Rocky Mountain National Park (CO)
Memorial Service Held For Jeff Christensen

On the morning of Wednesday, August 10th, the family, friends and colleagues of ranger Jeff Christensen joined in a memorial service and celebration of his life at the Hyde Chapel at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. More than 650 people attended, both inside the chapel and listening from outside.

Following a welcome and prayer, there were words of honor and remembrance from a number of speakers. Following are three of those tributes:

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"Each of us feels the loss of Jeff personally, and our hearts go out to his family and friends. In his open face and his broad smile, we see the reflection of our own children, our own brothers and sisters, our own close friends. We know that their loss would diminish our world; would make our hearts ache; would test our hope and faith.

"But we know, too, that all life is fleeting, and that the lives of young people like Jeff Christensen and his friend and colleague Suzi Roberts enrich our world immeasurably, making it a better place, and bringing joy to friends and strangers alike.

"Jeff believed in service. He was trained to help. He lived to benefit others. He was a ranger, an emergency medical technician, served on the ski patrol, and was active in search and rescue. Many of those searching for Jeff said that they knew, if the tables were turned, it would be Jeff spending those long days search for them. Jeff followed his heart, he did what he loved, and what he loved was helping others.

"He also loved the outdoors. As a ranger, he made the commitment to protect and preserve one of the most beautiful places on earth. He took great joy in being in the park and in helping people understand its rare and delicate beauty. In the backcountry, he was in his element — soaking in the natural world, helping visitors, promoting the preservation and understanding of a special place that is set aside for all of us. Only through the efforts of energetic and dedicated people life Jeff are these places passed down as our priceless legacy from one generation to the next.

"I am proud to work for an organization that drew Jeff to it — proud to say that we wore the same uniform and shared the same values. And I am humbled to be here, sharing his memory and honoring someone so dedicated to living life to its fullest in service to us all and the world around us. I would like to say, on behalf of the entire National Park Service, thank you, Jeff, for all you have done for us, and thank you to his family for instilling in him such powerful values, and for sharing him with us."

Mike Snyder, Acting Regional Director, Intermountain Region

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"Jeffrey Alan Christensen, 31, of Estes Park and Winter Park, Colorado, died Friday, July 29, 2005, in Rocky Mountain National Park.  He was born February 23, 1974, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Dale and Christine Christensen.

"Jeff graduated from Forest Lake High School in Forest Lake, Minnesota.  In May 1998, he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota at Duluth, with a major in history and a minor in geography.  He completed law enforcement training at Santa Rosa in December, 2001. Jeff lived in Arvada, Colorado, for one year, then moved to Winter Park.  He worked for the Winter Park Ski Resort doing ski patrol during the winter seasons from 1999 to 2004. 

"Jeff first came to Rocky in June 2001 as a maintenance worker on the west side.  According to his co-workers in maintenance, he was very nimble as he scrambled around on the roofs of the comfort stations in the Timber Creek Campground. He returned to Rocky to work as a law enforcement park ranger on the west side during the 2002, 2003 and 2004 summer seasons.  He moved to the east side this spring to expand his experience as a park ranger. 

"Jeff enjoyed skiing, volleyball and softball, hiking, biking and rock climbing.

"Jeff is preceded in death by his grandfathers:  G.C. L.H. (as).  He is survived by his parents, D. and C., of Forest Lake, Minnesota; his grandmothers: A.C. of St. Paul, Minnesota, and A.H. of Pine City, Minnesota; and his two brothers and sister-in-law: J.C. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and B. and J.C. of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

"Rocky Mountain NP was an important part of Jeff's life, as he was an important part of our lives.  As we observe the 90th anniversary of the park's establishment, I recall the words of Enos Mills, one of those who worked to establish the park those many years ago.

          This is a beautiful world, and all who go out under the open
          sky willfeel the gentle, kindly influences of Nature and hear
          her goodtidings.  Beauty, like a friend, inspires everyone to do
          his best.

"Jeff did his best during his time here at Rocky.  He was part of our family.  Dale and Chris, I want you to know that you have touched our hearts this past week and that we will continue to honor Jeff here at Rocky every day by protecting the mountains he loved and serving the visitors he served.

"Over the years, a lot of people have paid tribute to the employees of the National Park Service.  Perhaps it's fitting, then, to close my remarks with the closing words of Director Horace Albright's 1933 farewell letter to his friends and coworkers:

          We have been compared to the military forces because of our
          dedication and esprit de corps.  In a sense this is true.  We do
          act as guardians of our country's land.  Our National Park
          Service uniform which we wear with pride does command the
          respect of our fellow citizens.  We have the spirit of fighters,
          not as a destructive force, but as a power for good.  With this
          spirit, each of us is an integral part of the preservation of the
          magnificent heritage we have been given, so that centuries
          from now people of our world, or perhaps of other worlds, may
          see and understand what is unique to our earth, never
          changing, eternal.

God's speed, Ranger Jeff Christensen.

Vaughn Baker, Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park

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"Good morning. My name is Mark Magnuson. I'm the chief ranger here in RMNP.  I've had the privilege and the honor to know and work with Jeff these past five years. Dale and Chris, as a father of two boys myself, I can't begin to comprehend the sorrow and loss that you feel. 

"These past few days, I've attempted to field many questions from the media, and others, about our mission as park rangers, why we often travel alone in the mountains, deserts, and forests.  I feel my efforts to explain have too often been inadequate.

"So with help from a dear friend and fellow park ranger, I've put together some thoughts that I hope will help to convey just who we are, what we do, and why.

"We are rangers. We walk the last of the wild lands, patrolling the interface between man and nature.  Ours is the world of the sun and sky, cloud and storm.  Ours is the world of flower and tree, rock and mountain.  We rest by the waterfall and cool our feet in the deep pools of the glen.  The elk and deer, the coyote and fox, our silent companions.  The hawk and eagle follow us by day, the owl leads us by night. 

"We are rangers. We travel alone, silent caretakers of a world fast disappearing.  It is not our job, rather it is our honor, to behold that which nature has bestowed upon us. It is not our job, rather it is our privilege, to play some small part in preserving this beauty for our children and their children beyond them.  We travel alone, there are few of us, and the task which lays before us is enormous.  Some say we face risk, even unnecessary risk, but in our hearts we know that it is nothing compared to the loss of the wilderness. It is nothing compared to the loss of the bear, the cougar, and the wolf.  We risk all to protect that which endures beyond our individual selves, that which we love beyond all else. 

"We are rangers. We treat our fellow man with respect. We understand those who seek solitude in the wild places.  We are teachers, to those who wish to tread for the first time on ground made of dirt rather than concrete. We watch in delight at the smile of the visitor who first substitutes the canyons of skyscrapers for that of massive cliffs. 

"We feel the excitement of the family who first hears the bugle of the elk, the child who sees the bighorn ram, and the grandmother who reviews her life while sitting by the flowing stream. 

"We are rangers. We keep those who would harm the land as well as those who would harm their fellow man at bay. We care for the sick, search for the lost, assist those who cannot assist themselves.  Sometimes we bring home those who would not otherwise return. 

"Jeff Christiansen was a ranger. He was one of us. We could not feel more honored. Jeff knew who he was.  'If I ever die while at work in the mountains, do not cry for me because you will know that I died doing what I love.'  Those were Jeff's precious words, given as a gift to his parents. Those of us who walk the last of the wild lands will not cry for him.  We will see him as the sun rises above the peaks.  We will hear him as the wind in the trees.  We will taste the cold mountain water cascading in the streams and remember him.  We will know when the coyote calls that it is Jeff, reminding us all that we are rangers.

"John Muir said  'Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.'  We will listen to these words and we will do their bidding.  Jeff, we do not say good-bye, for the ranger in you will live forever."

Mark Magnuson, Chief Ranger, Rocky Mountain National Park

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Following the service, the colors were carried from the chapel in advance of the casket and NPS bagpiper Mark Daniel played a postlude. A line of honor was formed by rangers, Winter Park ski patrollers, SAR team members, and representatives from more than a dozen agencies.

As Jeff was carried out from the chapel, a dispatcher called his number — 233 — over the park's radio system several times, then made a final transmission: "No contact, Ranger 233. Ranger 233 out of service."

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The funeral service will be in Minnesota today and will be attended by eight rangers from the park, six of whom will be pallbearers. Parks are to return flags to full staff tomorrow (Saturday).

Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Follow-up On Search For Missing Backpacker

Approximately 20 people searched the Kantishna Hills area of the park on Wednesday, seeking any sign or clue to the whereabouts of missing backpacker R.H., 34, from Anchorage, Alaska. Wednesday's search effort focused on the drainages of Rainy, Dry, and Glen Creeks, which are below R.H.'s abandoned campsite. Ground searching is very labor intensive in that area, as the topography is quite rugged and the alders, willows and other dense vegetation in the lower elevations make walking and viewing difficult. No clues or signs of R.H. were found by the end of the day. The search groups, comprised of teams of two, were to continue their assignments on Thursday until they had checked the areas closest to R.H.'s campsite to the highest degree possible. Backcountry units in the search area have been temporarily closed in order to facilitate the search effort. Additional resources arrived in the park early Wednesday evening and were being staged for use on Thursday. They included three dog teams (a team is a dog plus its handler) from Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs and personnel from the Mountain Rescue Group. Both of these volunteer rescue organizations are based in Anchorage. Two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft were also made available for search operations.  Investigators have interviewed campers who were on the bus with R.H. on July 10th, the same day he received a backcountry permit from the Backcountry Information Center near the park entrance. He was last seen walking down the park road toward Kantishna after being dropped off by the camper bus at the main road's "Y" junction with the side road to the Wonder Lake campground. Flyers with a photo of R.H. are being posted and distributed around the area, and the National Park Service is asking anyone who may have seen R.H. or have information about his whereabouts or activities since July 4th to call the park Communication Center at 907-683-2294. Additional agencies and organizations contributing to the search effort include the Alaska State Troopers, park concessioner Doyon/ARAMARK Joint Venture, Denali Princess Hotel, the Rescue Coordination Center, and the Civil Air Patrol. Staff and resources from Western Arctic National Parklands and Kenai Fjords National Park are also being utilized on the search. [Submitted by Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]

Yosemite National Park (CA)
Man Washes Over Vernal Fall

On July 30th, C.D.C., a 24-year-old citizen of India residing in Sunnyvale, California, hiked to the top of Vernal Fall with four friends. When C.D.C. reached the lookout point at the top of the fall, he crossed through a metal railing, intending to wet his face with river water. The railing is designed to keep visitors back from the swiftly moving water and the wet, river-polished rock near the lip of the waterfall. Signs warning of the danger of going over the falls were in place. After crossing the railing, C.D.C. slipped and fell near the edge of the water. He recovered, but then slipped again, this time sliding into the rapidly moving water. He was carried by the current 20 to 30 yards, then went over the lip of the 317-foot waterfall. The incident was witnessed by many people. The river below Vernal Fall is a raging cataract with powerful winds generated by tons of falling water. Minutes after the accident, park dispatch received a 911 cell phone report from a witness. YOSAR responded with shore-based searchers and spotters and established downstream containment observers. The park's fire management helicopter was also used in the search. The search effort continued for three days. C.D.C.'s body has still not been located as of this report. [Submitted by Mark Faherty, Valley Ranger and Incident Investigator]

Valley Forge National Historical Park (PA)
Encampment Hut Burned Down In Arson Fire

Rangers found a reconstructed encampment hut fully engulfed in flames just before midnight on Tuesday, August 9th. Supervisory ranger Paula Risell and ranger Mike Erwin were fist on scene. Local fire companies were immediately dispatched and were on scene within 15 minutes. The fire was suppressed jointly by units from King of Prussia Fire Company and Valley Forge Fire Company. The hut was being used for a storage area by interpretive rangers. It's a total loss. Arson has been deemed the probable cause. An investigation is underway. [Submitted by Paula Risell, Supervisory Park Ranger]

Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Rescue From Lower Saddle

Rangers evacuated an injured climber by helicopter from the Lower Saddle between the Middle Teton and Grand Teton on Tuesday afternoon, August 9th, around 2:30 p.m. L.S., 47, of Jackson, Wyoming, tumbled about 15 to 20 feet while descending the Grand Teton and sustained injuries to her knee and ankle. L.S. was part of a guided group climbing with Exum Mountain Guides;  the group was at a point on the route known as "the Needle," about 12,000 feet in elevation, when L.S. fell at approximately 11:00 a.m. L.S. was wearing a helmet at the time and sustained only minor head  injuries in addition to her leg injuries. The Exum guide who was leading the group contacted Teton Interagency Dispatch via cell phone to report the accident and request assistance. The group continued its descent to the Lower Saddle while two rangers who were doing a routine patrol on the Grand Teton also descended to the Lower Saddle to provide assistance to L.S.. Rangers reached her at 12:30 p.m., assessed her injuries, provided emergency medical assistance and consulted with Dr. Will Smith, the park's medical director. Together, they determined that the extent of L.S.'s injuries, combined with the distance to the valley, warranted the use of the Teton interagency contract helicopter for evacuation. The helicopter arrived at the Lower Saddle landing zone around 2:00 p.m. and rangers secured L.S. inside for the flight down to Lupine Meadows. Once they arrived back on the valley floor, a park ambulance transported the injured L.S. to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson for further treatment. [Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Specialist]

NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Situation Highlights — Friday, August 12, 2005

Preparedness Level 3

NIFC reported 190 new starts yesterday. Six became large fires. Another five large fires were contained.

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

Weather Forecast

Temperatures will cool across the Northern Rockies and the Great Basin today as an upper level trough of low pressure moves down from the north. Showers and thunderstorms are expected across Montana, with greatest precipitation amounts east of the Great Divide. Wet thunderstorms will redevelop once again across Wyoming down into the Southwest; however, coverage will be less than previous this week. Drying conditions will move in over the Northwest with gusty afternoon winds. Offshore flow off the Oregon coast will result in poor relative humidity recoveries overnight. The upper level high pressure ridge over Alaska will sustain very warm temperatures and dry weather.

Red Flag Warnings

A red flag warning has been issued for southwest to south-central Idaho for strong west winds and low relative humidity.

Fire Weather Watches

None 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

Park	State	Fire	Type	Acres	Percent Contain	Est. Full Contain
Denali National Park & Preserve	AK	B14Y Birch Creek - ref#517	Wildland Fire Use	72.5	N/A	N/A
	Latest Narrative: Statewide fire activity has increased due to continued hot weather. Presently there are 111 active wildland fires in Alaska. As a result of the fire activity, smoke and haze are present in the Denali National Park and Preserve vicinity. The Birch Creek fire, a relatively small fire, is contributing a very small amount of smoke to the overall haze that lingers throughout the area. NPS Western Area Fire Management and the Alaska Fire Service flew the fire and reported it was creeping and burning in a pocket of spruce that was surrounded by muskeg.
Denali National Park & Preserve	AK	BUB9 Highpower Creek - ref#226	Wildland Fire Use	90,670	N/A	N/A
	Latest Narrative: The fire was monitored by the Alaska Fire Service. Some activity was observed on the northern fire perimeter, however due to smoke, mapping operations were not completed. On the southern fire perimeter, there was an active fireline, approximately 5 miles long and backing to the south in tundra. The fire had moved approximately 2 miles to the south since the last mapping and had an acreage increase.
Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve	AK	BT8C Trout Creek - ref#218	Wildland Fire Use	5,075	N/A	N/A
	Latest Narrative: On August 11th, NPS Eastern Area Fire Management reported that a portion of the Trout Creek fire had moved around a blackline which was made by smokejumpers in June. The blackline surrounded a structure. Because of the line, the structure was considered secure. However, due to late season drying of willow and hardwoods, the fire is moving through the leaf litter in the riparian corridor, an area normally considered a fuel break. Two smokejumpers were dispatched to the structure, located some hotspots, mopped up a ½ acre area around the structure and plan to demobe on August 12th.
Glacier National Park	MT	Cummings Fire	Wildland Fire Use	.1	N/A	N/A
	Latest Narrative: The fire area has received about .3" of rain in the last 36 hours. The fire was flown on 8/11 and no fire activity was noted.
Glacier National Park	MT	Walton Fire	Wildland Fire Use	.1	N/A	N/A
	Latest Narrative: The fire was firs spotted on 8/10 by Huckleberry Lookout, but could not be located until the 11th. It was found and flown that afternoon. Fire behavior was minimal; no flames were seen and only light intermitent smoke was observed. The fire is the 1929 regen and is composed of spruce and larch with a heavy brush component.
Ross Lake National Recreation Area	WA	Davis Peak Fire	Wildland Fire	20 acres	100	August 7, 2005
	Latest Narrative: The Davis Peak Fire was declared controlled late on August 7. Personnel continued mop up and rehab for an additional day. On August 10, park rangers issued a citation to a 30-year old man from Everett, Washington, for allegedly starting the fire when he disposed of toilet paper by igniting it.

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.

National Resource Commitments

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

Midwest Region
Kate Miller Selected As New Superintendent At Voyageurs NP

Kathleen (Kate) Miller, a Minnesota native currently serving as deputy superintendent at Voyageurs National Park, has been named as the park's new superintendent. Miller succeeds Barb West, who transferred to Chaco Culture National Historical Park earlier this year.

"Kate has excelled in diverse positions throughout her career, both within and outside the National Park Service." said Ernest Quintana, regional director for Midwest Region. "Her strong background in cultural resources management, interpretation, history, and natural resources issues is a valuable asset as she takes the helm at Voyageurs."

Miller assumes her new position on August 21st.

"Voyageurs National Park has a challenging mission and passionate constituents" said Miller of her new assignment. "Over the past three years as deputy superintendent, I have become deeply committed to the magnificent resources and talented staff at this park. I look forward to working with out gateway communities to more fully to realize the social and economic benefits a national park can bring to the area. As a fourth generation owner of land in Minnesota, I understand the deep attachment of area residents to the lands protected by the national park. I believe we can find common ground and work with all stakeholders to advance the National Park Service mission here."

Prior to becoming deputy superintendent at Voyageurs in 2002, Miller was the department head of the Minnesota Historical Society's Northern Historic Sites, which include such varied sites as Split Rock Lighthouse, the Minnesota Forest History Center, and the Mille Lacs Indian Museum. During her three-year tenure, she worked with legislators and community leaders in Koochiching County on plans for the future of Grand Mound Historic Site near International Falls.

In 1980, following an eleven-year career as an associate professor of English at Prince Georges County Community College in Largo, Maryland, Miller began her NPS career as a historian at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. She then transferred to a position as National Register programs historian at the Alaska Regional Office in Anchorage. In 1986, Miller returned to Apostle Islands as the assistant chief for resources management, then returned to the Alaska Regional Office as the regional historian in 1988. There she was instrumental in establishing the Aleutian World War II National Historic Area.

In 1991, she returned to Wisconsin to serve as executive director of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute and vice president of Northland College in Ashland. Northland is a four-year liberal arts college with an environmental focus. At Northland, Miller developed partnerships in support of institute initiatives and obtained major grants to fund the U.S. facilitation of the Lake Superior Bi-National Forum and a forest products environmental certification program for the northern Great Lakes region. In addition, she oversaw an array of programs that included environmental education, ecological research and monitoring, public education, and citizen involvement in the northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and southern Ontario, Canada, area. During her tenure, Miller had the opportunity to serve as volunteer consultant for a two-month period with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Juneau, Alaska.

In 1995, Miller returned to the NPS and Apostle Islands as chief of resources education, where she coordinated the park service involvement in developing the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. In 1997, she became superintendent of Effigy Mounds National Monument before going to the Minnesota State Historical Society in late 1999.

Miller received both the Roy E. Appleman-Henry A. Judd award for outstanding contributions to history in the NPS, and a resolution of commendation from the NPS Advisory Board in 1984. She was also awarded a certificate of merit in historic preservation by the State of Alaska in 1986.

A native of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Miller received a bachelor of arts in English from Wheaton College, Illinois, and a master of arts in English from Loyola University, also in Illinois. She completed the course work toward a Ph.D. in American civilization at George Washington University. Her husband, Pat, is a retired NPS superintendent. Miller has a grown daughter, Jessica, who is a professional actor living in Washington, D. C., with her husband, graphic designer Aaron Hansen.
[Submitted by Patty Rooney, Patty_Rooney@nps.gov, (402) 661-1532]

Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found by clicking here. 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 Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.