The Morning Report for Monday, March 30, 2009

INCIDENTS

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (ND)
Knife River Comes Out Of Banks And Floods Park

The heavy precipitation and snowmelt that struck the Dakotas last week caused the Knife River to come out of its banks and flood the park. The bridge about three miles west of the park went out last Wednesday, but a bridge closer in fortunately has remained intact. River banks are seriously eroding, threatening some archeological sites and a county road. The main flooding occurred before another blizzard dropped twelve to sixteen inches of heavy snow on the area, with more snow predicted for this past weekend. The river, however, began to recede on Friday. The heavy snow cover will prevent any visual assessment of the damage in the near future. [Submitted by John Moeykens, Law Enforcement/Resource Management]

Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Alabama Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Accident

Park dispatch received a call regarding a single-vehicle accident on the parkway in Lauderdale County on the morning of March 26th. Rangers and Alabama state troopers responded. They found that a 2003 GMC Sonoma pickup operated by D.M., 62, had been heading north on the parkway when it went off the road and hit a tree. D.M. was fatally injured. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation. [Submitted by Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Weekly Legislative Activities Report

The Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs puts out weekly reports on hearings, new legislation and other activities on the Hill. The following is the March 27th summary.

In order to obtain the full text of any of the bills that appear below, click on the following link: http://thomas.loc.gov/ . That will take you to Thomas, the Library of Congress legislative tracking system. Enter the bill number in the "Search Bill Text" block, being sure to also click on the "Bill Number" option below the block.

*****************

New Public Laws

No new laws.

Floor Action

On March 25th, the House passed H.R. 148, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, as amended by the Senate, by a vote of 242-180. The bill now goes to the President for signature. Provisions related to the National Park Service include the following:

Title I—Additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System

Subtitle H—designates 11,740 acres of land in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, as wilderness.

Subtitle L—designates approximately 36,000 acres of land within Joshua Tree National Park, California, as wilderness.

Subtitle M—designates approximately 85,000 acres of land within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California, as wilderness.

Subtitle N— designates approximately 249,000 acres of land within Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, as wilderness.

Subtitle O—designates approximately 124,000 acres of land within Zion National Park, Utah, as wilderness and designates the Virgin River and some of its tributaries as a Wild and Scenic River.

Title III—Forest Service Authorizations

Subtitle D—Land Conveyances and Exchanges

Section 3303—authorizes an exchange of approximately 160 acres of U.S. Forest Service land for approximately 154 acres of private land which would then be included within Pecos National Historical Park.

Title V—Rivers and Trails

Subtitle A—adds Fossil Creek, Arizona, the Snake River Headwaters, Wyoming, and the Taunton River, Massachusetts, to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Subtitle B—directs the Secretary to study the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers, Vermont, for suitability for inclusion as National Wild and Scenic Rivers.

Subtitle C—establishes the Arizona National Scenic Trail, the New England National Scenic Trail, the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail and adds additional routes and land components to the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

Subtitle D—National Trail System Amendments.

Section 5301—authorizes the federal government to purchase land from willing sellers for nine of the 25 trails currently in the national trails system.
Section 5302—directs the Secretary to revise the feasibility and suitability studies of some existing trails for consideration as possible additions to those trails.
Section 5303—directs the Secretary to conduct studies of the Chisholm Trail and the Great Western Trail for suitability and feasibility for inclusion in the National Trails System.

Title VII—National Park Service Authorizations

Subtitle A—Additions to the National Park System

Section 7001—establishes the Patterson Great Falls National Historical Park in Patterson, New Jersey, once certain conditions are met and authorizes the acquisition of property or interests in property within the historical park boundaries.
Section 7002—directs the Secretary to designate the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site, Arkansas, pending the donation of the Clinton birthplace home to the federal government by the Clinton Birthplace Foundation, Inc.
Section 7003—directs the Secretary to accept donations of real property of historic value from willing sellers in Monroe and Wayne counties, Michigan. After sufficient property is acquired the Secretary shall designate the acquired land as the River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

Subtitle B—Amendments for Existing Units of the National Park System.

Section 7101—decreases a matching funds requirement and authorizes additional appropriations for Keewenaw National Historical Park, Michigan.
Section 7102—amends the Weir Farm National Historic Site Establishment Act of 1990 to permit the park to acquire up to 15 acres of land to develop visitor and administrative facilities.
Section 7103—amends the Little River Canyon National Preserve Act of 1992 to add 1,656 acres to Little River Canyon National Preserve, Alabama.
Section 7104—expands the boundary of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ohio, and permits the acquisition of lands within the new boundary from willing sellers.
Section 7105—adjusts the boundary of the Barataria Preserve Unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Louisiana, and authorizes the acquisition of land necessary for the boundary adjustments through transfer or exchange from another federal agency or by donation or purchase from a private landowner.
Section 7106—modifies the boundary of Minute Man National Historical Park, Massachusetts, to include the home and surrounding farmland of Colonel James Barrett and the area around the Joshua Brooks House.
Section 7107—modifies the boundary of Everglades National Park to add Tarpon Basin to the park. Additionally, this section authorizes a land exchange between the park and Florida Power and Light and between the park and the State of Florida.
Section 7108—authorizes a non-profit organization to establish a memorial at Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Hawaii, to honor those individuals that were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa Peninsula from 1866 to 1969.
Section 7109—authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with any of the management partners of Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Massachusetts.
Section 7110—renames Edison National Historic Site, New Jersey, as Thomas Edison National Historical Park.
Section 7111—authorizes the establishment of the "Votes for Women History Trail Route" which would link sites that are historically and thematically associated with the struggle for women's suffrage. Also authorizes a National Women's Rights History Project focusing on increasing the number of sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places associated with women's suffrage and a National Women's Rights History Project and Partnerships Network that would offer financial and technical assistance for interpretive and educational programming.
Section 7112—expands the boundary of Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, New York, to include an additional 261 acres surrounding the Van Buren estate.
Section 7113—changes the name of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site to Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park and adds 34 acres of Resaca de la Palma battlefield site to the Park.
Section 7114—changes the name of Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Kentucky, to Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.
Section 7115—requires the Secretary to permit hunting and fishing on NPS land and water within New River Gorge National River, West Virginia, rather that permitting hunting and fishing on a discretionary basis.
Section 7116—makes technical corrections to several national park bills to fix incorrect section references, map numbers and wording errors.
Section 7117—adds Hawthorne Hill and the Wright Company factory to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park through donation. Also permits the Secretary to provide grants to park partners for construction and development on non-federal property if such construction is consistent with the park General Management Plan and enhances public use and enjoyment of the park.
Section 7118—authorizes the acquisition from willing sellers of 55 acres adjacent to Fort Davis National Historic Site, Texas, and adjusts the park boundary to include the newly acquired acreage.

Subtitle C—Special Resource Studies.

Sections 7201 through 7212 authorize special resource studies to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of the following resources or lands for possible inclusion in the National Park System as new units or additions to existing units: Walnut Canyon, Arizona, Tule Lake Segregation Center, California, Estate Grange, U.S. Virgin Islands, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Maine, Shepherdstown Battlefield, West Virginia, Green McAdoo School, Tennessee, Harry S Truman Birthplace, Missouri, Battle of Matewan, West Virginia, Battle of Camden, South Carolina, Fort San Geronimo, Puerto Rico, the Butterfield Overland Trail in various states and a Cold War sites theme study.

Subtitle D—Program Authorizations

Section 7301—reauthorizes the American Battlefield Protection Program, which provides grants to protect and interpret Civil War battlefield sites, through September 30, 2013.
Section 7302—authorizes the Secretary, in partnership with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, to provide competitive grants to specified entities to support preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation planning activities (Preserve America program).
Section 7303—authorizes the Secretary to provide grants to eligible entities for projects to preserve nationally significant collections and historic properties (Save America's Treasures program).
Section 7304—extends the time period for the expenditure of authorized appropriations for the Route 66 preservation program to 2019.
Section 7305—amends the National Cave and Karst Research Institute law to strike the portion of the law that allows the Secretary to spend only those federal funds that are matched by an equal amount of funds from non-federal sources.

Subtitle E— Advisory Commissions.

Sections 7401 through 7404 extend the expiration dates of advisory commissions as follows: Na Hoa Pili O Kaloko-Honokohau Advisory Commission, 2017; Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission, 2018; Concessions Management Advisory Board, 2009.
Section 7405 establishes the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission with members appointed by the Secretary including one National Park Service employee with relevant knowledge and experience with the historic resources of St. Augustine, Florida.

Title VIII—Heritage Areas

Subtitle A—National Heritage Area Designations.

Sections 8001 thorough 8010 designate the following new National Heritage Areas: Sangre de Cristo, Colorado; Cache La Poudre River, Colorado; South Park, Colorado; Northern Plains, North Dakota; Baltimore, Maryland; Freedom's Way, Massachusetts and New Hampshire; Mississippi Hills, Mississippi; Mississippi Delta, Mississippi; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; and Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm, Alaska.

Subtitle B—National Heritage Area Studies.

Sections 8101 and 8102 direct the Secretary to conduct studies of the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor in Alabama and Georgia and the Northern Neck National Heritage Area in Virginia.

Subtitle C—Amendments Relating to National Heritage Corridors.

Section 8201—extends the authority of the Secretary to make grants or provide assistance to the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor to September 30, 2015, and increases the total that may be appropriated to $15 million.
Section 8202—names a new local coordinating entity for the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, and reauthorizes federal funding for an additional five years.
Section 8203—extends the authority for the Secretary to provide financial assistance from 10 to 15 years for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Section 8204—authorizes ex-officio members of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor commission to attend and vote in meetings.

On March 26th, the Senate passed H.R. 1388 (McCarthy), as amended, "The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws," by a vote of 79-19. The Park Service has an interest in Title I, Sec. 1302, that authorizes national and community service through the Clean Energy Corps.

Hearings

On March 24th, the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands (Grijalva) held a hearing on H.R. 1078 (Arturi, D-NY), to establish the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, New York, and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, and for other purposes. The DOI witness was Mike Pool, Acting Director, BLM.

On March 24th, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Bingaman) held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Thomas Strickland to be Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

On March 26th, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (Boxer) held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Thomas Strickland to be Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

New Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest to the NPS were introduced:

H.R. 1684 (Hastings, D-WA) - To preserve the rights granted under the Second Amendment to the Constitution in national parks and national wildlife refuge areas.
H.R. 1694 (Holt, R-NJ) - To amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to establish a battlefield acquisition grant program for the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
S. 707 (Akaka, D-HI) - A bill to enhance the Federal Telework Program.
S. 715 (Levin, D-MI) - A bill to establish a pilot program to provide for the preservation and rehabilitation of historic lighthouses.
S. 720 (Udall, D-CO) - A bill to provide a source of funds to carry out restoration activities on Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
H.R. 1404 (Rahall, D-WV) - To authorize a supplemental funding source for catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities on Department of the Interior and National Forest System lands, to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a cohesive wildland fire management strategy.

Upcoming Hearings

On March 31st, the House Natural Resources Committee (Rahall) will hold an oversight hearing "The California Drought: Actions by Federal and State agencies to address impacts on lands, fisheries, and water users" at 10:00 a.m. in Room 1324 Longworth. The witness is J. William McDonald, Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.

On April 2nd, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests & Public Lands will hold a hearing on H.R. 1612 (Grijalva), to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authorization of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to provide service-learning opportunities on public lands, help restore the Nation's natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources, train a new generation of public land managers and enthusiasts, and promote the value of public service. The hearing is scheduled at 2:00 p.m. in Room 1324 Longworth. The witness for the Department will be Will Shafroth, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.

On April 7th, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests & Public Lands will hold an oversight field hearing on "The Impacts of Climate Change on America's National Parks." The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am at City Council chambers, Twentynine Palms, California. The witness for the Department has not yet been determined.

*****************
For additional information, please visit the Legislative and Congressional Affairs Office website at http://www.nps.gov/legal/ [Submitted by Melissa Kuckro]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Fire and Aviation Management
Passing Of Rick Gale

On behalf of the family of Richard T "Rick" Gale, retired career NPS ranger and wildland fire manager, it is with great sadness that we pass along the news of his unexpected death in Boise, Idaho, on Friday, March 27th.

Rick had a wide net of family, friends, and colleagues within the National Park Service, the interagency fire and emergency services communities, and a number of other professions. Due to his work in the international fire community and with the International Ranger Federation, that network extends worldwide. Also included in this extended family are friends and colleagues from more than three decades of active membership within and leadership of the Association of National Park Rangers.

Details on a planned remembrance celebration and on where condolences may be sent are not yet available, as arrangements are still being made. Information will be passed along as soon as it is available, probably on Tuesday. At present, it appears that the celebration will be in Boise this coming Friday or Saturday.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time.
[Submitted by Bill Halainen, Roberta D'Amico]

Southeast Region
GS-1170-13 Realty Specialist

Southeast Region has issued a vacancy announcement for a GS-13 realty specialist, based in Atlanta. It closes on April 17th. Click on the link below for a copy.
More Information...

Flight 93 National Memorial (PA)
GS-0025-9 Protection Ranger (Lateral)

Flight 93 National Memorial (FLNI) is re-advertising recruitment for a GL-0025-9 protection ranger with a Level I commission interested in a lateral reassignment. This re-advertisement is to change the recruitment from a permanent subject to furlough position to a permanent full time position. In addition the position is proposed as a required occupancy position.

The benchmark position description has been submitted to FLERT for coverage approval. Primary duties include the full range of law enforcement, resource protection/archeological resources protection, emergency medical services, visitor services, boundary and encroachment duties and fire duties related to the protection of historic and non-historic structures. Other collateral duties may include serving as the parks health and fitness coordinator or evidence technician or EMS coordinator, etc. The tour of duty would include varied shifts including weekends and holidays.

If you applied to the previously advertised subject to furlough position at FLNI, you do not need to re-apply. Your application will be considered for this announcement.

Candidates should be highly motivated and experienced GL-9 protection rangers with a strong working knowledge and interest in park resources, the park story and commitment to a team oriented working environment. The person selected for this position will be duty stationed at FLNI and also work at Johnstown Flood National Memorial (JOFL) and Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS (ALPO). As the park is located within several governmental jurisdictions, the selected ranger will work closely with a variety of local and state law enforcement, and emergency services agencies. The parks have concurrent jurisdiction.

FLNI is presently under development and JOFL and ALPO encompass approximately 1,500 acres. The parks have an annual visitation of approximately 500,000 visitors. All services are available locally, including educational (K-12 and various colleges), medical, religious, shopping and recreational. FLNI, JOFL and ALPO are located in approximately the center of Pennsylvania with the nearest cities being Somerset, Johnstown and Altoona, PA.

Permanent change of station (PCS) expenses will be covered under current guidelines and available to current federal career and career-conditional employees.

Interested persons should submit the following items to Joan Howard, Human Resources Specialist, Gettysburg National Military Park, 1000 Biglerville Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325. Applications must be received by COB April 13th.

OF-612 Optional Application for Federal Employment; SF-171 Application for Federal Employment; or equivalent resume.
Copy of most recent performance appraisal.
OF-306 Declaration for Federal Employment.
Copy of your current SF-50 that shows your title, pay plan grade, step and pay. Do not send SF-50s for awards that you have received.
A copy of your Level I NPS law enforcement commission.
The following certifications if you possess them: standard First Aid, First Responder, EMT, CPR, and taser.

For more information contact chief ranger Tom Stinedurf at (814-886-6112, Tom_Stinedurf@nps.gov ).
[Submitted by Tom Stinedurf, Chief Ranger]

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

All reports should be submitted via email to Lane Baker in the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services in the Washington Office and to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with copies to your regional office.