NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Friday, April 11, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Hawaii Volcanoes NP
Park Reopens As Sulfur Dioxide Levels Drop
East to northeast winds have returned to the area, shifting the sulfur dioxide filled plume away from developed and visitor areas and causing gas levels to drop. The park accordingly reopened at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning. Park programs and activities have returned to normal operations, including the Volcano House and Kilauea Military Camp. [Michael Larson]
Fort Smith NHS
Hail, Wind And Heavy Rain Damage Park Facilities
On Wednesday evening, the Fort Smith area was struck by a number of severe thunderstorms that dropped about seven inches of rain and hail the size of golf balls and larger. The hail and flooding from the heavy rain caused significant damage to the park:
About a foot of water filled the plaza in front of the park's visitor center after the drainage grates filled up with debris. The water entered the building through the front doors and made it up to the information desk. Staff moved all bookstore items and furniture to higher ground and got the standing water out of the building by 3 a.m. The single pane stairway windows were knocked out; although water entered at that point, it caused no significant damage to the interior. Two or three exterior panes of the double pane windows in the administrative offices were broken, but the main water damage to the interior came through around the cupolas and end caps. Roof and flashing damage is undetermined at this time. The visitor center was closed yesterday so that carpets could be cleaned and dried.
The maintenance building lost all of its skylights, and park staff had to work into the early hours of the morning to cover them with tarps. A good deal of water entered the building and is being removed. Fortunately, neither the park collection nor its server were damaged.
The commissary lost at least six windows and numerous slate shingles.
Frisco Station lost seven windows and the upstairs area sustained significant damage from water, wind and broken glass. The alarm system was knocked out. Roof and other damage is as yet undetermined.
Several employees lost windows in their homes and a couple of employees reported hail and debris damage to their vehicles. No injuries have been reported, though. Pea Ridge has sent three employees to the park to help cover the broken windows. The visitor center should reopen tomorrow if carpet cleaning is completed. [Bill Black, Superintendent]
Everglades NP
Follow-up On Native American Land Claim
On the morning of March 19th, Chief Cecile Osceola arrived at the park's Shark Valley entrance with a large front-end loader and told an interpretive ranger there that he intended to start building a home in Shark Valley by 11 a.m. (click on the link below for the original report). Following an extended discussion, during which Osceola showed a 1960 document that purportedly gave him the authority to build a home within the park, the superintendent, Dan Kimball, got Osceola to agree to a later meeting to discuss alternative housing options. On March 31st, Kimball and acting chief ranger Dave King met with Osceola at the Miccosukee Resort. Kimball explained that the document on which Osceola was basing his claim referred to state lands north of the park and that those lands are currently under lease to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Kimball suggested three housing alternatives for Osceola to consider, but Osceola, who is not affiliated with either the Miccosukee or Seminole tribes, immediately dismissed all of them since they required dialogue with those tribes. Without admitting that his interpretation of the document was incorrect, he did show some interest in finding out more about the state lands north of the park; however, he also suggested that a next step might be for him to involve the media. The park has discussed the issue with both the criminal and civil divisions of the U.S. Attorney's Office, and has prepared for the possibility of Osceola's return to Shark Valley with his heavy equipment. [David King, Acting Chief Ranger]
HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3784" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3784
OTHER NEWS
The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS:
National Partnership Office - National Park Week 2008, which runs from April 19th to the 27th, is just a week away. The theme this year is "Kids In Parks".
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6385" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6385
Delaware Water Gap NRA - Eight graduate students chose the park as their spring break destination this March, attending Park Break 2008, a new field seminar program designed to develop the next generation of park managers, conservationists, and scientists.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1874" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=1874
Training Calendar - A listing of upcoming training courses offered by both the NPS and its partners across the nation. Today's additions include an interdisciplinary resource protection and law class at Albright, a law enforcement refresher in Mississippi, and a workshop on archeological prospection advances for non-destructive investigations in North Dakota.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775
Events Calendar - Today's listing of upcoming NPS and NPS-related events across the nation. Added this week is a June whaling heritage symposium sponsored in part by New Bedford Whaling NHP.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=776" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=776
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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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