NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
INCIDENTS
Gulf Coast Parks
Cultural Resources Remain Unaffected By Spill
Cultural resources of all types at Gulf Islands NS have so far been spared by the spill, partly due to the placement of booms. Current estimates are that no oil will reach parks in South Florida. Here are the particulars:
Gulf Islands NS - Gulf Islands National Seashore is home to natural resources of unparalleled beauty and importance, but there are also numerous cultural resource sites and structures spanning more than 200 years of American history located throughout the park. Shipwrecks, archeological sites, Civil War defenses, historic structures and other cultural resources tell the stories of past inhabitants and events. These nationally significant resources may be threatened by damage from oil and cleanup operations. Dr. Meredith Hardy, an archeologist with the Southeast Archeological Center in Tallahassee, Florida, is the Section 106 team leader for the oil spill. She leads a group that includes state historic preservation officers, a tribal liaison, a cultural ethnographer, and a data manager to insure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Together they work to evaluate potential cultural resource impacts, minimize threats, and prepare any recovery plans that may be needed. To date, cultural resources in the park have been unaffected by the oil spill. Fort Massachusetts, located on Ship Island off the coast of Mississippi, has been boomed to prevent any oil from reaching the brick walls that lie directly in the waters of the gulf. Important archeological resources in the Florida District, such as the site of the Civil War Battle of Santa Rosa Island, are adjacent to public beaches where extensive cleanup activities are taking place. These sites continue to lie hidden and secure beneath the dunes and sea oats that cover them.
South Florida Parks (Big Cypress, Biscayne, Desoto, Dry Tortugas, Everglades) - The South Florida parks have not been impacted by oil from the Gulf oil spill. Southern Florida, the Florida Keys, and the east coast of the Florida peninsula are not likely to experience any effects from oil remaining on the surface of the gulf, as it continues to degrade and remains hundreds of miles away from the loop current. This analysis assumes the Deepwater Horizon/BP wellhead will remained capped.
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
[Anne Castellina and Mary McBurney, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response]
Lake Mead NRA
Twelve Members Of Family Rescued After Boat Sinks
On the afternoon of Saturday, July 31st, twelve members of the Torrance family - five adults and seven children ranging in age from six months to eleven years - were rescued from Lake Mohave after their 24-foot boat sank. According to family members, high winds and waves on the lake began pushing water over the bow of the boat. All were saved after being in the water with waves nearly three feet high for about 20 minutes because they were wearing their Coast Guard-approved lifejackets. Three boats in the area rendered aid and rescued the family. Last year, the majority of boating and swimming-related fatalities occurred during the month of August. Rangers are reminding the public about being safe while on the lake. [Andrew S. Muñoz, Public Affairs Officer]
Redwood N&SP
Suicide Victim Found On Freshwater Beach
Three visitors discovered a body at the south end of Freshwater Beach on the morning of Friday, July 30th. Humboldt County sheriffs who received the 911 call were first on scene and were soon followed by California State Parks ranger J. Morales and NPS ranger Heidi Barker. As part of the state/federal parks partnership, Barker took over the investigation and worked with the Humboldt County coroner, who made an initial determination that the death was a suicide. It appears that the subject, a 35- to 40-year-old man, took his life by cutting his own throat. Positive identification is still forthcoming, but a note left by the man and the registration of the accompanying vehicle indicate that he was from Texas. The body was taken by the coroner, who will be conducting a more in-depth evaluation. The case will remain open until a final determination is made. [Marshall Neeck, Chief 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/):
Yosemite NP - About 1,200 people attended a ceremony in Yosemite Valley last Thursday to launch the new Yosemite quarter. The quarter is the third coin released in the Mint's new 12-year initiative to honor 56 national parks and other national sites across the country.
Office of Public Affairs - The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has once again added Everglades to its List of World Heritage in Danger, symbolizing both the U.S. commitment to the restoration of the Everglades ecosystem and the administration's efforts to restore the role of sound science in the decision-making process.
Natural Resource Program Center - Chris Shaver is retiring on August 13th after over 20 years with the NPS. Chris has devoted most of her 35-year professional career to improving air quality, with special emphasis on protecting national parks from air pollution. Photo.
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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