INCIDENTS

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East Coast Parks
Parks Continue to Assess Charley's Impacts

Parks continue to assess Hurricane Charley's impacts. Here are reports from several parks that were in or near the storm's path, south to north:

Dry Tortugas NP — Hurricane Charley hit the park with 120 mph winds for almost five hours on Friday. Storm surge was so great that it washed away parts of the first layer of bricks surrounding the moat wall and eliminated the land bridge that joined Bush and Garden Keys. This surge caused all the boats on trailers to float with their trailers attached and completely destroyed two boat docks. Numerous trees were knocked down, and many of the navigational aids surrounding the park were either destroyed or lost. The park remains closed. No determination has yet been made on when it will reopen.

Fort Frederica NM — Although the park suffered no ill effects from the passage of Hurricane Charlie and reopened on Saturday, it sustained damage from a strong thunderstorm that hit the area just before closing on Sunday. Lightning knocked out the fire alarm, internet server, DSL phone line for maintenance, and the Coke machine — which reportedly "did a weak imitation of a recent 7 Up commercial by shooting out cans until it jammed."

Fort Pulaski NM — The park was spared the full impact of both Bonnie and Charley and was able to reopen on Sunday. The only damage observed was to the fort's security alarm system and to the fiber optic line that runs to the fort — both damaged by an electrical surge due to lightning. The park hopes to have them back on line within a few days.

Fort Sumter NM/Charles Pinckney NHS — Fort Sumter remained closed on Saturday because of winds and choppy harbor waters, but Fort Moultrie, Charles Pinckney and Liberty Square resumed normal operations. Some facilities were without power for much of the day. No storm damage has been discovered.

Outer Banks Group — Wright Brothers NM reopened to the public yesterday morning. Cape Hatteras NS is also open, but the Cape Point campground remains closed. Ramp 4 and Pole Road remain closed due to flooding, but Ramp 2 has been opened to provide ORV access to Oregon Inlet beaches. Fort Raleigh is open and operating on a normal schedule.

The above report was based on submissions from the following people: Ken Garvin, Southeast Regional Office; Willie Lopez, DRTO; Mary Doll, Outer Banks Group; John Tucker, FOSU; Mike Tennent, FOFR; John Breen, FOPU.

Death Valley National Park (CA)
Flash Floods Hit Park

Flash floods struck the park on Sunday night, causing power and communications outages. Roads leading to Furnace Creek have been washed out, and several vehicles that were parked at the inn were washed down a hill. The park is closed to all visitors. A full report will be provided as soon as it is available.
[Submitted by Jerry McCarthy, PWRO] More Information...

Bryce Canyon National Park (UT)
Lightning Strike Fatality

On Thursday, August 12th, a 58-year-old Dutch national who was hiking the Bristlecone Loop Trail with his wife and another couple was struck by lightning near Yovimpa Point (elevation 9,000 feet). The incident was reported by visitors to a Bryce Canyon shuttle bus driver who immediately called the park via radio.  Five rangers responded, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The body recovery and investigation were conducted jointly by the park and Garfield County Sheriff's Department.  The last time a visitor was struck by lightning at Bryce Canyon was in September, 2002.  The woman recovered after spending over a week in intensive care.  It marked the fifth time that a visitor has been struck by lightning in the park in the last 20 years.
[Submitted by Colleen Bathe, Public Information Officer]

Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Fatal Rollover Accident on Highway 191

R.K., 29, of Ophir, Colorado, an internationally known kayaker, was killed in a rollover accident on Highway 191 on the night of August 9th. R.K. was alone in a pickup truck heading south on the highway when the truck left the road about a mile north of the Gallatin River Bridge, rolled several times down a steep embankment, and came to rest on its roof, trapping him inside. Rangers, a deputy from the Gallatin County Sheriff's Department, the West Yellowstone Police Department and West Yellowstone Fire and EMS all responded. R.K. had already passed away by the time rescuers arrived. The accident remains under investigation. This was the second fatal vehicle accident in the park this year.
[Submitted by Public Affairs]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

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NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Situation Highlights — Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Preparedness Level 3

Initial attack was heavy in the Northwest, moderate in the Rockies and light elsewhere. There were 268 newly-reported fires on Monday; two became large fires, while another four were contained.

President Bush has issued a disaster declaration for areas of Florida hit hard by Hurricane Charley. Ferguson's Type 1 IMT has been assigned to provide logistical and resource support. The team will work jointly with a number of other agencies.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Weather Forecast

High pressure continues over the West except for a disturbance centered over the Great Basin. Thunderstorms are expected east of the Cascades and Sierra. Hot and dry weather is on tap for Alaska as high pressure covers the area.

Warnings and Watches

No warnings or watches have been issued for today.

NPS Fires

For a brief supplemental narrative on each fire, click on the bar with the arrow. Internal NPS readers can link directly to full reports on each fire by clicking on the notepad icon; public readers of the Morning Report can obtain similar information by going to http://www.nps.gov/fire/news

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National/State Team Commitments

Newly listed fires (on this report) appear below in boldface. Changes in the status of a fire (type of team, change from a fire to a complex, etc.) are also noted in boldface.

Fires are sorted by type of team; teams are listed in alphabetical order within each type by the IC's last name.

State	Agency	Team	IC	Fire/Incident and Location	8/16	8/17	% Con	Est Con
WA	USFS	1	Anderson	Fischer Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	3,813	6,564	30	UNK
CA	State	1	Chuchel *	Bear Fire, Shasta-Trinity Unit	10,484	10,484	100	CND
FL	FEMA	1	Ferguson	Hurricane Charley recovery	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
CA	USFS	1	Gelobter	Deep Fire, Sequoia NF	3,172	3,222	85	8/17
CA	State	1	Lutts *	French Fire, Shasta-Trinity Unit	7,760	9,050	15	8/20
AK	BLM	1	Frye	Central Complex, Upper Yukon Zone	317,000	320,000	20	UNK
ID	USFS	2	Broyles	Bear Spring Fire, Salmon-Challis NF	350	930	15	8/23
WA	USFS	2	Furlong/ Gormley	Pot Peak Complex, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	47,100	47,390	85	UNK
AK	State	2	Jandt	Taylor Highway Complex, Tok Area Forestry	1,124,158	1,136,929	NR	UNK
WA	USFS	2	Johnson #	Mebee Pass Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	238	238	50	UNK
WA	USFS	2	Larsen	Dirty Face Peak Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	-----	171	0	UNK
OR	USFS	2	Paul	Grassy Fire, Fremont NF	5,169	4,700	70	8/19
OR	NPS	2	West	Bybee Complex, Crater Lake NP	120	135	30	UNK
ID	USFS	2	Whalen	North Star Butte Fire, Payette NF	600	1,000	20	8/24
ID	USFS	FU	Cones	Porter Fire, Salmon-Challis NF	3,617	2,911	N/A	N/A
WA	USFS	FU	Cook	Freezeout Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	727	791	17	UNK
WA	USFS	FU	Weldon	Rattlesnake Peak Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	650	750	N/A	N/A

* California state CDF IMT

# Washington state IMT

National Resource Commitments

Day	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue
Date	8/11	8/12	8/13	8/14	8/15	8/16	8/17
Crews	223	229	234	317	530	314	438
Engines	315	487	497	648	709	741	741
Helicopters	100	142	110	128	150	144	174
Air Tankers	0	2	4	0	0	0	1
Overhead	1,311	1,456	1,342	1,658	2,257	2,030	2,360

Further Information

This report is meant to present just highlights of the current fire situation. Two other NIFC sites provide much greater detail:

Full NIFC Situation Report (PDF file) — http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
National Fire News — http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html

Information on NPS Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) and on park fires can be found at:
FAM — http://www.nps.gov/fire
Park fires — http://www.nps.gov/fire/news

OPERATIONAL NOTES

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Director/Deputy Directors
Director Mainella Invites All Employees To "Wear The Colors" On Founder's Day

The National Park Service will celebrate Founder's Day this year on Wednesday, August 25, 2004.  Our agency has worldwide renown and is known by the green and gray uniform and distinctive Stetson hat.  The National Park Service uniform is an identifiable icon that we can all be proud of and our agency is one that stands tall in the eyes of the American people.  In recognition of Founder's Day I am inviting all employees in the Washington Office, Regional Offices, and field administrative offices to wear their uniform (if you have one) proudly that day.  If you don't have a uniform, I encourage you to wear an NPS pin or an Arrowhead shirt to show your pride. We should all be in our summer uniforms. This is a great way to let everyone know how proud we are to be part of the National Park Service. 
[Submitted by Director Fran Mainella]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

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Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
GS-0301-12/13 Legislative Affairs Specialist (Bevinetto Congressional Fellowship)

The announcement for the 2005-2006 Bevinetto Congressional Fellowship was posted on August 5th on the USAJobs website.  The job announcement number is NPS WASO-04-045 and the closing date is September 7th. The fellowship was created by Congress to honor the memory of Tony Bevinetto, a former NPS employee and staff member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  The fellowship is open only to career employees of the National Park Service with a minimum of five years experience with the Service.  During the first year of the fellowship (calendar year 2005), the Bevinetto fellow is assigned to the National Park Service, Capital Training Center, and works on the staff of a member of Congress, a committee, or a support agency/organization of the Congress as negotiated by the Assistant Director, Legislative and Congressional Affairs. During the second year of the fellowship (calendar year 2006), the fellow will work in the National Park Service, Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs. Applications must be submitted directly to the REGIONAL/CENTER PERSONNEL OFFICE, where applicants will be rated and ranked.  Regional Offices/Centers will submit 1 nomination to a screening committee in the Washington Office, which will recommend a list of participants to the Director, who will make the final selection. Further information about the position may be found on the USAJobs website.  Questions may be directed to Jeff Taylor or Don Hellmann in the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs at 202-208-5656. Fore more information, contact Don Hellmann (202-208-5656; don_hellmann@nps.gov)

Chickasaw National Recreation Area (OK)
GS-11 Supervisory Park Ranger (LE)

Chickasaw NRA, located in south-central Oklahoma, is currently recruiting to fill a GS-11 supervisory park ranger position.  The person selected will serve as the field operations supervisor, reporting directly to the chief ranger, and will supervise five or six full performance level law enforcement rangers.  The park consists of approximately 10,000 acres and contains the Lake of the Arbuckles, a major recreation destination for the region.  The park also contains a historic district which encompasses the original Platt National Park (1906).  The lake area contains many campgrounds and day use areas.  The duties are mainly frontcountry with a high number of law enforcement incidents, especially during summer weekends.   The ranger division also operates well established boat and horse patrol programs.  There is an excellent working relationship with local law enforcement agencies and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in this area of concurrent jurisdiction.  The park is approximately an hour and a half south of Oklahoma City and two hours north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  The cost of living in the local community is very reasonable with housing quite affordable.  Both Sulphur and nearby Davis (population 3,000) have school systems with kindergarten through grade 12. Fully accredited colleges are available as close as 30 miles. Government housing is available.  The vacancy announcement is IMSF-04-35 and will close on August 30, 2004.  Contact chief ranger Dennis Weiland at 580-622-3161 x1,400 for further information.[Submitted by Michael Manning, Deputy Chief Ranger]

Coronado National Memorial (AZ)
GS-0025-7/9 Permanent Full-Time Ranger

Coronado National Memorial is seeking motivated individuals interested in skill development in a challenging work environment. Applicants must be a currently employed, career or career-conditional National Park Service employee, who is in the GS-025 park ranger series at the GS 7 or 9 level and must possess a Level I NPS law enforcement commission. ** Please note that a relocation bonus of up to $5000 will be available to selected individuals. At Coronado, rangers:

• Perform a full range of law enforcement duties in both front and back country settings, by foot and vehicle, and day and night shift work.
•  Participates in resource management/protection activity.
• Serve as a member of the emergency services team, which includes EMS, SAR, and structural/wildland fire.  Incumbents will participate in out of park wildland fire assignments as appropriate.
• Due to the parks' location, illegal alien smuggling and drug trafficking create interesting visitor and resource protection challenges for the Ranger staff. Protocols are established to maximize Officer Safety in routine patrols and special operations. Serve as a member of the multi-agency border security program protecting our U.S. border.

Coronado National Memorial is located on the U.S./Mexico border in southeastern Arizona and shares 3.5 miles of border with Mexico.  Elevation ranges from 4,600 feet to 7,676 feet, resulting in generally cooler temperatures than the Phoenix/Tucson area.  The park is surrounded by mountains on three sides with the Arizona White Oak and Pinyon Juniper being the dominant tree species. The park is resource rich with a healthy mammal, bird, reptile, plant and insect populations.  The park has one natural cave that is rumored to have been a hide out for Geronimo during the Apache War.  Hiking, visits to the cave and birdwatching are the parks biggest draws. The town of Sierra Vista is located approximately 15 miles north of the park.  It has a growing population of approx. 40,000 with schools through the Community College level.  All shopping, medical and restaurant needs are met in the community. Sierra Vista is a great community to purchase a home and grow equity. Some REQUIRED OCCUPANT government housing may be available. If interested, please contact acting superintendent Joe Evans at 520-366-5515 x21 and/or submit the following items:

1)      OF-612, Optional Application for Federal Employment; Resume; or SF-171, Application for Federal Employment — Please include all experience, training and/or education related to the position duties.
2)      Copy of your latest SF-50 that indicates your current title, series, grade and step.
3)      OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment.
4)      Provide the date of issuance of your Federal law enforcement commission, as well as list of your most current law enforcement training/refresher hours.
5)      Copy of your latest performance appraisal.

Applications must be postmarked by September 10, 2004.  Mail your package to: Attn: Superintendent, National Park Service, Coronado National Memorial, 4101 East Montezuma Road, Hereford, Arizona  5615-9376.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (AK)
GS-025-09 STF Protection Ranger

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in beautiful Skagway, Alaska, is looking for lateral transfer candidates for a GS-025-09 STF park ranger (LE) position.  She/he will serves as the duty ranger for the Dyea & Chilkoot Trail Unit of the park, and will be primarily engaged in law enforcement and public safety activities requiring a Level-1 NPS law enforcement commission and basic EMT and wildland firefighter certifications.  Additional training will be available for swiftwater rescue, avalanche awareness and rescue, campground fee management and fire extinguisher inspection and maintenance. Park law enforcement activity is light, but complex border and jurisdictional circumstances call for a high degree of cooperation with local, state and US and Canadian federal agencies.   If you are looking for a park operation with both frontcountry and backcountry areas that will challenge your physical stamina and mental alertness, this could be the job for you.  We are looking for someone with a flexible attitude, strong backcountry abilities, and good interpersonal skills. Occupancy of government quarters is required.  At present the position is furloughed four months each winter.  Dual career potential exists as the park is preparing to announce other vacancies in the near future.  For more detailed information regarding Skagway and the surrounding area interested individuals may wish to visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/klgo or www.pegbethany.org/skagway . (NOTE: the opinions in the latter website are those of the webmaster). For information about this unique opportunity and traditional ranger experience contact chief ranger Reed McCluskey at 907-983-9218 or lead protection ranger Tim Steidel at 907-983-9225.

Big Thicket National Preserve (TX)
GS-0303-05 Administrative Technician

Dates: 08/16/2004 - 08/27/2004
Big Thicket National Preserve will be accepting applications from ALL SOURCES for Administrative Technician, GS-0303-05.  The vacancy announcement opens August 16 and closes on August 27, 2004.  The incumbent of this position will assist the Administrative Officer and all administrative specialists in a variety of administrative functions.  Incumbent will be required to wear the NPS uniform.  Must have a valid state driver license.  There is no government housing available. [Submitted by Nellie Martinez, nellie_martinez@nps.gov, 409-839-2689, extension 240] More Information...

Midwest Region
GS-0303-4 Visitor Use Assistant

Ozark National Scenic Riverways has an opening for a Visitor Use Assistant GS-0303-04. The position is at the Front Desk at the Headquarters building in Van Buren, Missouri. For anyone interested in this position,  the announcements are at: www.usajobs.opm.gov . The announcement is open Merit Promotion under Announcement # OZAR-MPP-04-40. And All Qualified on the street under Announcement # OZAR-DEU-04-35. Secure Fax 573-323-8887.
[Submitted by Mary Thompson, Mary_Thompson @nps.gov, (573) 323-4236, 245]

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.