NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Monday, September 27, 2010
INCIDENTS
Gulf Coast Parks
Spill Responders Prepare For Arrival Of Migrating Birds
Birds that spend their summer in the northern U.S. will
soon be flying down to the Gulf Coast to gorge themselves before
continuing on to Central or South America to spend the winter. Some of
these birds may encounter oiled areas when they get to the Gulf Coast.
So, what's going to happen? Migration takes place in the fall, with at
least a dozen species of birds coming through Gulf Islands National
Seashore (both Florida and Mississippi districts have migratory routes).
Black terns “pile up” at the park to feed before moving on, according to
park biologist Mark Nicholas. Other shorebirds that increase in numbers
are Bonaparte gulls, sandpipers, black-bellied plovers, sanderlings, and
ruddy turnstones. Waterfowl that are more common in the park include
mergansers, loons, redheads and cormorants. Sandhill cranes also migrate
to the area and make the marshes, some of which have been impacted by
oil, their winter home. If large numbers of birds come into an area that
has oil, the cleanup may be briefly postponed so as not to disturb the
birds. Migration routes may also be diverted due to oil in areas where
the birds typically feed. Migration is exhausting and the birds need the
stopover in the refuges and along the seashore to rest and recuperate
before they make the long trip across the Gulf of Mexico. Even the birds
that winter along the Gulf Coast are weak by the time they get here and
need the habitat this area provides. Hundreds of miles of shoreline have
been impacted by the oil spill and thus may not available to the birds
for food. Staff engaged in Deepwater Horizon oil spill operations will
continue to look for oiled birds, and both the Fish and Wildlife Service
and the National Park Service will monitor the birds landing in the
refuges and parks that were affected by the oil spill. Impacts to the
migrating birds can be reduced by cleaning only one portion of an island
at a time or by reducing workers' operational periods. Either way, the
spill will have an impact on migrating birds.
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
[Betsy Coffee, PIO, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response]
Glacier NP
Body Of Missing Fisherman Found
The body of 30-year-old M.W.S. was recovered from Lake McDonald shortly before noon last Friday. The Flathead County Sheriff's Office dive team was instrumental in the recovery effort. The county used a small submersible remote operated vehicle with an onboard camera to locate M.W.S., who was about 200 yards from shore and about 65 feet below the surface at the head of Lake McDonald. Side scan sonar used by the dive team on Thursday significantly narrowed the search area for Friday's recovery efforts. This was the second drowning fatality in Glacier this year and the third in five years. Water-related accidents remain the number one cause of death in the park. [Wade Muehlhof, Public Affairs Officer]
Great Smoky Mountains NP
DUI Enforcement Operations Net Thirteen
A series of DUI enforcement actions in the park over the past three weeks resulted in 13 arrests - 10 for DUI and three for public intoxication. The initiative is part of a national effort funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reduce the number of drug and alcohol-related traffic crashes. Rangers conducted enhanced DUI enforcement at two locations. Over the weekend of September 12th, rangers were assisted by the North Carolina Highway Patrol and the Cherokee Police Department in conducting sobriety checkpoints along Newfound Gap Road, just inside the park's Cherokee entrance. During the course of the contacts, three drivers were arrested for DUI. On the weekend of September 17th, rangers conducted saturation patrol along the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge Spur. This second round resulted in seven DUI arrests and two arrests for public intoxication. In addition to these special operations, rangers made four other DUI arrests within the same time frame during the course of their normal patrols. [Bob Miller, Public Affairs Officer]
El Malpais NM
Remains Of Missing Father And Daughter Found In Park
A natural resource crew in the process of conducting cave surveys in the interior of the park last Tuesday came upon human skeletal remains. Rangers and state police began a joint investigation that same day to determine if a crime had occurred. Early on Wednesday morning, park staff and members of a state police crime scene team hiked out to the rugged, remote area where the remains were found to examine the scene. The bones were scattered and evidence of animal activity was found; a few pieces of weathered clothing and weathered credit cards were also found at the scene. The remains were sent to the state medical examiner's office for further investigation. Positive identification of what turned out to be two victims was made through dental records provided by the families of J.C. and his daughter C.T., who disappeared on June 20, 2002. The bones are being sent to the University of North Texas, where they will be analyzed by a forensic anthropologist to determine if foul play occurred. [Leslie D. DeLong, Chief of Visitor Services]
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/):
Director's Office - In this episode, Director Jarvis speaks from C&O Canal about ways the National Park Service can connect environmental and public health.
Natural Resource Program Center - The Washington Office's Natural Sounds Program, the Intermountain Regional Office, and Zion National Park have announced the release of the Zion National Park soundscape management plan.
Learning and Development Division - Applications are now being accepted for the Leadership for Public Lands and Cultural Heritage certificate program - a new, innovative, graduate-level leadership program. They are due by October 15th.
Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.
National Capital Region - Philip Selleck, a 23-year employee of the NPS, has been selected as NCR's new associate regional director for operations and education. He assumes his new duties on October 11th.
Chief Information Officer - The National Information Services Center is pleased to welcome Sharon Hebenstreit as its IT management analyst for contracting, procurement, and agreements. Photo.
* * * *
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).
--- ### ---