NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, August 12, 2013

INCIDENTS

Big Bend NP

Stranded Kayakers Rescued From Santa Elena Canyon

Around midnight on August 7th, the park was notified of two overdue kayakers who hadn't returned as planned from a river trip through Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande River. River levels in the park were unusually high at the time due to local rains and large dam releases from Mexico. 

Ranger Blake Trester found one of the kayaks around 8 a.m. the next morning. It had washed ashore near Santa Elena Viewpoint just downstream from Santa Elena Canyon. Rangers responded via jet boat, raft and aircraft. The kayakers were spotted from the air about an hour later and picked up by raft shortly thereafter.

The kayakers had become stranded on the river's shoreline the day before after losing one of their kayaks while running Rockslide Rapids. A citation was issued for possession of marijuana.

[Scott Taylor, Acting 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/):

Fort McHenry NM&HS - Four weeks after visitors commemorated the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Gettysburg, thousands came to Fort McHenry to learn about the aftermath of that titanic struggle.  Thousands of Confederate prisoners and wounded on both sides were sent by rail to Baltimore with many winding up at the fort.

Office of Communications - The NPS is working to determine how to best navigate visitors through NPS.gov and other digital platforms to meet their trip planning objectives and expose them to new opportunities. Field suggestions on possible revisions are solicited.

Glen Canyon NRA - Representatives from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and ARAMARK celebrated the opening of a new store complex at Wahweap Marina with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 25th.

Big Cypress NP - The park and Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens are working together to protect wildlife with a new exhibit that encourages people to treat alligators, wading birds and other animals with respect for the safety of both the wildlife and the public.

Wilderness Stewardship - Ranger Rob Danno has joined the Wilderness Stewardship Division as its Leave No Trace program coordinator. He will be based at the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center in Missoula, Montana.

Appalachian NST - Dick Ketelle, who's been helping to maintain the Appalachian Trail since the early 1960s as a member of the Smokey Mountains Hiking club, has been recognized for 50 years of service.

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The Morning Report is produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov).

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