Gulf Coast Parks
Oil Spill Monitoring And Preparations Continue
National Park Service sites along the Gulf of Mexico continue to collect data and monitor conditions. Dozens of NPS employees from across the country are aiding in the response, which is being managed by the Midwest Type III IMT (Pontbriand). The five South Florida parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, DeSoto, Dry Tortugas, and Everglades) continue to work under a Type III IMT to prepare for possible impacts there:
Padre Island NS — The park continues baseline assessments.
Jean Lafitte NHP&P — Park staff continue to monitor resources and collect and photograph samples of soil, sediment and water. Although the NOAA oil spill "zone of uncertainty" included Barataria Preserve last week and may do so again in the future, the preserve remains well outside the zone of predicted impacts. The park continues to work toward its objectives by coordinating with local partners and the IMT at Gulf Islands.
Gulf Islands NS — All park sites remain open and are operating normally. Poor sea conditions and severe weather on Sunday caused some areas of boom to become dislodged and damaged in Mississippi. Crews will continue replacing and repairing damaged sections of boom on Tuesday. Improving conditions and calmer seas allowed operations to continue Monday. Shoreline cleanup assessment teams (SCAT) continue to encounter light amounts of tarballs in small quantities. No oiled wildlife has been reported. Director Jarvis has returned to the Joint Information Center (JIC) in Mobile, Alabama to resume his role as incident commander. For photos of the response, please see the Gulf Islands NS website at www.nps.gov/guis.
South Florida Parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, De Soto, Dry Tortugas, Everglades) — Biscayne superintendent Mark Lewis participated in a roundtable panel to discuss the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Initiated by U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL) much of the discussion was focused on the uncertainty of the impacts to southeast Florida and the Florida Keys due to the currents, the need for more modeling, and questions about dispersants. Natural and cultural resources staff met yesterday to discuss the baseline condition assessment sampling that is set to begin in Everglades later this week. A cultural resource assessment of Everglades' west coast will begin on Wednesday. Three hydrocarbon sensors have been deployed to Indian, Rabbit and Mormon Keys on Everglades' west coast. These passive sampling devices will be deployed to additional sites within the park and Dry Tortugas within the next week. Representatives from Entrix, a BP contractor, will be collecting samples at four sites in Everglades and at one site in Dry Tortugas. Provided they obtain the proper permits to do so, they will be sampling in Dry Tortugas on Wednesday and in Everglades later in the week. The contractors will be accompanied by an NPS natural resource advisor. Local media interest is currently low. A series of park-specific fact sheets that address response efforts are available on each park's respective website. A communications center continues to be staffed by a team of information officers, and can be contacted at 305-224-4215, or via email at SouthFloridaNPS@gmail.com.
For more information on the NPS, DOI and national oil spill responses and for a link to the BP online oil spill safety training needed by all incident staff, please see the following:
- NPS Oil Spill Response — http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm
- DOI Oil Spill Response — http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/index.cfm
- National Oil Spill Response — http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
- Oil Spill Safety Training — http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Conferences&id=1957
[Submitted by J. Michael Johnson, Lead Information Officer, Gulf Islands National Seashore Oil Spill Response]
Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Climber Suffers Fatal Fall From Mt. McKinley
A French mountaineer fell to his death while climbing Mt. McKinley on Sunday, May 16th. P.F., 51, and his partner were approaching a feature at the top of Motorcycle Hill known as "Lunch Rocks" near 12,000 feet on the West Buttress when P.F. lost control of his sled. In an attempt to stop it from sliding over the ridge, both the climber and his sled tumbled towards the Peters Glacier. P.F., who was unroped at the time, was unable to self-arrest and ultimately fell over 1,000 feet to a steep, crevassed section of the Peters Glacier. A nearby climbing team witnessed the fall and made a radio distress call to rangers shortly after 3:00 p.m. At the time of the notification, the park's high altitude A-Star B3 helicopter was at the 14,200-foot camp on a resupply flight. Within five minutes, the helicopter flew to the accident site with two mountaineering rangers on board as spotters. They saw several pieces of fallen gear, then followed the fall line down to what appeared to be the climber lying in a crevasse at approximately 10,200 feet. As the steep terrain at the fall site offered no feasible landing areas, the helicopter and crew flew back to the Kahiltna Basecamp at 7,200 feet. After a two-man communications team was inserted at the top of the Peters Glacier, the helicopter returned to the crevasse site with NPS mountaineering ranger Kevin Wright on the end of a short-haul line, i.e. hanging beneath the helicopter at the end of a 120-foot rope. Helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky lowered Wright into the crevasse a distance of approximately 20 feet. Wright could not safely reach the climber, who was lying an additional 20 feet down in the crevasse, but readily determined that the climber had not survived the long fall. Hermansky and Wright returned to the Kahiltna Basecamp. NPS rangers will return to the site for further reconnaissance and to determine if a body recovery is an option. P.F.'s accident represents the park's first known fatality in this area of the route. The terrain where the fall started features smooth, compact snow and a slope of roughly 20 degrees, but it quickly drops to a crevasse-ridden, 40- to 50-degree slope. [Submitted by Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Sobriety Checkpoints Lead To Arrests, Felony Investigation
Rangers conducted two sobriety checkpoints last weekend in the Asheville area in conjunction with the Asheville Police Department, the Asheville Arboretum, Biltmore Forest, and the North Carolina Breath Alcohol Testing Unit (BAT Mobile). Approximately 500 vehicles drove through the two checkpoints, resulting in four DUI arrests and one public intoxication arrest, nine cases involving drugs and/or paraphernalia, and approximately 30 other traffic offenses. On Saturday night, a vehicle stop made early in the checkpoint resulted in a significant interagency investigation into several felonies that had occurred both on the parkway and in the city of Asheville. Subsequent to contacting the driver of a vehicle with three occupants, ranger Debra Flowers detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed two handguns, one of which had the serial numbers filed off, a felony offense. In addition, a search of the three subjects revealed over 20 ounces of marijuana hidden in the driver's pants. The two passengers in the vehicle were found to have a history of violence and drug-related activities and gang affiliations; one of them was currently on probation in Buncome County. Asheville detectives with their Criminal Investigations Division and Gang Suppression Unit responded to the scene to assist. When they arrived, they observed that the vehicle the three subjects had been driving matched the description of one that had been used in an armed robbery in Asheville two days prior. The three subjects also matched the description of those involved in the robbery. Asheville PD took the lead on the investigation at that time, and the three were transported to the Asheville Police Department, where Flowers and APD detectives interviewed them. Each of them confessed to the armed robbery in question, in which they had driven by a man walking down the street and gotten into a verbal altercation with him, culminating in an assault on the man, a weapon being brandished, and the theft of his money. The three also confessed to involvement in the recent armed robbery of a pizza delivery person, in addition to several other robberies and home invasions that occurred in Asheville in recent weeks. Subsequent to those interviews, Asheville police obtained a search warrant for the house that all three were living in. Rangers assisted with the execution of the search warrant, in which several stolen items related to recent home invasions, drug paraphernalia, and an additional firearm were seized. As a result of this interagency investigation, Asheville PD was able to close at least three previously unsolved cases. They have taken the lead on the ongoing investigation, and all three face several felony charges. [Submitted by Lena Boesser-Koschmann, Assistant Chief Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights
National Fire Activity — Preparedness Level 1
NIFC remains at PL 1. Initial attack remained light yesterday. A total of 426 USFWS and NPS personnel — up 21 from yesterday — are currently committed to the Gulf oil spill response.
Fire Weather Forecast
Southeast Arizona and much of New Mexico will have gusty winds and low humidity today. The rest of the Southwest will be dry except for showers over northern Arizona. Southern California will see rain over the mountains and coastal sections with gusty winds over the deserts. Dry and windy weather is expected over the central and eastern interior of Alaska.
Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)
|
Date |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Mon |
Tue |
|
Day |
5/12 |
5/13 |
5/14 |
5/17 |
5/18 |
|
Initial Attack Fires |
185 |
85 |
85 |
56 |
117 |
|
New Large Fires |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
Large Fires Contained |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Uncontained Large Fires |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)
|
Date |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Mon |
Tue |
|
Day |
5/12 |
5/13 |
5/14 |
5/17 |
5/18 |
|
Area Command Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
NIMO Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Type 1 Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Type 2 Teams |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
NPS Fire News
No updates on National Park Service fires have been received since yesterday.
For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:
- Archived fire news — http://www.nps.gov/fire/public/pub_firenews.cfm?archive=true
- Map of fire locations — http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
- Details on all current major fires — http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
- Fire news and fire year in perspective - http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm
- InsideNPS Fire and Aviation — http://inside.nps.gov/fire
- InsideNPS Structural Fire — http://inside.nps.gov/fire/structuralfire
- NPS Fire and Aviation - http://www.nps.gov/fire
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Park Facility Management Division
Parks And Partners Receive Federal Transit Administration Funding
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks program awards for FY 2009 were announced in Federal Register on May 10th (Federal Register (Vol. 75, No. 89), http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-11474.pdf ).
Established under the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users of 2005" (PL 109-59), the program is administered by the Federal Transit Administration in partnership with the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.
The program funds capital and planning expenses for alternative transportation systems. FY 2009 grants support 31 projects submitted by 26 recipients. They address issues such as hybrid and clean diesel fuel buses, bus shelters, ferry dock and bike facilities, planning studies, ADA and railroad improvements. The projects will address protection of cultural and natural resources, improve visitor experiences, and promote alternative fuel usage.
The Paul S. Sarbanes program was created in response to traffic congestion in and around national parks and other federal land areas. Traffic congestion overloads parking areas, delays entrance to park units, causes air and noise pollution, wastes energy, stresses roads and bridges, and in general, frustrates people who often visit public lands to escape these problems.
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks funding is awarded annually as a discretionary competitive grant program that is open to all federal land management agencies, state, tribal or local government authorities and nongovernment entities with jurisdiction over land in and around federal lands open to the general public. The Federal Register Notice call for FY 2010 projects was announced on Thursday, May 13th (Vol. 75 No. 92), http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-11474.pdf. Project submissions for FY 2010 are due June 28th.
Through projects that foster development of alternatives for access and enjoyment of our parks and public lands, resources are better protected and available to larger constituencies each year. These projects also address national goals relative to climate change, as well as initiatives that target improved livability and sustainability within our communities.
Since 2006, the NPS has received approximately $35 million in Paul S. Sarbanes project grants. Nearly $17 million has been directed to community partners in support of projects involving the replacement of transit vehicles, docks, bus shelters, trail improvements, bike facilities, transit maintenance facilities, planning studies and leasing of transit equipment for pilots and to meet new capacity needs.
[Submitted by Ralph J. Coury]PARKS AND PEOPLE
NPS Office at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Passing Of Andy Zavanelli
Andrew Zavanelli died at his home in Brunswick, Georgia, on Thursday, May 13th. He had worked at FLETC since 2006, first as the field training program manager and more recently as the advanced programs manager. Andy is survived by his wife, Karen Zavenelli, his four cats and his two Newfoundland dogs, Ida and Yogi.
Andy was the chief ranger at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area for several years starting in 2004 and before that was the assistant chief ranger at Assateague Island National Seashore. Andy's NPS ranger career took him to Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Big Cypress National Preserve. He also served in the United States Coast Guard in both active and reserve status since 1990, where he achieved the rank of commander.
The services for Andy will be in California. On Thursday, May 20th, a viewing with reception to follow will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Graham-Hitch Mortuary, 4167 First Street, Pleasanton, CA 94566. Directions can be found at http://graham-hitchmortuary.com/ or by calling 925-846-5624. The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 21st, at St. Elizabeth Seton, 4001 Stoneridge Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94566 (925-484-5020). A reception will follow at St. Augustines Catholic Church at 3999 Bernal Ave, Pleasanton, CA.
The F.L.E.O.A. Foundation is providing generous financial assistance to Karen.
Andy's wife Karen has requested that — in lieu of flowers and gifts — we please take a moment of our time today and everyday to open our hearts and minds and reach out to a law enforcement officer who may be in need of our love, understanding and assistance.
Andy's family asks that anyone wishing to make a donation in Andy's name direct their effort to the Association of National Park Rangers. Donations may be sent to ANPR, 25958 Genesee Trail Road, PMB 222, Golden, CO 80401 or via their website: www.anpr.org. Please put "In memory of Andy Zavanelli" in the memo field.
Cards may be sent to Karen Zavanelli and Andy's parents, Dr. and Mrs. William Zavanelli, at 14 Castlewood Dr. Pleasanton, CA 94566, or to NPS-LETC, Attn: Don Usher, 1131 Chapel Crossing Road, Building 64, Brunswick, GA 31524-2002. A guest book has also been established at http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=12180670097724
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id;=8728&lv;=2&pgid;=3504
All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.