NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, August 4, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Knife River Indian Villages NHS

Seasonal Employee Killed In Highway Accident

A 2007 seasonal park guide, C.D.R., was killed near her home in New Town, North Dakota, on Wednesday, July 30th. C.D.R. was driving her father's pickup to Minot to move things from her apartment when a large truck sideswiped her pickup and overturned in the ditch on top of C.D.R.'s pickup. The truck driver was injured. C.D.R. had worked many annual Northern Plains Indian Culture Fests at Knife River Indian Villages NHS with her grandmother before becoming a park guide. She worked as a park guide only one season at Knife River, but had made many friends. She worked with deep pride and enthusiasm in presenting interpretive programs and planting and maintaining the interpretive native corn, squash, bean and sunflower garden. It flourished under her care, as did all the projects she participated in. C.D.R. was a major presenter in the 2007 Lifeways event. She had also participated in the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Corps II programs in the Tent of Many Voices as an invited guest. C.D.R. maintained a board in the employee break room where she shared her native Hidatsa language. C.D.R.'s memory and spirit will live on at Knife River Indian Villages NHS. Her memorial service will be held today at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in New Town, North Dakota. Donations may be made to North Dakota Make-a-Wish Foundation or the New Town Fire Department. Cards may be sent to her parents: D.R. and S.R. and her grandparents K.H. and M.H. [John Moeykens]

Grand Canyon NP

Park Staff Free Private Raft Stuck In Colorado River

On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 29th, park dispatch received a report via satellite phone from rafters on a private river trip advising that one of their boats, an 18-foot cataraft, was stranded on the rock garden at Crystal Rapid, located just past river mile 98 and about 11 miles downriver from Phantom Ranch. This is the same location where a 36-foot commercial raft became stuck a week ago. Due to the late hour, rescue operations could not be begin immediately, but were instead arranged for the following morning. On Wednesday, park personnel and equipment were flown via helicopter to a landing zone near the rapid. After preparations were made, the raft was rigged for removal using rock anchors and ropes. These were placed in the middle of the river via the park's inflatable rescue boat, which is kept response-ready at the south rim of the canyon. Due to high water and the complete submersion of the raft, rescue crews spent the night on the beach and launched again at 5 a.m. to take advantage of lower water. The raft was freed at about 8:30 a.m. and the rafters resumed their trip downriver to reunite with the rest of their group. No injuries were reported. During the entire incident, the operations chief position was filled by Dean Ross, branch chief for emergency services in the Washington Office. [Ken Phillips, Branch Chief Emergency Services]

Rock Creek Park

Turtle Leads Park Police To Narcotics Arrest

Ranger Ken Ferebee was tracking a box turtle outfitted with a radio transmitter on July 14th when it lead him to a small marijuana field that appeared to be actively tended. The field was in Rock Creek Park near the Maryland State line. Ferebee notified the Park Police. Officer Jeffrey Bloch and investigator David Hurley set up surveillance on the area. Bloch spent several hours in the woods watching the field from a concealed location. Bloch and Hurley subsequently saw a man caring for the approximately 10 marijuana plants in the field. They investigated, identified him, and applied for a warrant for his arrest. On July 30th, members of the Park Police Narcotics and Vice Unit, the Central District Crime Patrol Unit and Rock Creek Station arrested 19-year-old I.J. Based on this information, detectives from the Montgomery County Police Narcotics Unit secured a search warrant for I.J.'s residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland. I.J. awaits extradition to the District of Columbia on the charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. The turtle has now been affectionately named by the Park Police as Officer Mary Jane Hempfield. [Lt. Roxanne Brown-Ankney, US Park Police]

OTHER NEWS

Other stories can be read on InsideNPS at one or the other of these two sites:

NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index

Non-NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/

Please note that both publications carry a combined NIFC/NPS fire report. That is generally posted around 8 a.m. Eastern.

Among the stories in today's edition are the following:

Gateway NRA - On July 30th, 191 outstanding female competitors representing federal and municipal lifeguard services from five states took part in the 24th annual National Park Service All-Women Lifeguard Tournament, held at the park's Sandy Hook Unit.

Fire and Aviation Management - The recent spike of tree felling and hazard tree accidents within short period of time has magnified the concern about this threat to wildland fire personnel. Additional safety guidance has accordingly been developed and presented.

Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.

Cuyahoga Valley NP - Former Ohio Congressman John F. Sieberling died on Saturday, August 2nd. He led a House subcommittee on public lands and national parks that preserved a total of 129 million acres, including areas in Alaska and the area in northeastern Ohio that eventually became Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Environmental Quality Division - Jacob Hoogland, chief of environmental quality in the Washington Office, retired on August 1st after over 30 years with the National Park Service.

Risk Management Division - Wayne A. Johnson has accepted the position as the National Park Service's medical standards program manager.

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363

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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