Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)
Response to Bomb Threats on Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco PD received two anonymous bomb threats against the
Golden Gate Bridge on the morning of March 17th. The calls came in from
two different pay phones in the city's downtown area. The Park Police
were notified and sent a bomb detection dog and handler to assist Bridge
District personnel with a search. Protection rangers temporarily closed
nearby park lands until the search was concluded. No bombs were found.
The Coast Guard, California Highway Patrol and California National Guard
also assisted.
[Submitted by Yvette Ruan, Chief Ranger]
Colorado National Monument (CO)
Falling Fatality
On the afternoon of March 17th, R.B., 43, of Fort Collins,
Colorado, was hiking with two companions near Upper Ute Canyon overlook.
His friends, noticing that R.B. was no longer with them, flagged down
ranger Bill Rodgers. Rodgers looked into the canyon below and saw what
appeared to be a body about 200 feet below at the base of a cliff. Mesa
County search and rescue units were requested and conducted a technical
recovery. While it appeared that alcohol was involved, no foul
play is suspected.
[Submitted by Ron Young, Chief
Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
Fire and Aviation Management
New Brochure on Wildland Fire Now Available
A new brochure titled "Wildland Fire in the United States" which addresses wildland fire in the United States is now available. The publication presents an overview of the historic and present methods of fire management as well as the ecological benefits of fire.
The brochure unfolds to 16 1/2" to 18" and articles include; Fire-Reducing the Risks, Fire in the Right Places at the Right Times, Fire Can Benefit Everyone, Partners-Now and Always, and The Story of Fire. The publication also includes an ecosystem map highlighting a selection of vegetation types and representative areas.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)'s Wildland Fire Education Working Team (WFEWT) created this publication to serve as an education tool to highlight wildland fire and its management practices in the United States.
The brochure can be ordered through the Symbols.gov Website and information can be located on either of the following pages:
http://www.symbols.gov/catalog/products/fire_target_list.html http://www.symbols.gov/catalog/products/fire_complete_list.html
A pack of 100 brochures can be purchased for $10.00. The brochure can be distributed at meetings, conferences, workshops and in other arenas. The product ID (identification) number is NFES 99227 and specific ordering information can also be found on the Symbols.gov Website.
The WFEWT is one of 14 working teams designated by the NWCG. The mission of the WFEWT is to address wildland fire education before, during and after wildland fire incidents. The purpose of the NWCG is to coordinate programs of participating wildfire management agencies to avoid wasteful duplication and to provide a means of constructively working together. For more information about the Wildland Fire Education Working Team contact your agency representative listed on the web site at: http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/wfewt/wfeduc.htm#Roster[Submitted by Roberta D'Amico, roberta_d'amico@nps.gov, 208-387-5239] More Information...
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Grand Teton National Park/IMR
Mary Gibson Scott Named Superintendent
Mary Gibson Scott, a 23-year veteran of the NPS, was named superintendent of Grand Teton National Park on March 16. Scott is expected to begin her new assignment in northwestern Wyoming on May 2, 2004.
Scott is currently superintendent at Carlsbad Caverns National Park where she manages 104 permanent and seasonal employees and a budget of $5.3 million. Scott also provides administrative support for national park units throughout New Mexico and Texas. In addition, Scott serves as co-chair of the National Park Foundation Superintendent's Council and as chairperson of the Chihuahuan Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network, which supports eleven national park areas.
Prior to assuming her position at Carlsbad Caverns, Scott was deputy superintendent at Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California and responsible for a $17 million budget and a staff of 330. Scott also served as acting general superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area (NY, NJ), and as superintendent of the Staten Island Unit of Gateway NRA. While at Gateway, Scott received congressional recognition for bringing Fort Wadsworth, a new park unit, into the system. She also completed a special assignment on security measures for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Scott began her NPS career in 1980 as a planner at Santa Monica Mountains NRA. While at Santa Monica, she completed land use management planning throughout the 150,000-acre park, managed the NPS involvement in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in LA, and participated in a major trail design project at Guadalupe Mountains NP in Texas.
Additionally, Scott has served as deputy assistant regional director for the former Southwest Regional Office in Santa Fe, where she was responsible for numerous planning and development projects for New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. She was a project manager at the Denver Service Center, with assignments at Blue Ridge Parkway, and she served as chief of interpretation at Channel Islands NP in California. She has also held positions with the Dept. of Justice U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, and the LA County Parks and Recreation Department.
Scott earned a BA in design and a MA degree in architecture and urban planning from UCLA. In 2001, she graduated from the federal government's Senior Executive Service candidate program.
Mary's husband, Roger Scott, also works for the NPS. Together, they enjoy hiking, art, music, cooking, and Smokey - their yellow Lab.
[Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Jackie_Skaggs@nps.gov, 307/739-3393] More Information...
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Passing of Two Volunteers
Yosemite National Park recently lost two of its most dedicated and beloved Volunteers In Parks.
John Hawksworth, 80, lost a long battle with cancer on February 15. He had retired from the USFS in 1967 and volunteered with his beloved wife Marge as Campground Hosts for 20 years in the Sierra National Forest. When Marge died in 1997, John moved on to volunteer in Yosemite National Park. He worked in Wawona, measuring and mapping the giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove. John also assisted with school groups and helped interns with GIS mapping in the Grove. He advised prescribed fire managers routinely and loved each tree in the Grove individually. John was a friend, advisor, a naturalist, and(to those who knew him) an encyclopedia in hiking boots. Cards and letters about John should be sent to his daughter Charlene Spangle, 43555 Highway 41, #A6, Oakhurst, CA 93644.
Another volume of that encyclopedia, Bill Krause, passed away on March 13, at the age of 82, also of cancer. Bill, a retired schoolteacher and Wawona resident, worked several summers for the Yosemite Association, staffing informations desks and phones. He worked as a Volunteer in Park, leading field trips and teaching seminars.Bill never minded (in fact, he loved) being called on to help out with educational programs, teaching about meadows, birds, and the ecology of the area. Bill was always there for the staff and for the visitors and their children. He was a strong supporter of the park. He is survived by his wife, Pat, also a beloved member of the Yosemite community. Cards and letters about Bill can be sent to Pat Krause, 8829 Robindell Dr. Houston, TX 77074.
Both John and Bill will be sorely missed.
[Submitted by Scott Gediman]
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.