Park.
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-anniversary celebrations of the National Park Service. Shortly 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. He has worked as an interpreter, protection ranger, archeologist, and park manager. Henderson said he takes some incredible memories and great friendships with him into retirement.
Sam and his wife, Mary, will remain in the Flagstaff area, enjoying their grandsons and doing only what they want to do.
A farewell dinner is planned on Jan. 17th starting at: 6:00 p.m.
[Submitted by Nancy Schultz, nancy_schultz@nps.gov, 928-526-1157 Ext. 224]
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.