NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, July 30, 2010

INCIDENTS

Gulf Coast Parks

New Beach Cleanup Method Being Employed

Buckets are now being used by workers cleaning up beaches, thereby reducing the number of non-biodegradable plastic bags deposited in landfills. Here are the particulars:

Gulf Islands NS - Workers on the park's beaches have begun using buckets to collect oil and tar balls from the white sands. Up until now, most of the collected oil, tar and contaminated materials were placed into large heavy plastic bags for transport to landfills. This new method will prevent oil contaminated debris and non-biodegradable plastic bags from finding their way into landfills, where contaminants could eventually escape into the environment. Using screening scoops, the crews lift the contaminants from the beach and shake the tool to sift sand from the tar balls and contaminated debris. They then place the oil into buckets which are transported via UTV to a waiting front loader. This larger machine is then used to move the material to a container for transport to a treatment facility. Research is being done to see if the material can be used to produce useful products such as asphalt. This would be reduce the filling of local landfills and new dump sites with long-life plastic and oil.

South Florida Parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, Desoto, Dry Tortugas, Everglades) - No new developments.

Jean Lafitte NHP&P - No new developments.

Padre Island NS - No new developments.

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 sites:

HYPERLINK "http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/53023/" Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response

HYPERLINK "http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/index.cfm" DOI Oil Spill Response

HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm" NPS Oil Spill Response

HYPERLINK "http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/" National Oil Spill Response

HYPERLINK "http://www.restorethegulf.gov/" Restore The Gulf

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Conferences&id=1957" Oil Spill Safety Training

HYPERLINK "http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/" GeoPlatform

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=3&prg=1006&id=9336" NPS ICS 209 Incident Status Summaries

HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/documents/NPS%20-%20Public%20Health%20Notice%20SIGNAGE%206-26-10.pdf" Gulf Islands Public Health Precautions Notice

HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/archive/features/oilspillresponse/OilSpillSafety/index.htm" Public Health Service Oil Spill Safety Video

HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/archive/features/oilspillresponse/" Oil Spill Media Page

[Jeff Wolin, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response]

Buffalo NR

Heat Stress Results In Evacuation Of Two YCC Workers

Two Youth Conservation Corps workers, girls aged 15 and 16, succumbed to heat-related illness late on July 22nd while working on the Hemmed-in-Hollow trail in the Ponca Wilderness. This project has been ongoing for the past six-and-a-half weeks, with special attention being paid to managing heat-related issues. The workers were located near California Point, west of Hemmed-in-Hollow and north of Horseshoe Bend. At about 2 p.m., the YCC crew leader radioed park dispatch to notify them that one of the girls was showing heat stress symptoms. Shortly thereafter, the second girl also fell sick. Several actions were quickly taken. A Northark ambulance was dispatched to the Compton trailhead in anticipation of a carryout and later repositioned at Kyles Landing. A medevac helicopter was dispatched from Springdale to the Ponca Wilderness, where it located a suitable landing site on a gravel bar near the mouth of Hemmed-in-Hollow at Horseshoe Bend. NPS first responders headed up the trail to the girls' location, a small boat put in at Steel Creek and headed downstream towards the mouth of Sneeds Creek, and a fire crew was dispatched to Kyles Landing to provide additional support to the other SAR team. Concurrently, vans and drivers were dispatched from Harrison to pick up those YCC crew members who were not assisting with the incident. First responders were on the scene at 4 p.m. to take vital signs and coordinate the logistics of the carryout with other park staff, the remaining YCC team, the helicopter, and the ambulance. The first girl reached the helicopter within the hour and was en route to Washington Regional in Fayetteville 30 minutes later. She was subsequently released and returned home with her parents. The second girl reached the boat at the mouth of Sneeds Creek just after 6 p.m. and was transported to Kyles Landing, where she was treated by Northark medics. She was subsequently released on scene and returned home. By 8 p.m., the remaining YCC crew members who had stayed to help with the evacuation were back and headed home. Health and safety have been and continue to be a priority with the park. Training, monthly safety meetings, and safety-related supplies and equipment are all parts of the efforts made by the park to create a culture of health and safety awareness. Superintendent Kevin Cheri stated that the YCC program is vital to park operations as well as to the community, providing work experience, jobs, and meeting park goals. "We are looking at this in a way that will help us better plan future projects. I am very proud of the way that our staff, including our YCC kids, came together to bring this off successfully." For the remainder of the work season, work will continue to complete the Hemmed-in-Hollow trail project with ongoing efforts to minimize heat stress and to provide the YCC team with a well-earned sense of accomplishment for a job well done. [Bob Maguire, Chief Ranger]

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Drug Trafficker Arrested

In January of this year, a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement effort was launched to identify and prosecute drug traffickers operating in and around the Cherokee Indian Reservation and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On June 3rd, an NPS agent, along with an agent from the ATF, saw a suspected drug trafficker traveling through the park. The agents followed the motorcycle from the park to a nearby barn on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, where they contacted the operator and found 30 pounds of marijuana in the bike's saddlebags. The man was arrested by the NPS agent and charged with one count of trafficking marijuana. He was indicted for possession and conspiracy to sell and deliver marijuana. As part of the indictment, the government filed a notice of forfeiture for his 2004 Harley Davidson and a personal monetary judgment in the amount of $300,000, representing proceeds that he obtained throughout the course of the conspiracy. [John Mattox, Special Agent In-Charge, Eastern U.S.]

Glacier Bay NP&P

Park Biologist Wards Off Charging Bear With Spray

Park biologist Craig Murdoch was conducting a fisheries survey on the Bartlett River trail late on the morning of July 27th. While hiking along the shoreline of the river, he heard movement in the grass across the river from him, a distance of about 150 feet. As he turned to see what was making the noise, he saw a full grown brown bear charging towards him. Murdoch yelled at the bear and grabbed for his bear spray, which was in his backpack. The bear continued its charge and got within about 15 feet when Murdoch sprayed him. The bear veered away, continued running into the woods, and did not return for a second pass. The Bartlett River trail is temporarily closed until a full assessment of the area can be conducted. This is the first documented behavior of this type by brown bears along this river, although they're in the area fishing for sockeye salmon. The park provides training for all staff who work in the backcountry in the use and deployment of bear spray, including simulation of incidents of this type. [Gus Martinez, Bay District Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Cape Hatteras NS - Bodie Island Lighthouse is undergoing a massive restoration this summer. Significant progress has been made since the first report appeared in InsideNPS back in February.

Grand Canyon NP - On Tuesday, July 27th, Vice President Joe Biden and Director Jon Jarvis visited Grand Canyon National Park as part of “Recovery Summer,” highlighting park projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Photo.

Office of Public Affairs - The National Park Service will waive entrance fees on August 14th and 15th in order to encourage all Americans to visit our national parks.

Fire and Aviation Management - The National Park Service has again had a major presence at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture event, billed as "the world's greatest aviation celebration." Photo.

Cultural Resources - This year's National Historic Landmark Photo Contest, entitled "Imaging Our National Heritage," opened on July 19th. Submissions are due by September 10th.

Servicewide Training and Conference Calendar - A compilation of upcoming training courses and conferences across the nation. Added to this week's listing is an October training session at Yosemite on conducting effective oral history projects.

NPS incident submission standards can be found online at the HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id=8728&lv=2&pgid=3504" serious incident notification web page.

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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. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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