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The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-current. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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March 20, 1987 Location: Gulkana Airport (Alaska) NPS pilot J.H. flew a Service-owned Cessna 185 (2171F) from Glenallen to Gulkana with three passengers on board. He attempted a landing, but had to go around again when his plane veered to the right (possibly as a result of cross-winds) just as he was touching down. On his second attempt the plane again veered to the right and hit a snow berm adjacent to the runway. The engine, propellor and left side of the aircraft were damaged. There were no injuries. Doug Erskine from the Alaska Regional Office and Bob Lewis from GAS are en-route to investigate.
Location: Seattle, WA A demonstration and presentation of demands were made by Earth First to PNW Associate Regional Director, Rich Winters. Thirteen adults and two children peacefully demonstrated against the two dams on the Elwha River in Olympic NP. There were no incidents, property damage or arrests. The event lasted one hour and 45 minutes. The Federal Protection Service assisted with one uniformed officer. This is the same group that demonstrated in mid-July at the upper dam site on the Elwha.
At about 11:40 a.m. on the 22nd, an Arctic Tern employed by the park crashed during an attempted landing on a remote tundra strip. The aircraft struck a depression and nosed over onto its back. Neither the OAS pilot, R.K., nor the passenger, W.R., were seriously injured, but W.R. did receive a bump on the head which he probably incurred while exiting the aircraft. The plane sustained significant damage and will have to be airlifted from the strip. Rangers from the park are at the accident site to guard the aircraft until it can be removed. A team of investigators from the regional office flew to the site yesterday to begin an investigation. (Telefax from Bob Seibert, ARO).
The following is the text of the briefing prepared for the Secretary this morning. It is based on current reports from Phil Ward and Capt. Clayton Connor in RAD/WRO and Doug Erskine in BFM/Boise: Overview Shortly after the earthquake struck California on the night of October 17th, the Washington Office began efforts to determine the impact the quake had on parks in central California and to ascertain what equipment, services or funding would be needed there. Although reports are still incomplete due to difficulties in communicating with both parks and the regional office, which is located in downtown San Francisco, it has been determined that no National Park Service employees or visitors were killed or injured by the quake and no major damage occurred in the parks. The Federal interagency fire management community, including the National Park Service, has committed pertinent fire resources to the relief effort. The National Interagency Fire Coordinating Center (NIFCC) in Boise is operating on a 24-hour basis and is prepared to fill resource orders immediately. A Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MAC) has been established in Sacramento. Fire overhead teams, qualified specialists, equipment and supplies will be provided as needed. All personnel in the United States Park Police contingent in San Francisco are on 12-hour shifts; days off and leave have been cancelled. In addition to routine patrol activities, they have increased patrols in the Fort Mason area and are assisting the city's police department with traffic control in the heavily damaged Marina District. Western Regional Office The Service's Western Regional Office is located in a building on 450 Golden Gate Avenue in downtown San Francisco. The building was closed yesterday and will remain closed until GSA can complete tests to assure that the building is safe and habitable. It is unclear how much damage the building suffered, but initial reports are that it was limited to falling plaster and broken windows.
The following is the text of the brief prepared for the Secretary this morning. It is based on current reports from Phil Ward and Holly Bundock of WRO: Overview Except for NPS facilities along San Francisco's waterfront, all parks in the areas affected by Tuesday's quake are now open. A team of six NPS engineers from the Denver Service Center is in the process of assessing earthquake damage to Cliff House, lower Fort Mason, Fort Point, the Hyde Street Pier, and Alcatraz Island; until their work is complete, those areas will remain closed. Western Regional Office The regional office, located in the Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate Avenue in downtown San Francisco, will remain closed until Monday. NPS representatives entered the offices yesterday and discovered that damage was limited to overturned tables, spilled file cabinets and supplies strewn on the floor.
The regional office was evacuated yesterday due to the discovery of a mail bomb in the building's mail room. The bomb, which was intended for an official of the 11th Circuit Court and was related the bomb which killed Judge Vance on Saturday, was removed from the building and subsequently disarmed. (Telephone report from SERO through WASO Public Affairs; press reports).
The Federal Building in San Francisco, which houses the Service's Western Regional Office, was closed down on January 15th and 17th due to blockage of all entrances by protestors opposed to the war with Iraq. It's estimated that about 8,000 people took part in the demonstrations. A total of about 1,500 people were arrested; 1,000 were taken into custody on the 17th alone, the most ever arrested in one day in the city's history. [Telefax from Carol Leggat, WRO, 1/18]
We have instituted this section in the morning report in order to keep you posted on security advisories and incidents associated with the war in the Mideast and will maintain it as long as circumstances warrant. Contact Major Jack Schamp with any relevant information. San Francisco - On the 19th, 15 US Park Police officers were assigned to the Federal Office Building for a demonstration by 120 members of the Marin Peace and Justice Coalitions. Military police assigned to the Presidio arrested 49 of 3,000 demonstrators who appeared at that location.
As many of you know, we received a request from the Department last Monday for the names of NPS employees who had experience with post-oil spill habitat restoration and wildlife rehabilitation who might be available to join a team being sent to Saudi Arabia to assist in the cleanup of the oil spill in the Persian Gulf. We in turn asked the ten regional ranger activities offices to gather names and get them back to us within 24 hours. Since it wasn't certain at that time whether or not overhead personnel would be needed, we also asked for the names of employees with ICS credentials. Through the efforts of both parks and regions, we were able to put together a comprehensive listing of candidates and bring this list to the Department on Tuesday. As of today, the Department has sent only one person a Fish and Wildlife Service employee from Oregon to Saudi Arabia, but is holding on to all names in case further requests are made. The situation is highly fluid at present, and it is not known just what the Saudis will be requesting. In any case, we want to thank all of you for the promptness of your responses. We were able to present a comprehensive listing to the Department in very short order, and they have expressed their appreciation for the rapidity and thoroughness of our response. We'll keep you posted on further developments as they occur.
Federal law enforcement officers from the Forest Service, BLM and the Park Service served a search warrant at the home of L.M. in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 31st and seized several cartons of fossils which were illegally taken from public lands. The regional law enforcement specialist, three law enforcement rangers, and two employees from SWRO's anthropology division participated in the search. The warrant was requested after L. and P.M. approached officials at the Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque and attempted to trade the fossils for others the museum might have. L.M. reportedly told the museum's paleontology curator that many of the fossils came from public lands near Farmington, New Mexico. Museum experts estimated that the fossils were from the Paleocene Age, and said that the materials L.M. brought to the museum were of "inestimable" scientific value and could be found in only about two dozen places in the world. L.M. later said that he cooperated with the federal officers and provided the names of others involved in removing the fossils. [Newspaper article by Karen Peterson, Albuquerque Journal, 2/1, via telefax from Jim Radney, LES, RAD/SWRO, 2/4]
Following 30 days of consideration during which he reviewed sentencing memoranda and public comments, Federal District Judge Russell Holland rejected the $1 billion plea agreement offered by Exxon, Inc., and Exxon Shipping stemming from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in March of 1989. Judge Holland felt that the $100 million criminal penalty provision of the settlement was not severe enough to deter oil companies from spilling oil in the future. Exxon has been given time to reconsider their guilty pleas and enter into a new agreement. The new deadline is May 24, 1991. [CompuServe message from RAD/ARO, 4/24]
Members of the joint, interagency ARPA task force including representatives from the National Park Service caught several individuals in three vehicles dismantling a 17th Century Navajo/Pueblo site on BLM lands near Cuba, New Mexico recently. All individuals were interviewed and released, and indictments are currently being sought from a grand jury. Associated investigations and damage assessments are continuing. Task force archeologists estimate that the about 40 tons of material was moved at the site. [CompuServe message from Bill Tanner, RAD/SWRO, 5/29]
On the afternoon of June 6th, an NPS employee was in the process of loading a radio antenna on a contract helicopter at an air strip in Nome in order to take it to a site on Granite Mountain when the antenna struck the Bell 206B's blades. The rotor suffered some noticeable damage, but no one was injured. [Telefaxed report from RAD/ARO, 6/21]
North Atlantic Regional Office has contacted all parks in the region to determine the impacts of Hurricane Bob. Most areas reported nothing more than minor tree damage. About $3,000 in damage was inflicted on the historic house which serves as a visitor center at Roger Williams in Rhode Island, and some roof repairs will be required on structures at Fire Island. The big exception was Cape Cod. The eye of the hurricane passed between most of New England and the cape; since areas to the east of the eye had high winds and little rain and areas to the west had heavy rain but less intense winds, the park suffered more than any other NPS area. Because of the very large number of downed trees on park roads, including accesses to private residences, the park has asked for additional assistance and has implemented the incident command system to manage cleanup operations. Region has sent 15 people from five parks to the cape along with needed vehicles, saws and chippers. Resource orders have been submitted to BIFC, and two administrative overhead people are being dispatched to the park. Some structural damage was also inflicted on park buildings the walls of the Highland House in North Truro separated from the roof in several places, the windows and porch of the NPSowned Coast Guard Station in Eastham were damaged, the walls of the bath house at Race Point blew away, and windows were blown out of the historic Salt Pond House. Several fee booths and the ORV booth at Race Point were also damaged. Park staffers were checking the 70 or so park residences yesterday to determine if any repairs will be required. Most areas in the park and elsewhere on the cape are still without power. The only beach currently open to the public is Marconi Beach. [Telephone report from John Lynch, RAD/NARO, 8/21]
Preliminary reports on the effects of Hurricane Bob on a number of eastern parks have been received. Further reports will appear once damage assessments have been completed and phone service has been restored: * North Atlantic Regional Office (Massachusetts) - The regional office in downtown Boston closed at noon yesterday. All employees were sent home. [Telephone conversations on 8/19 with Don Weir (FIIS), Andy Ringgold (CACO), Frank Studinski (SAIR), George Price (LOWE), and Larry Gall (MIMA); CompuServe message from Brion Fitzgerald (ASIS)]
On October 8th, the Federal District Court in Anchorage approved a criminal plea agreement and a civil consent decree with Exxon Corporation and Exxon Shipping Company in which the two companies will pay a record $1.125 billion in fines, restitution and civil damages. Exxon has already spent $2.5 billion to address the consequences and causes of the oil spill. The companies agreed to an assessed fine of a record $150 million plus $100 million in restitution. In recognition of the companies' voluntary expenditure of $2.5 billion, $125 million of the criminal fine has been remitted. The companies will also plead guilty to four violations of federal environmental law. The $100 million in restitution is twice the amount agreed to in a previous criminal settlement made on March 13, 1991. According to the civil consent decree, Exxon will pay $900 million to reimburse the federal and state governments' past clean-up costs and fund the restoration of Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska. For further details concerning the sentencing agreement, please contact Dan Hamson or Cordell Roy in the regional oil spill coordination office at FTS 869-2526 (907-257-2526), or Steve Shackelton, regional law enforcement specialist, at FTS 869-2641 or 907-257-2641. [Justice Department press release via telefax from RAD/ARO, 10/8]
Several areas and operational units of the National Park Service were directly or peripherally affected by the riots, demonstrations and other incidents that have occurred since the verdict was handed down in the King assault case: * US Park Police (Washington/New York/San Francisco) - The Presidentially- ordered dispatch of 1,000 federal officers to Los Angeles included approximately 200 Park Police officers from around the country. About 180 officers from Washington, complete with vehicles and equipment, were sent to Andrews AFB to fly out on military transports on Friday evening, but were told to stand down when it was determined that the National Guard forces sent into the city would be sufficient. Another 35 officers from FLETC and Golden Gate were en route to the city when the stand-down order came through. [Telephone and telefax reports from Phil Ward, RAD/WRO; Bob Reid, RAD/MARO; Bob Ditolla, RAD/NARO; Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO; Bob Byrne, CR, INDE]
Several areas and operational units of the National Park Service were directly or peripherally affected by the riots, demonstrations and other incidents that have occurred since the verdict was handed down in the King assault case: * Southeast Regional Office (Georgia) - Demonstrations which occurred in Atlanta on Thursday became violent and led to the closing and evacuation of the federal building which houses the regional office. Security was increased, and all employees returned to work on Friday without further incident. [Telephone and telefax reports from Phil Ward, RAD/WRO; Bob Reid, RAD/MARO; Bob Ditolla, RAD/NARO; Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO; Bob Byrne, CR, INDE]
The joint, inter-agency (NPS, BLM, USFS, FBI and IRS) ARPA task force working out of Santa Fe continues to make headway against people engaged in illegal collection and trafficking in artifacts taken from federal lands. Three cases have recently concluded or are about to conclude: * D.K. of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has plead guilty to a misdemeanor ARPA violation and agreed to a negotiated plea settlement in which he will be sentenced to a year's probation, payment of $1,100 restitution to the government, and payment of court costs. D.K. was caught metal- detecting and digging artifacts on federal lands earlier this year. * G.W. of Phoenix, Arizona, has pled guilty to a misdemeanor ARPA violation of trafficking in artifacts. G.W. was sentenced to a year's supervised probation and ordered to forfeit $6,000 and his fully-paid-for Nissan Stanza 4x4 wagon. Investigators, who were aware of G.W.'s interest in procuring artifacts, offered to sell him pots which were taken from Zion NP. G.W. agreed, and was sold several pots which were from outside the park. * P.W. of Farmington, New Mexico, pled guilty to one count of felony ARPA trafficking. The court has accepted a plea bargain, but sentencing is still pending. NPS and BLM agents seized over 200 artifacts from P.W.'s residence, most of them taken from BLM lands in the Farmington area. More task force actions are pending. [Bill Tanner, RAD/SWRO, 5/11]
Steven F. Milton, 47, the regional appraiser for Southeast Region, was killed on Monday, May 18th, in a head-on collision while en route to Blue Ridge Parkway. Karol A. Neville, 38, an appraisal assistant in SERO and the only other person travelling with Milton, was injured and is presently in serious but stable condition in Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. Their vehicle was struck by another vehicle which crossed the center line of the highway and hit them head-on. The occupants of that car were a local couple; the husband, 64, was killed, and the wife is in a hospital. No further details are currently available. [Telephone report from Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO, 5/20]
The North Carolina Highway Patrol investigation into the accident which killed SER chief appraiser Steve Milton on Monday has determined that 64-year-old L.C., a druggist from Mooresville, North Carolina, was driving southbound on U.S. 21 in his Mercury Topaz when he crossed the center line and collided with Milton's Chrysler LeBaron. All three persons in the two vehicles were wearing safety belts and the air bag in the Chrysler deployed. Karol Neville, an appraisal assistant in the SER Land Resources Division who was travelling with Milton, has been moved out of intensive care. She suffered head injuries in the accident, and may have to undergo surgery on one of her ankles. Messages may be sent to Karol at Carolina Medical Center, P.O. Box 32861, Charlotte, NC 28232. She will probably remain in that facility through the weekend. Milton's funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday at Chapman's Funeral Home, 2851 Third Avenue, Huntington, WV 25702. Milton leaves his 19-year-old son, Steven, his mother, and two brothers. The family will receive visitors one-half hour prior to the service. Tom Piehl and Connie Rousey in SER Land Resources are accepting contributions for both the Milton and Neville families. [cc:Mail message from J.M. Howard, Office of Communications, SERO, 5/20]
The facilities and resource assessment teams plan on presenting their final reports to the three park superintendents and to the regional director on September 25th. These reports will help the parks plan their come-back efforts. No other new developments have been reported. The incident commander has asked that the following information regarding incident-related administrative leave be passed on to all areas that have provided assistance in the hurricane relief effort: "Employees of the National Park Service have provided much needed assistance to the south Florida parks affected by the impact of Hurricane Andrew. Most of the outside resources sent in response to this emergency have worked 21 days, with no days off during the incident. It is appropriate to recognize those employees who responded to the call for assistance by applying the existing administrative leave policy in place for wildland fire assignments. Please refer to NPS-18, Section III, Exhibit 8, Personnel Work/Rest Guideline. For employees who have been assigned 14 days or longer to the incident, one day of administrative leave should be granted by the home unit so that a full 24 hour rest period can be assured. To the extent necessary to accomplish critical park operations, backfill overtime to cover the administrative leave day should be charged to the incident account." The ARM Team is also actively seeking to provide training opportunities on this incident for those NPS employees who have already been selected for the Service's overhead development program. If you are one of those people and would like to work in the recovery operation, please contact the Branch of Fire and Aviation in Boise (208-334-9453) and leave your name, the overhead position you will be training for, dates of availability and home and work phone numbers. Contributions may be sent to Andrew Relief Fund, ENP&MA, Attention: George Minnucci, 446 North Lane, Conshohocken, PA 19428. Checks should be made out to ENP&MA with a notation that the contribution is for the relief fund. Director Ridenour has also determined that ENP&MA may also accept donations from NPS concessioners. Please note, however, that parks may not solicit donations from concessioners or from visitors for the relief fund. [Pat Tolle, Paul Broyles, Rick Gale, ARM Team; 9/18]
Heavy rains have caused interruptions in satellite communication with south Florida. Further information on the recovery effort will appear tomorrow.
No update is available this morning, but the incident commander has asked that the following be passed on to all areas: "We have received notification of literally hundreds of NPS seasonal maintenance employees indicating interest and availability in working this winter (or parts of it) at one of the three parks helping to rehabilitate quarters, interpretive facilities, maintenance areas and other structures. We emphasize that any such hiring/reassigning would be restricted to journeyman level skill maintenance positions. At this point, it is still too early to determine whether or not this will be a viable alternative for us to consider. We anticipate that a decision will be made by September 30th as to this option. At that time, we will also determine the method of hiring - whether on detail from the home park or by reassignment/direct hiring by one of the three south Florida parks. In any event, the incident would fund all costs, including base eight salary. Our best advice at this time would be to continue to process termination or intermittent status SF-52s as normal. We will keep you advised as soon as we have made decisions. In the interim, we sincerely appreciate the interest and willingness of park maintenance employees to assist in the rebuilding of the infrastructure of the three south Florida parks." [Rick Gale, IC, ARM Team, 9/23]
Work is continuing on all previously reported projects. Bill Blake takes over command of the ARM team from Rick Gale this morning. More than $160,000 has been donated to the Hurricane Andrew relief fund which is being administered by ENP&MA. Donations have come from employees in virtually every NPS unit, many conservation groups, cooperating associations and private individuals. The fund is being managed by the superintendents of the three parks. They are providing $200 to every employee affected by the hurricane, and will disburse the balance to those needing aid based on applications for assistance. Criteria will include medical needs, child care, care of elderly dependents, transportation needs, housing needs and lack of or insufficient insurance. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Monetary contributions to the relief effort may be sent to Andrew Relief Fund, ENP&MA, Attention: George Minnucci, 446 North Lane, Conshohocken, PA 19428; checks should be made out to ENP&MA with a notation that the donation is for the relief fund. You can also make a contribution by purchasing a Hurricane Andrew t-shirt which has been produced by Florida National Parks and Monument Association and is being distributed through ENP&MA. All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go to the relief fund. Shirts are $10 each and can be ordered from ENP&MA, 1100 East Hector Street, Conshohocken, PA 19428. Checks should be made out to ENP&MA Andrew Relief Fund. Credit card orders can be called in to 215-832-0363. [Bill Adams, ARM team, 10/7]
More reports have been received regarding the impacts of the "winter hurricane" which struck the East Coast last weekend. Many parks, particularly in Southeast Region, reported minor damage, particularly downed trees. The more significant reports follow: [Bill Springer, RAD/SERO; Pat Tolle, EVER; Jason Houck, GRSM; Chuck Taylor, GUCO; 3/16]
Follow-up reports regarding the magnitude 5.5 earthquake which shook northern Arizona last Thursday have been received from Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater, Wupatki and Walnut Canyon. No damage occurred at any of the four areas. Rangers at Grand Canyon, however, responded to two quake-related EMS incidents, one of which required provision of advanced life support measures. Both calls were attributed to the patients' profound responses to the earthquake. Each of the victims was taken to the park clinic. The seismograph at Sunset Crater produced good records of both that quake and the 4.8 quake which preceded it on April 25th. Indications are that the quakes had epicenters within a mile of each other and that they were on the Cataract Creek fault 25 miles south of Grand Canyon Village. Thursday's quake was the largest at Grand Canyon in 34 years. [Kim Watson, CR, SUCR/WUPA,WACA, and CRO, GRCA, 4/30]
Western Regional Office employees had to evacuate their building on the morning of May 7th due to a bomb threat phoned in to the publishing company which occupies two floors of the six-story structure. The incident was handled by San Francisco police and fire units, who found no bomb and cleared the building for reentry after about an hour. Threats and demonstrations were a fairly common occurrence when the regional office was in the Federal Building, but this is the first such incident since the move to the GSA-leased building in 1991. [Carl Christensen, WRO, 5/7]
On May 14th, G.B., 28, of Algodones, New Mexico, was found guilty of vandalizing Tower Ruin, a Navajo refugee period archeological site, on BLM lands at Tapia Canyon in the Cabezon Peak area in May, 1991. NPS special agent Phil Young (the case agent) and NPS archeologist Judy Reed were assigned to the investigation and prosecution of the case - the first ARPA task force investigation that has gone to a jury. The defendant was found near the ruin with a semi-tractor trailer full of rock and wood. He admitted taking a prior load of rock from the area the previous weekend, but contended that all the rock was from a natural source along a ridge line. His family held the BLM grazing lease for the area. Investigators discovered that two walls of the ruin had recently been dismantled and removed. Tower Ruin was used primarily from 1700 to 1810 following the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico following the Pueblo Revolt. The Canoncito band of Navajo consider the site to be "the First Hogan" and the center of the world; they've been unable to perform over half of their ceremonies there over the past two years due to the vandalism. Sentencing is scheduled for July. Restitution will be sought. Two of G.B.'s associates agreed to pre-trial diversion and restitution payments; his uncle, Rudolfo Romero, 48, was acquitted by the jury. [ARPA Task Force, 5/17]
Lloyd Furman, 39, who was the program manager for the Service's maintenance management program until forced to take a disability retirement last October, died shortly after 7 p.m. last night. Details on funeral arrangements are pending. [Beth Fischer, E&SS/WASO, 8/6]
Preparations continue for the arrival of Hurricane Emily, now a Category II storm with sustained winds around 100 mph. Forecasters believe that wind speeds will increase before the hurricane comes ashore tomorrow. At 5 a.m. EDT, the hurricane was 155 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and moving northwest around 9 mph; a gradual turn to the north is expected later today. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 mph. The hurricane warning has been extended northward to Cape Henlopen, Delaware, just north of Assateague Island. Storm tides of five to eight feet are possible on both eastern and western shores of the Outer Banks. Rainfall totals of four to eight inches are possible along Emily's path. * Southeast Regional Office (Georgia) - The region's Type II all-risk team is on alert and prepared to respond. The regional office has also lined up a damage assessment and documentation team, maintenance crews, and supplies to send to the Outer Banks if needed. NIFC's Southeast Area Coordination Center (SACC) is now operating around the clock, and the NPS is working with Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service through the SACC's MAC group to make necessary preparations. Close links have been established between the SACC and FEMA. [Steve Smith, RAD/SERO; Mary Collier, Management Assistant, CAHA; Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; Bob Thomas, Acting CR, ASIS; Dick Young, COLO; NWS Office of Meteorology hurricane advisory; 8/31]
Two reports of closures due to heavy snow, wind and rain along the East Coast have been received; others will appear tomorrow:
At the request of the Bureau of Reclamation, Western Region dispatched a special event team to American Falls, Idaho, on March 28th to help BOR protect 4,000 acres of land on the middle portion of the Snake River containing over 150 archeological and historical sites dating back as far as 10,000 years ago. The mission of the ten-person team was to provide an increased law enforcement presence in order to discourage off road vehicles from entering the area and damaging sensitive archeological sites. Although BOR closed the area to ORVs in 1972, the regulations were not enforced because of the agency's lack of enforcement authority. Rangers patrolled the area on ATVs and in patrol vehicles and were successful in protecting the area from further damage. Much time was spent meeting with local community groups and providing information on the rangers' mission. Team leader Dale Antonich also met with local and federal law enforcement personnel to gain the support and cooperation needed to ensure a successful operation. The first phase of the operation, which has been designated Operation Eagle Rock, ended on April 8th with no incidents or major confrontations between rangers and ORV owners. Rocky Mountain Region's SET teams have now assumed responsibility for the operation. It appears that the group meetings and efforts to educate the local community have helped to relieve some of the tensions that have existed between federal law enforcement officers and the local community. [Mike O'Neal, RLES, RAD/WRO, 4/18]
A person or persons broke into the regional office by smashing the window glass in a first floor window around 2 a.m. on June 7th. Although entry through the window was apparently attempted, it's believed that the burglar or burglars were frightened off by an Independence NHP patrol ranger who was inside the building at the time performing routine checks. By the time the rangers was able to get out of the building and around to the scene of the break-in, the burglar or burglars had fled. A multi-extension desk phone was taken from a desk which abutted the broken window. There are no suspects at present. [Michael Dumene, INDE, 6/7]
During the seven-month period from May to November of 1993, M.D.E. and J.A.S.-E. are believed to have committed numerous car larcenies, check and credit card frauds, thefts from tents in campgrounds, and thefts of fees from campground pipe safes and association donation boxes on NPS, Forest Service, BLM, state park and private lands in Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota and Nebraska. Among the areas the couple hit were Yellowstone, Wind Cave, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Teton and Grand Canyon. On August 25th, they were indicted in Salt Lake City on from 10 to 13 counts of five 18 USC violations, including conspiracy, theft and property damage. The E.s were arrested separately in Akron, Ohio, and Seneca, South Carolina, earlier this week. They both admitted guilt during subsequent interviews and revealed many more violations, including theft of firearms, stolen money, pawning of stolen items, and a previously unknown and similar crime spree in 1992 which added many more parks to the list of areas which they'd struck, including sites in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, California, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada and Mexico. The investigation into their activities continues. Many NPS rangers contributed information leading to these arrests. M.D.E. is being held on without bond due to the risk of flight; J.A.S.-E. may be released on a $25,000 surety bond with house arrest and electronic monitoring. They will be brought to Salt Lake City and likely tried there. [Erny Kuncl, SA, RMRO, 9/21]
On Wednesday, October 27th, M.H. was found guilty of violation of probation and possession of stolen property while on probation in a federal probation hearing in Portland, Oregon. Special agent Paul Ducasse represented the National Park Service at the hearing and presented evidence concerning the over 1,200 burglaries that M.H. had committed in National Park Service and California state park campgrounds. Ducasse also presented information about the approximately 9,000 items of stolen property and evidence seized following the execution of a search warrant in May, 1994. The recovered stolen property had a minimum aggregate value of over $125,000. The probation hearing examiner (a federal judge) found M.H. guilty, said that he found there was overwhelming evidence to believe M.H. was responsible for the thefts and in possession of a significant amount of stolen property, and gave him to maximum possible sentence of 50 months in custody. M.H. will have to serve an initial 27 months, which will automatically expand to 50 following his conviction in any other court - a prospect deemed highly likely since M.H. still faces felony charges in Oregon and in California, the latter of which has a "three-strikes-you're-out" provision which makes M.H. a probable candidate for a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison. M.H. will likely be prosecuted in Oregon this year and in California in early 1995. Since his arrest, the number of car clouts in national and state parks has decreased significantly; there hasn't been a single auto burglary with his M.O. during that time. M.H. is believed to have burglarized campgrounds in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and possibly Idaho. The investigation which lead up to his arrest took approximately three years and involved dozens of NPS rangers and investigators from all over the system. Ducasse was the lead investigator and coordinated the efforts of numerous state, federal and local agencies, including the FBI and California and Oregon State Parks. Without his ability to conduct a consolidated effort, including the final intensive surveillance which lead to M.H.'s arrest, it is unlikely that M.H. would have been caught, and highly likely that he would still be victimizing visitors to national, state and county parks. [Phil Ward, RCR, RAD/WRO, 10/28]
P.J. Ryan, a staffer in the Environmental Quality Division and renowned editor of "Thunderbear", the Service's oldest alternative newsletter, suffered a mild heart attack on the evening of January 12th and was hospitalized for several days. He is currently recuperating at home. Get well wishes should be sent via cc:Mail to P.J. Ryan, WASO ENV Quality. [EQD/WASO, 1/18]
The sudden change in direction and departure of Hurricane Felix spared East coast parks from significant damage. The following reports were received on Friday: [Bob Thomas, Acting CR, ASIS; Bill Harris, Superintendent, CALO; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO]
During a seven-month period in 1993, M.E. and J.S.-E., his now ex-wife, stole money from donation pipe safes at NPS, USFS and BLM sites, passed fraudulent checks to agencies and businesses, and employed stolen credit cards and checks taken from cars and tents in campgrounds throughout the West. Among the areas the couple hit were Yellowstone, Wind Cave, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Teton and Grand Canyon. The E.s were arrested separately in Akron, Ohio, and Seneca, South Carolina, last September. They both admitted guilt during subsequent interviews and revealed many more violations, including theft of firearms, stolen money, pawning of stolen items, and a previously unknown and similar crime spree in 1992 which added many more parks to the list of areas which they'd struck, including sites in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, California, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada and Mexico. They subsequently pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and theft of government money. Under a plea agreement, M.E. was sentenced earlier this summer to six months in federal prison and three years' supervised probation; ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the NPS and a $1,000 fine; and required to undergo drug and alcohol rehabilitation. J.S.-E. is expected to receive similar sentencing. [Erny Kuncl, SA, IFAO]
T.D.J., 35, a supply clerk in the Alaska SSO, died yesterday morning from injuries received in an automobile accident in Anchorage. He is survived by his parents and three children. Details regarding services are pending. [Marcia Blaszak, AFO]
Don Herring, chief of the Service's Park Facility Management Division, died at his home in Fort Washington, Maryland, on Sunday, October 29th, after a long bout with retinal eye cancer. He was 49. A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Don began his career with the NPS in the late 1960s as a seasonal on a trash crew, then moved on to become a sewer treatment plant operator at Grand Canyon. He then served as an engineering technician in maintenance at Sequoia and in public health and environmental sanitation in NCR before becoming a facility management specialist in WASO in 1977 in what was then the Maintenance Division. He was appointed division chief in 1989. In 1991, Don received the Director's "75th Anniversary Outstanding Employee Award" for his significant contributions to the Service and its maintenance programs. This year, he was chosen to receive the Association of National Park Maintenance Employees' highest honor, the "ANPME Recognition of Excellence" award, for his outstanding efforts in advancing the cause of ANPME, NPS park facility management, and the park facility management profession. He is survived by his mother, Mary Herring of Phoenix, Arizona, and by an uncle, several aunts and cousins. Condolences can be sent c/o John O'Connell at 12228 Hollybank Drive, Fort Washington, MD 20744. A private mass was held in Fort Washington yesterday. Arrangements for a public memorial service are pending. [John Gingles, FMD/WASO]
A.G., 35, a personnel assistant in the Southwest SSO, died of injuries sustained in a car accident in Santa Fe on the evening of November 16th. A.G., her daughter L., 13, and her son H., 11, were passengers in a car being driver by her mother R.R., a retired NPS employee. The vehicle was struck broadside in the accident; A.G. was killed, but her mother and children received only minor injuries. A.G. is survived by her husband, J., and by her children. A funeral service will be held this morning at Calvary Chapel in Santa Fe. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Kidney Foundation, 1715 Grand NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Condolences may be sent to the family. [Public Affairs, SWSSO]
Additional reports regarding the impacts of the three-week shutdown have been received. If the shutdown had significant consequences at your area, please send along a brief report: * AOC/WASO - Due to the shutdown and subsequent blizzard, the Accounting Operation Center was closed from December 18th to January 11th. Only about half of the AOC staff made it work yesterday because of snow and ice-related commuting difficulties. Since the center processes several thousand payments, receipt distributions, expenditure transfers and related financial transactions daily, there was a tremendous backlog of work on hand when employees returned, along with more at the post office and awaiting transmittal in field offices. All work on hand and incoming will be processed oldest first. Overtime will be authorized until AOC is caught up; assistance will be sought from other offices and parks. It will take at least a month to get current - if there are no more closures. The last payments (commercial, grants, travel and relocation reimbursements, imprest funds, etc.) sent to Treasury prior to the shutdown were those scheduled through December 19th. All payments processed prior to the shutdown for payment by January 11th were sent to Treasury for disbursement yesterday morning. No receipts, reimbursables, debt collections, report distributions, reconciliations or other activities have been processed since the shutdown began. [Jon Shrum, AOD/WASO; Paula Rooney, CR, SAGU; Roberta D'Amico, PIO, EVER]
A fire at a building at 50 Congress Street partly occupied by NESSO employees was reported by automatic alarm to the city fire department at 7:10 a.m. on January 16th. The ten-story building, located in the city's financial district, houses NPS offices on its first and third floors. NPS employees reported smelling smoke during evacuation of the building. Because of the early hour, the evacuation process was orderly and uneventful. If it had occurred during working hours, however, hundreds of people would have been forced to use old and restrictive central stairwells in order to vacate the building. The fire originated on the fifth floor and sent heavy smoke to the floors above; it escalated to six alarms before being brought under control. The cause has been tentatively determined to have been electrical. Damage to the floors above the fire reportedly was moderate, and it was minimal in NPS areas. The building was closed yesterday due to safety concerns, but will reopen today. NPS employees have been asked to report to the main SSO building at 15 State Street to facilitate working arrangements until the fire's total impact can be determined. [Joe Mazzeo, NESSO]
Park Police officers are investigating the murder of three women whose bodies were found on a remote roadway in the refuge on January 27th. Park Police provide law enforcement and criminal investigations on the refuge through an agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service. The women, all in their early 20s, had each been shot at least once; two had extensive bruises and abrasions, and may have been thrown from a vehicle. The victims were friends and were last seen leaving their homes to go out "partying" in the city. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFAO]
A new natural resource information center in downtown Milwaukee, known as America's Outdoors: Center for Conservation, Recreation and Resources, was dedicated on April 22nd. The center is jointly sponsored by the Forest Service, BLM and the National Park Service (through a Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance field office). The center will provide a single location for information about national, state and local outdoor recreation areas, opportunities to learn more about nature, and a professional staff to assist citizen-based conservation projects. [Wink Hastings, RTCA]
Lillian Johnson-King, secretary for the Park Police Operations Division since 1990, was killed in a motor vehicle accident in New Bern, North Carolina, on June 9th. She had been with the Service for over 20 years, beginning at Santa Monica. Prior to taking the position in the Operations Division, she worked in the White House liaison office. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at St. Luke's Church in LaGrange, North Carolina. Condolences may be sent to her family care of Mitchell Funeral Home, 104 West James Street, LaGrange, North Carolina 28551. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFDO]
Following a three-year-long criminal investigation, H. "M." H., 53, was arrested in May, 1994, for numerous car clouts in more than 25 national parks and many other parks throughout the country. Since that time, he has been in federal custody for probation violations. This month, H.H. pled guilty to auto burglary charges in state court. The judge gave him the maximum sentence under law - 12 years - and denied him any credit for time served on the federal violation (the sentence may be increased to 18 years in the near future, however, due to the expected reversal of a current technicality which is limiting the sentence to a dozen years). H.H. has an extensive criminal history and has committed "serial" car clouts in the national parks regularly since the 1960s. H.H. got out of federal prison in May, 1991, after serving part of a 16-year sentence for assaulting a ranger at Great Smokies in 1982, and was committing car clouts in parks within a week of his release. Between that time and his arrest in 1994, H.H. is suspected of committing over 1,200 separate car clouts in national parks, California and Oregon state parks, and Forest Service campgrounds. That number is almost three times the total car clouts the NPS experiences each year. The total value of the property stolen has been placed at over $1 million. A search warrant executed at his residence at the time of his arrest led to the recovery of over 8,000 stolen items with a minimum aggregate value of $125,000. The three-year investigation involved criminal investigators and park rangers from a number of Western national parks and eventually involved the FBI, the IRS, the Forest Service, and numerous California, Washington and Oregon state and local enforcement agencies. The NPS and California state parks will be working with the courts to get most of the 8,000 stolen items returned to the park visitors who were H.H.'s victims. [Paul Ducasse, CI, PWFDO]
One of the federal buildings in Phoenix which was targeted by the Viper militia members arrested on July 1st is adjacent to the Southern Arizona Group office, and the other targeted buildings are all within several blocks of the NPS office. A training video seized in the raid shows all the buildings, and discusses shift changes and security measures at each site. Other items seized in the raid included three machine guns and large quantities of chemicals similar to those used in the Oklahoma City bombing last year. A member of the group has claimed that he had a contact who had a computer disk containing the names and addresses of federal agents. The investigation continues. [Dwayne Collier, SOAR]
Hurricane Bertha's overnight weakening and steady but slow approach to the Carolina shoreline has led to standdowns and resumption of regular operations to the south of the projected landfall, continued preparations and vigilance in the hurricane warning area, and preparations for tropical storm conditions to the north: [Ray Morris, CR/IC, FOFR; Chip Davis, SA, FLETC; Frank Mills, CR, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE; John Tucker, FOSU and MOCR; Kent Cave, FOPU; C. Dale, CR/IC, CASA/FOMA; Don Weir, CR, FIIS; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; Steve Smith, SEFDO]
Hurricane Bertha's overnight weakening and steady but slow approach to the Carolina shoreline has led to standdowns and resumption of regular operations to the south of the projected landfall, continued preparations and vigilance in the hurricane warning area, and preparations for tropical storm conditions to the north: o FLETC (Georgia) - NPS staff at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center joined other agencies at the facility in evacuation preparations on Wednesday. All students were contacted, and plans were prepared to move them to the South Georgia College in Douglas, Georgia. Buses were brought in and were ready to go when the evacuation was canceled at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. Classes resumed yesterday. [Ray Morris, CR/IC, FOFR; Chip Davis, SA, FLETC; Frank Mills, CR, Sandy Hook Unit, GATE; John Tucker, FOSU and MOCR; Kent Cave, FOPU; C. Dale, CR/IC, CASA/FOMA; Don Weir, CR, FIIS; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; Steve Smith, SEFDO]
A First Amendment demonstration took place in front of the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle on the afternoon of July 10th. The purpose of the demonstration, sponsored by the Seattle Lesbian Resource Center, was to voice concerns regarding a perceived increase in hatred and intolerance toward lesbians and gays. Specifically mentioned were the recent deaths of the two lesbian women in Shenandoah on June 1st. About 40 people attended the event. The organizers presented a written proclamation addressed to the NPS, FBI and attorney general Janet Reno. CCSSO public affairs officer Nancy Stromsem received the proclamation on behalf of the NPS, made a brief statement, then answered questions along with CCSSO law enforcement specialist Dan Walters. No unusual incidents occurred during the demonstration. [Dan Walters, LES, CCSSO]
Preparations continue and are accelerating for today's opening of the summer Olympics in Atlanta. A total of 166 people are currently assigned to the incident team, and another 78 volunteers are assisting the three affected parks (MLK, KEMO, CHAT) with a variety of duties, ranging from living history demonstrations to sales desk staffing. Among the upcoming activities are: o the passage Olympic torch through Martin Luther King tonight, with the NPS leading the passage through Dr. King's neighborhood; o the arrival of President Clinton tomorrow, with staff at Chattahoochee assisting in security along a portion of the president's travel route; and o a visit to Martin Luther King by the president of Slovenia this afternoon. There is a heightened level of concern regarding safety and security measures at NPS units following recent reports of potential disruptive activities in the Atlanta area and the new of the explosion of the TWA jetliner. All security activities are being coordinated through a joint coordination center; the incident management team has a liaison to that center. [Olympic IMT]
Preparations continue in the Southeastern parks for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Fran: o NPS/FLETC - The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center will not be evacuated (except for the facility in Charleston). Students are going to ride out the storm on site, and classes will continue. Hurricane force winds are expected by early afternoon. [Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; C.L. Dale, CR, CASA; Newt Sikes, CR, CUIS; John Breen, FOPU; John Tucker, FOSU/CHPI/MOCA; Darlene Koontz, NPS/FLETC; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA]
Ranger/pilot Richard Kemp and BLM ranger Mike Billbe were on a joint air patrol on September 24th when an emergency flare was fired toward their aircraft. They investigated and found that the flare had been fired by three hunters, who had also spelled out "HELP" in the snow with spruce boughs near their camp. The hunters packed down an airstrip in the foot of snow at the site, enabling the rangers to land their wheeled Super Cub. The hunters said that they hadn't seen their guide for four days. The rangers checked by radio, and found that the guide had flipped his plane while landing at one of several spike camps associated with the main camp four days previously. The pilot was uninjured. The rangers were unable to land there because of hazardous snow conditions, but were able to dispatch another guide with a ski-equipped aircraft to the site. The rangers then flew to check the other spike camps. Two stranded hunters at one camp had spelled out "SOS" in the snow with the tracks of their ATV. The rangers dropped food and fuel to them and dropped messages directing them to safety. Kemp and Billbe next came upon three more hunters at another spike camp who had stamped out "P11" in the snow. Assuming that they meant "911", they dropped a message asking that one of them lie down if they needed help. One of the hunters immediately did so. Kemp contacted the ski-equipped plane and asked the pilot to check this site out. Then, having exhausted their message drop markers, the rangers employed a segment of white toilet paper to write and drop a message advising the hunters that help was on the way. When last seen, the hunters were climbing the tree to recover the toilet paper streamer. Billbe and Kemp then continued on an otherwise uneventful patrol, noting the presence of several thousand caribou in the immediate area around the hunters. All the hunters returned safely from their trips. [Jon Peterson, CR, NWAK]
Ranger/pilot Richard Kemp participated in a multi-agency search for three missing teens from the village of Noorvik last week. On September 25th, the three boys were attempting to cross 65 miles of open water from Kotzebue to their village when their boat began taking on water in rough seas in Hotham Inlet, about 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle. When the swamped boat was found a thousand feet from shore the following morning, a multi-agency search was begun for them. The teens were found walking along the north shore of the inlet later that day. Kemp and a state wildlife protection officer made multiple beach landings to return SAR team members to a central pick-up point after the search was concluded. Further investigation revealed that the boys had picked up ten jugs of liquor in Kotzebue and were returning it to their village, where alcohol is prohibited. The ringleader of the group was cited for bootlegging. [Jon Peterson, CR, NWAK]
Park Police recruit officer Richard Holman, 25, a student at FLETC in Glynco, Georgia, was critically injured in a motor vehicle accident near St. Simon's Island around 10 p.m. on October 4th. Holman and three other Park Police recruit officers were in a car which was struck head-on by another vehicle which had crossed into their lane. A teenage passenger in the second vehicle was killed in the accident. Holman was transported to Greater Southeast Hospital, where he is in critical condition with severe head injuries. The other three officers received minor injuries and were treated and released. Holman was scheduled to graduate from FLETC in November. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCSO]
Park Police officer Richard Holman, 25, of Long Island, New York, succumbed to the injuries sustained in Friday's motor vehicle accident on Sunday, October 6th. He is survived by his parents and his fiance. He was appointed to the Park Police in July and was scheduled to graduate from FLETC in November. Funeral arrangements are pending. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCSO]
Jim Donoghue, assistant field director, program review, died unexpectedly at his home on Thursday, October 10th. Jim had been a troubleshooter and jack- of-all-trades since joining the NPS when it merged with the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service (HCRS) in the early 1980s, but was most noted for his contributions as a friend, counselor, problem-solver and advocate for superintendents and other field managers. Prior to serving as assistant field director, Jim had served in acting or permanent jobs as Southwest Region comptroller, chief of public affairs, acting superintendent at Canyon de Chelly, chief of operations evaluation, associate regional director for administration, and, when needed, as airplane pilot to ferry park staffs to remote areas on short notice. He began his career with the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation as an outdoor planner in the old Northeast Region in 1966, and later worked as HCRS in Albuquerque as assistant regional director. He received the Department's meritorious service award in 1981. Donations in his name may be made to the Civil Air Patrol's cadet program; checks should be made out to The Donoghue Fund-CAP and sent to P.O. Box 5069, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 87185. Messages of condolence can be sent to his wife, Victoria, and their children at the family home. Approximately 175 people gathered for a tribute to Jim at the Old Santa Fe Trail Building on October 16th. [Tony Bonanno, SWSO]
On October 29th, T.G., a former State Department and Alaska SSO employee, was sentenced to ten days in jail, a year's probation, a $1,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to one count of stealing public property (18 USC 641). In March, 1995, ranger/investigator Ernest Suazo was assigned to investigate a package mailed from the SSO in Anchorage. T.G.'s supervisor became suspicious when mailroom personnel brought to his attention the improper placement of mailing labels on a government franked package. The package was addressed to T.H., Zenith Data Systems, in Crystal Lake, Illinois; the NPS radio shop did business with neither. A computer power unit was found in the package, but it was not accompanied by either a letter of transmittal or instructions. The part was tested and found to be in working condition. Further investigation revealed that T.G. had been in contact with T.H. on a regular basis since November, 1994, and that T.G. was supplying T.H. with stolen government computer parts. After the power unit was marked for identification and photographed, it was shipped as addressed. Suazo also specially marked other computer parts in the radio shop. T.G. soon sent another package to T.H.. The package was intercepted and opened and found to contain several marked computer parts. On April 7, 1995, a search warrant was served on T.G. at the radio shop by rangers and GSA police. A simultaneous consent search was conducted at T.H.'s residence in Illinois by Indiana Dunes NL criminal investigators Guy Whitmer and Joe Wieszczyk (Whitmer and Wieszczyk were unable to obtain a warrant because the U.S. attorney's office in Illinois was in the process of moving). Among the items of evidence seized at T.H.'s residence were computer parts which had been marked by Suazo in Anchorage. The investigation revealed that T.G. and T.H. were operating an Internet computer bulletin board service for profit at T.H.'s residence in Crystal City. The service catered to individuals with a sexual fetish clinically known as acrotomophilia; the service provided graphic images of and information about physically impaired individuals. T.G. served as the system support operator and supplied graphic images from his government office in Anchorage using government equipment. The FBI, State Department, Postal Service and Alaska state troopers also contributed to the investigation. [Steve Shackelton, LES, AKSO]
John Christiano, chief of the Air Resources Division, was seriously injured in a car accident on Tuesday, November 26th. John, his wife, Marilyn, and her parents were on their way home from Denver airport in the Christiano's Nissan Accura when a car traveling in the opposite direction lost control on icy roads, crossed the median, and struck the Nissan. John suffered massive internal injuries and is in very serious condition in intensive care at Columbia-Swedish Hospital in Littleton. His wife and mother-in-law were treated for, respectively, a broken leg and broken ribs. An update will appear in tomorrow's Morning Report. [John Bunyak, Debby Peck, AQD/WASO]
John Christiano, chief of the Air Resources Division, died yesterday of injuries sustained in a car accident on Tuesday, November 26th. Additional details on funeral arrangements and other matters will appear in tomorrow's Morning Report. [Karen Malkin, MIB/WASO]
A memorial service for John Christiano, chief of the Air Resources Division, has been scheduled for 7 p.m. this evening in Denver. The family has requested that donations be made to an as yet undetermined park foundation; additional information will be provided when available. On Wednesday, the same day John died, Secretary Babbitt announced a final target solution for resolving air emission problems from the Centralia Power Plant in the state of Washington (see "Resource Management" below). Assistant Secretary George Frampton had this to say about John's involvement in that project: "At about the same time today that Secretary Babbitt and others announced the achievement of the final target solution in Seattle, John P. Christiano, chief of the National Park Service's Air Resources Division and a prime negotiator of this target solution, passed away in Denver as a consequence of injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident last week in Denver. Mr. Christiano's sharp mind, technical expertise, and deep sense of fairness played a major part in bringing the target solution to realization. He cared deeply about national parks, and he committed his life's work to reducing air pollution's adverse effects on the public health and environmental resources. Our thoughts and prayers are with John's family and many friends." [John Bunyak, NRPC; Karen Malkin, MIB/WASO]
Donations in memory of John Christiano, chief of the Service's Air Resources Division, may be made to Rocky Mountain National Park Associates, Inc., Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO 80517, or to University of Illinois Foundation, General Scholarship Fund, 1305 West Green Street, Hark Hall, Room 400, Urbana, IL 61801. [John Bunyak, AQD/WASO]
Park Police sergeant F.D., 37, and his wife, M.D., were involved in a motor vehicle accident on a snow and ice covered road in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., late on February 8th. Sergeant F.D. was killed and his wife was critically injured. He had been with the service for twelve years and was assigned to the aviation unit at the time of his death. A wake will be held on Wednesday at the Francis Collins Funeral Home in Sliver Spring, Maryland, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. The funeral will be held Thursday morning at 10 a.m. at St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church in Bethesda. [Einar Olsen, RCR, NCRO, 2/10]
A trust fund has been established for the daughter of Park Police sergeant Fred Davis, who was killed in a motor vehicle accident on February 8th. Donations should be sent to The Rebecca Marie Davis Trust, Presidential Savings Bank, 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, attention Patty Kite. The phone number is 301-652-1616 extension 2229. For further information, contact the Park Police aviation section at 202-690-0738. [Einar Olsen, RCR, NCRO, 2/10]
During the fall of 1995, the NPS joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs in "Operation Breaklink," an investigation into the illegal sale and trafficking of Hopi cultural and sacred objects. The NPS provided technical assistance, undercover support, equipment and funding. About 30 individuals have been arrested to date. On March 10th, an Arizona grand jury handed down indictments against R.T. and E.C. R.T. was indicted on 26 felony counts for ARPA and NAGPRA violations, theft from tribal lands, conspiracy and interstate trafficking in stolen property; E.C. was indicted on 23 counts of conspiring to commit NAGPRA violations and theft of property. R.T. is currently on probation from a NAGPRA conviction that resulted from a separate ARPA task force investigation. A preliminary probation revocation hearing was conducted in Albuquerque last week. [Phil Young, SA, SSO, 3/13]
On March 18th, E.C., 43, of Keams Canyon, Arizona, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. E.C. and R.T. were indicted on numerous counts of illegally selling and trafficking in Hopi cultural and sacred objects on March 10th. [Phil Young, SA, SSO, 3/21]
On Tuesday, June 3rd, USPP detective Todd Reid shot a 21-year-old man who assaulted him following a narcotics transaction on Alabama Avenue in southeast Washington. Two suspects attempted to drive away after selling a wholesale quantity of narcotics to a USPP investigator. When Reid tried to stop the vehicle, the driver rammed the car into him, striking him in the leg. Reid then fired at the vehicle, striking one of the occupants in the shoulder and face. The wounded man was transported by Park Police helicopter to a local hospital, where he is in critical condition. The second occupant of the vehicle was arrested without incident. An investigation into the incident is underway. [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCRO, 6/4]
On April 4th, deputies served a search warrant on the residence of J.S. at his house in Indianola, Nebraska, as part of a drug investigation. In that search, they also found a large quantity of prehistoric artifacts and human skeletal remains. J.S. took the remains from Red Willow Lake, a Bureau of Outdoor Reclamation (BOR) area near McCook, Nebraska. BOR asked the Service's Midwest Regional Office for assistance, as the agency does not have an enforcement branch. SA Guy Whitmer investigated the case. Charges were filed, and J.S. pled guilty to theft of government property (18 USC 641) on July 16th. He was fined $1,000. ARPA charges were not filed due to the statute of limitations. Investigation revealed that J.S. was not involved in artifact trading and only collected for his personal possession. The remains were returned to BOR, which has repatriated them under NAGPRA procedures. [Guy Whitmer, SA, MWRO, 8/18]
Linda Romola, an outdoor recreation planner with Denver Service Center's Resource Planning Group, died of an apparent heart attack on November 14th. Linda received her degree in history from Colorado State University in 1975 and began her government career as a coding clerk with EPA in 1978. She was hired by DSC as a coop student later that year. In 1980, she received a masters in urban and regional planning and community development from the University of Colorado, and subsequently worked for DSC as both an outdoor recreation planner and a historian. Funeral services will be held tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. at the chapel at Mt. Olivet Cemetery at 12801 W. 44th Avenue in Denver. [Cynthia Young, DSC, 11/17]
During the fall of 1995, special agents from the Service's Southwest Support Office and BIA initiated Operation Breaklink, an investigation into ARPA and NAGPRA violations on Hopi tribal lands. The investigation, led by BIA, resulted in 26 federal grand jury indictments against R.T. of Payson, Arizona, for trafficking in sacred items and objects of cultural patrimony from both Hopi and Acoma lands. R.T. had previously been convicted of similar violations in an investigation which also involved the NPS. R.T.'s trail began early this month. On December 11th, the jury, following about three hours' deliberation, found R.T. guilty on 20 of the 26 felony counts. [Phil Young, SA, Southwest SO, 12/11]
In December of 1994, the FBI contacted Southwest Region's Resource Protection Unit and asked for assistance in a case involving Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) violations. During the first meeting between the two agencies, it became clear that wildlife violations were also possible, and representatives from Fish and Wildlife were brought into the operation. A ranger from the RPU went undercover and bought several fans containing feathers from protected species (primarily eagles and hawks) at the East-West Trading Company. The operation led to charges being filed against the company for Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) infractions, and against R.C. for dealing in sacred Navajo Yei masks. The company pled guilty to the MBTA violations; R.C. was convicted in April, 1996, in the first NAGPRA trial ever held in the country. He appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the conviction in July, and is now seeking a review by the Supreme Court. The NPS participation came about in part because of requests by the FBI, BIA and U.S. Attorney, in part because of a long tradition of assisting Native Americans with similar cases. Along with providing an undercover ranger, the RPU assigned a case agent to assist FWS and FBI agents, consulted with the Navajo nation to determine if the masks constituted items of cultural patrimony protected by NAGPRA, wrote the search warrants, led the search and seizures, kept the evidence in custody, testified at the trial, and repatriated the masks to the Navajo nation. [Phil Young, SA, SWSO, 12/16]
Charles Lanell, a masonry specialist with the Western Archeological Conservation Center in Tucson, died of a stroke at his home on December 29th. A memorial service was held on January 3rd in Kirtland, New Mexico, and a military funeral was held on January 5th at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. As a preservation crew member, he worked at Fort Union, Wupatki, Chaco, and Aztec under the direction of archaeologist George Chambers. Charles began his 21 years in the preservation program at Chaco as a masonry worker. During this time as a preservation specialist, he became proficient with a variety of mortar additives, developed specialized treatment techniques for different types of architecture, and worked at a number of sites throughout the Southwest Region for the Bureau of Land Management and the Navajo nation. In 1995, he became acting masonry foreman and supervised the entire preservation staff; he assumed permanent responsibility as foreman the following year. Charles was one of the most skilled masons to work at Chaco and contributed numerous ideas on how to improve the Service's preservation program. During his career, he received several awards for his outstanding preservation work at both NPS and BLM sites. Charles believed very strongly that the preservation work at Chaco required a team approach and that crew members were most effective when they worked as a team. As a supervisor, he brought with him a strong belief that people work best when they share duties and responsibilities. He stressed to his staff that everyone must learn to do everything. It was important to Charles that the crew be viewed by the park visitor as both hard working and as skilled caretakers of the resources. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family care of Chaco Culture NHP, P.O. Box 220, Nageezi, NM, 505-786-7061. [Staff, CHCU, via "Morning Line," SWSO Public Affairs Newsletter, 1/6]
On February 12th, a New Mexico state judge ordered that R.T., 55, of Payson, Arizona, be taken into custody and immediately begin serving a six month prison sentence for his probation violation from a 1995 misdemeanor NAGPRA conviction in New Mexico. The latter stemmed from a joint BLM-NPS ARPA task force investigation. The prison sentence is believed to be the first in the country for a NAGPRA violation, and came about due to R.T.'s violation of his probation through continued involvement with the sale of and trafficking in Hopi and Acoma sacred and ceremonial objects. Last December, R.T. was convicted on an additional 20 felony counts, primarily ARPA and NAGPRA, which resulted from Operation Breaklink, a BIA-lead operation which was conducted in collaboration with the NPS. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Phoenix on the Arizona state counts during the third week of March. When sentencing R.T. last week, the judge said that he had sympathy for R.T.'s friends and family, but none for R.T.. R.T. has now been convicted twice under ARPA, and is the first person to be convicted twice under NAGPRA. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona will be seeking an "upward departure" from the sentencing guidelines because of R.T.'s criminal history. [Phil Young, SA, SWSO, 2/17]
A joint FBI, FWS and NPS investigation into Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and other violations led to the April, 1996, conviction of R.C. for dealing in sacred Navajo Yei masks. R.C. subsequently appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the conviction in July; he then sought review of the case by the Supreme Court. Last week, the Supreme Court turned down his appeal. A number of the Yei's have been returned to the Navajo nation, but the FBI still has many objects that will be made available for repatriation. The NPS will be assisting in that process. [Phil Young, SA, SWSO, 3/1]
Southeast Region's superintendents' conference ended a day early after a tornado roared through downtown Nashville on the afternoon of Thursday, April 16th. The tornado passed very closely to the Union Station Hotel, where the group had just concluded its afternoon session. Several attendees were heading to Ryman Auditorium, original home of the Grand Ole Opry, for a guided tour; others were in the hotel lobby awaiting the evening's awards banquet. The hotel's staff gathered guests in the building's ballroom until the tornado passed. Nobody was hurt, but buildings in the area were variously damaged. The hotel was subsequently evacuated, and the remainder of the conference was canceled. [SERO Public Affairs, 4/20]
The Department of Interior was evacuated yesterday at 3:45 p.m. due to an electrical fire that produced a good deal of smoke. There were no injuries. Only essential personnel will be working in the building today; most employees will be at alternative work sites or working at home. No additional details are available on when operations will return to normal. [Bob Marriott, RAD/WASO, 5/6]
The Interior building, which was evacuated on Wednesday due to a smokey fire in an elevator shaft and closed on Thursday, reopened for business this morning. [Bob Marriott, RAD/WASO, 5/8]
On the afternoon of Friday, July 24th, an employee in the Jack Wilson Building at NIFC received a bomb threat by phone. The building, which houses all the agencies at NIFC, including the NPS, was immediately evacuated. All NIFC employees were subsequently instructed to leave center grounds except for law enforcement, security and essential facility personnel. BLM's national law enforcement staff and a canine unit from nearby Mountain Home AFB conducted building searches, but no suspicious devices were found. The grounds remained closed to all but essential personnel until 6 a.m. on Monday morning. Scrutiny of facilities will continue, and employees will be advised of significant developments. An investigation is underway. [Sheila Williams, RAD/NIFC, 7/27]
The Atlanta Federal Center, which houses Southeast Regional Office staff, was evacuated on September 10th when an EPA employee discovered a bomb threat on one of the agency's telephone answering machines. A thorough search of the building was conducted; nothing was found, so employees were permitted to return to their work areas. Continued playing of the tape by EPA employees, however, caused more apprehension and a second evacuation of the building. Precautions are being taken, but federal offices in the building remain open. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 9/11]
Gerald Bastoni, the executive director of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, died suddenly of an apparent heart attack on December 7th. Gerry had been director since February, 1996; he was a strong supporter of the National Park Service and maintained a close relationship with parks throughout the Northeast. He is survived by his wife and three young children. Condolences may be sent to the family; contributions may be made in his name to either a memorial fund at The Wildlands Conservancy, 601 Orchid Place, Emmaus, PA 18049 or to a memorial fund for the benefit of his children at Summit Bank, One Bethlehem Plaza, Bethlehem, PA 18018. [Dave Herrera, Assistant Superintendent, DEWA, 12/16]
Rangers were notified of a possible downed aircraft in the vicinity of Kotzebue on the morning of April 14th. Pilot/ranger Shad Dusseau dispatched a park contract Bell 206 helicopter to assist local Civil Air Patrol and Alaska state troopers in the search. Weather conditions were marginal at the time, with limited visibility due to snow and fog. An emergency locator transmitter signal was picked up within a half hour and the wreckage of the plane was spotted on a frozen lake nine miles east of town. The park helicopter transported a paramedic to the scene, where the body of pilot Leon Foster, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was found and recovered. Wreckage was scattered over a substantial area. It appears that Foster, a resident of Kotzebue, died on impact. Park staff guided troopers and FAA and NTSB personnel to the crash site the following day. The area is accessible only by snowmobile or aircraft. The plane, a Cessna 207 Skywagon owned and operated by Village Aviation, was on a routine freight flight when the pilot declared an in-flight emergency. No reason for the declaration was given. An NTSB investigation of the cause of the accident is now underway. This is the second fatal air crash involving a Kotzebue-based, Village Aviation plane and pilot within the past seven months. [Greg Dudgeon, CR, WEAR, 4/18]
During the fall of 1995, special agents from the Service's Southwest Support Office and BIA initiated Operation Breaklink, an investigation into ARPA and NAGPRA violations on Hopi tribal lands. The investigation, led by BIA, resulted in 26 federal grand jury indictments against R.T. of Payson, Arizona, for trafficking in sacred items and objects of cultural patrimony from both Hopi and Acoma lands. R.T. had previously been convicted of similar violations in an investigation which also involved the NPS. R.T. was found guilty on 20 of the counts in December, 1997, and sentenced to a lengthy jail term. Nine Hopi tribal members were subsequently sentenced to a year each in tribal jail. After his original sentencing, R.T. was found to be in violation of his probation from a prior New Mexico NAGPRA conviction. He served six months for that violation and has since been out, awaiting the ruling on his appeal of the Arizona charges. On August 20th, the U.S. Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit) upheld R.T.'s convictions and sentence. AUSA Paul Charlton will be asking the court to revoke R.T.'s release and that he be returned to prison to serve the remaining 33 months of his sentence. [Phil Young, SA, Southwest SO, 8/24]
Parks in the potential path of Hurricane Floyd have largely completed preparations for its arrival. The current highest probability track would take the storm almost directly over parks from Canaveral NS to Fort Frederica NM, including FLETC in Glynco, Georgia: o FLETC (GA) - Evacuation of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco began at 8 a.m. this morning. All 1700 students will be gone by noon today. They are going to South Georgia College in Douglas, Georgia. All FLETC staff will be released today, and the facility will be completely shutdown by 4 p.m. FLETC will probably not reopen until Monday. Most of the surrounding area is or will soon be under mandatory evacuation order, which will affect over a million people. [Ben Morgan, Liaison Officer, IMT, EVER, 9/13; Gary Bremen, IO, BISC, 9/13; Ken Garvin, SERO, 9/13; Denis Davis, CUIS, 9/13; Chuck Dale, CR, CASA/FOMA, 9/13; Bob Panko, EVER, 9/14; Mike Tennant, FOFR, 9/13; Paul Henry, FLETC, 9/14]
The following updates have been received from parks affected by Hurricane Floyd (north to south): o FLETC (GA) - The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center had a few limbs and trees down, but that was the extent of the hurricane's impact. Classes resume this morning. Based on information received from parks in both Southeast and Northeast Regions, the NPS Type II team (Bob Panko) was released on Friday afternoon. [Einar Olsen, RCR, NCRO, 9/17; Mike Shaver, ACR, SAHI, 9/17; Sandy Rives, FRSP, 9/17; Bob Woody, IO, CAHA, 9/17; Ann Childress, MOCR, 9/17; George Liffert, IC, PRWI, 9/17; Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 9/17; Paul Henry, NPS Superintendent, FLETC, 9/17; John Burns, CR, ASIS, 9/17; Jeffrey Collins, CR, HOFU, 9/17; Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CACO, 9/17; John Tucker, FOSU/CHPI, 9/17; Scott Kalbach, VAFO, 9/17; Martin Zweig, RLES, NERO, 9/17; Gordie Wilson, Superintendent, CASA/FOMA, 9/19]
Debbie Hays of the WASO Budget Office passed away due to complications from cancer on Thursday, October 28th. Colleagues Cathy Damon and Marty Sutherland wrote a tribute to her in the Midwest Region newsletter; excerpts follow: "(Many) of you reading this will not know who she was. But if you have ever had a construction project in your park, then that project was accomplished with the help of Debbie Hays. Debbie worked in several areas of the Budget Office, but her most recent position involved clearance of funds for construction projects. She was one of the most cheerful, hard working people we have ever known...Debbie, like most of us, was not well known around the Park Service. She did her work well but didn't receive a lot of recognition for it. But she was a wonderful person and a good friend and we will miss her. And it helps just a little to be able to tell you about her." The family has asked that contributions be made in her name (in lieu of flowers) to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Condolences may be sent to parents K.H. and V.H. [Maureen Foster, WASO, 11/2]
Bill Waldman, a personnel classification specialist in WASO Human Resources, underwent surgery on November 30th to have malignant tumors removed from the right and left sides of his neck. His larynx, voice box, vocal cords, and a large part of the esophagus had to be removed as well. While taking tissue from his right arm to place in the esophagus area, the doctor accidentally severed a nerve, which may reduce Bill's use of that arm. Doctors believe, however, that the arm can be restored with therapy. Bill will be in the hospital for at least two weeks, then will undergo radiation treatment as an outpatient. He is not receiving visitors at present, but is really cheered by and appreciates the notes and cards he is receiving. Cards can be sent to him. Bill has also been entered into the leave share program. Anyone wishing to donate leave should contact Kerry Skinner via cc:Mail. [Elaine Sevy, Public Affairs, WASO, 12/1]
Preparations for the coming millennial weekend continue. Today's update focuses on developments in Washington; other parks making similar preparations are encouraged to forward submissions for inclusion in the Morning Report: o Washington Office - The Service's Type 1 national incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) will be operating an NPS "command center" in Washington from December 28th through January 4th. The team will obtain current and updated information on any Y2K-related problems or events (or situations potentially related to Y2K) and significant incidents that occur in parks and provide reports to DOI officials. The government has determined that the NPS has ten "mission essential facilities" (seven regional offices, WASO, USPP headquarters and AOC) and two "mission critical systems" (the campground reservation system and the National Register of Historic Places) from which reports will be obtained. Points of contact for each facility and system have been established; they will provide updates to the IMT during the incident. The Service will use the existing significant incident reporting system wherever possible, but some alterations have been made: 1) During the period from December 31st to January 3rd, both level 1
and level 2 incident criteria reports should be made within one
hour, as long as that can be done without jeopardizing life or
property. The normal incident coordination ("dispatch") system should be used as needed to order resources in response to incidents that occur during the Y2K rollover period. If links in the dispatch system are unavailable because of Y2K-related problems, the incident management team can assist with facilitating solutions and moving orders through the system. The IMT participated in training exercises in Washington in November and again this month. The team will return to Washington on December 27th to make final preparations. The NPS command center will be staffed 24 hours a day, from 8 a.m. on December 31st to 6 p.m. on January 4th. o National Capital Region - The president, other dignitaries and 4,000 invited guests will be attending the celebration that will be taking place on the National Mall and will observe it from the Lincoln Memorial. A security zone will accordingly be established around the memorial. There will be a fireworks display at the Washington Monument at midnight, and three barges will launch fireworks from the Potomac River between the 14th Street and Roosevelt Bridges at 10 minutes before 1 a.m. The District of Columbia will host a series of events on Constitution Avenue throughout New Years weekend. No demonstrations have been planned or are anticipated, but appropriate security measures will be in place. The entire Park Police force will be committed for the event. The Service has developed a Y2K web site to provide information to employees. It can be found at http://y2k.itc.nps.gov. It will be updated on a regular basis over the next two weeks with late-breaking information on NPS Y2K readiness, relevant policy documents, and the latest reports on related computer viruses. [Dennis McGinnis, Type 1 IMT, 12/9; Jack Schamp, USPP, 12/1 and 12/17; Helen Price, Y2K Team, 12/20]
The Service's Type I incident management team has been assigned to coordinate Y2K-related information Servicewide. The team is now in place at the command center in Washington and is making final preparations for the Y2K reporting period. Computer and phone systems have been installed and the installation of backup Iridium telephone and radio systems should be completed today. A total of 28 people have been assigned to the incident, including the points of contact at the ten "mission essential facilities" (seven regional offices, WASO, USPP headquarters and AOC) and two "mission critical systems" (the campground reservation system and the National Register of Historic Places). The command center will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today; 24-hour coverage will begin at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning and continue until 6 p.m. on Monday, January 3rd. Information on NPS Y2K readiness and the latest reports on related computer viruses can be found at http://y2k.itc.nps.gov. The NPS web page (www.nps.gov) will be kept up during the holiday weekend. Reports on Y2K-related incidents will appear in the Morning Report. Ranger Activities also passes on the following reminder from SA Joel Wright, the NPS liaison at the interagency El Paso Information Center: "While there are no specific terrorist threats against the United States at this time, Customs and INS/Border Patrol have increased their security nationwide at all border ports-of-entry for possible terrorists entering the U.S. Please remain alert and vigilant for any suspicious activity at all NPS areas during this New Year. There are persons, both foreign and domestic, who may want to take advantage of this time to cause disruption or make political statements. Remain safe and be careful." [Skip Brooks, IC, IMT, 12/29; Joel Wright, SA, RAD/WASO, 12/29]
JoAnne Higdon, 51, died on February 15th of complications resulting from a stroke. She'd just completed 30 years with the National Park Service. Her career began in 1970 at Acadia NP, where she worked as a park aid, maintenance management technician, and budget analyst. In 1996, she transferred to the Western Archeological and Conservation Center in Tucson and assumed new duties as administrative officer. Cards may be sent to her husband, Ken, and their family. JoAnne will be interred with her late husband, D.H., in Bar Harbor, Maine. [George Teague, WACC, 2/17]
T.J.M., grandson of J.R., facility management specialist in WASO's Park Facility Management Office, was fatally injured in a traffic accident on U.S. 89 just north of Yellowstone NP on July 16th. J.R.'s daughters, J.M. (T.J.M.'s mother) and K.R., were also seriously injured; K.R. remains hospitalized in intensive care. The accident occurred when another driver passed on a double yellow line, forcing the T.J.M. vehicle off the road. Funeral services for T.J.M. will be held at the Episcopal Church in Livingston, Montana, at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 21st. Condolences may be sent to J. and J.R. Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to The T.J.M. Fund, First Interstate Bank, PO Box 30918, Billings, MT 59116-0918, ATTN: Amy Carter. You can contact the bank at 406-255-5000. [John Gingles, FMD/WASO, 7/19]
There has been a correction on the location of the funeral for T.M., grandson of J.R., facility management specialist in WASO's Park Facility Management Office. It will be at 2 p.m. today at St. John's Chapel in Emigrant, Montana. Condolences may be sent to J. and J.R. Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to The T.J.M. Fund, First Interstate Bank, PO Box 30918, Billings, MT 59116-0918, ATTN: Amy Carter. You can contact the bank at 406-255-5000. [John Gingles, FMD/WASO, 7/20]
Fishery biologist Ross Kavanagh, 56, passed away on October 14th after a year-long struggle with cancer. Ross spent his entire 25-plus years in public service in Alaska and its parks and conservation areas, and was the first fishery biologist with the NPS in Alaska. He leaves no immediate family, as both his mother and father preceded him in death and he had no brothers or sisters. Condolences may be sent to his stepmother, F.K. or to his long-time close friend D.C. Ross had many friends, colleagues and close co-workers in the NPS, USGS Biological Resource Division and other agencies and institutions. Many of them provided care and attention during his medical treatment and hospitalization and were his family in Alaska. Ross specified that there be no memorial service and that his remains be spread in an area of Alaska that he loved and where he gave so much to protect the state's wild fish and water resources. [Alex Carter/Jay Liggett, ARO, 10/16]
Linda Witkowski, 52, associate regional director for administration and information technology, lost her struggle with cancer on November 4th. She leaves behind her husband, Gary, sons Michael and Jason, and two granddaughters. Linda started her NPS career in Midwest Regional Office in 1980 as a secretary in the Ranger Activities Division. In 1986, after spending some time as a personnel clerk and as secretary to ARD John Kawamoto, she was chosen for an upward mobility program for administrative technicians. On completion of the training, she became the administrative officer at Apostle Islands, then assistant superintendent at Isle Royale. In 1998, she became Midwest Support Office superintendent, then ARD when the support office was integrated into the regional office in 1999. Cards of condolence and notes celebrating her life can be sent to her husband and children in care of Midwest Regional Office, 1709 Jackson Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. Her secretary, Lois Vander Tuin, offers this remembrance: "[Linda's] high ethical standards, along with her personal and professional integrity, made her highly respected by many. She had an exceptional amount of energy, as is evidenced by the many projects we are now trying to complete. Linda believed in the mission of the NPS; but even more, she cared about people...Linda always conducted herself with dignity and grace, and she will be missed in body and spirit." [Lois Vander Tuin, MWRO, 11/9]
On Thanksgiving week, Pacific West Region dispatched a special events team (SET) to El Centro, California, to assist BLM and other agencies in the enforcement of a court-ordered closure of approximately 50,000 acres in the Glamis area of Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. The SET team, comprised of rangers and Park Police from all three Pacific West teams, helped patrol and manage over 80,000 visitors in that area of the dunes. Over a six-day period, SET personnel made over 1,000 violator contacts, issued 281 violation notices, and arrested ten people for drug, alcohol and safety violations. The agencies together made more than 50 arrests and thousands of violator contacts, nearly triple the amount of incidents at past events on this weekend. SET personnel also responded to several vehicle accidents with injuries, two missing person calls, and one fatal motor vehicle accident. One SET officer was hit with a thrown can of beer while working in a large crowd on Thanksgiving night. The can caused a head laceration, but the officer was able to continue working. A suspect has been identified and is being sought by BLM special agents. Also participating in this operation were the Border Patrol, Forest Service, California Highway Patrol, and Imperial County Sheriff's Office. [Jeff Sullivan, Supervisory SA/PacWest SET 2 Leader, YOSE, 12/5]
The Intermountain Region - Midwest Region incident management team (Denny Ziemann, IC) has been activated to provide coordination of NPS activities associated with the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The team will be organizing and positioning numerous NPS resources between now and the onset of the games next February. The team will establish mechanisms for recruitment in the near future and advertise them to employees. Updates will be available through the Morning Report and other sources. [Larry Frederick, IO, GLAC, 2/1]
The Intermountain Region - Midwest Region incident management team (Denny Ziemann, IC) continues to plan for the upcoming 2002 Winter Olympics. Several means for dispensing information about developments are being worked out. Reports will be posted in places that enable all NPS staff to remain informed. Many employees have expressed a great deal of interest in participating in the incident management operation. The IMT is currently formulating procedures for recruiting people for the event. There will likely be a need for employees with interpretive skills, media relations experience, and various specialized law enforcement skills. Other positions may also be filled. Many of the established SET teams will likely be utilized. NO personnel have yet been assigned to the incident except for the IMT and Bob Van Belle, the Servicewide Olympic coordinator. The recruitment process that is developed will fulfill the goal of providing quality NPS representation at the winter games. A system of compensating parks that contribute staff is also being considered. Parks will be informed of incident staffing plans as soon as they are completed. [Denny Ziemann, IC, IMT, 2/13]
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Washington yesterday morning had relatively little impact on NPS sites: o Columbia Cascades Support Office - The office, which is in downtown Seattle, received minor damage from falling plaster. Two employees received minor injuries from falling objects. The building was evacuated and all employees were sent home for the day. The building will be evaluated for structural damage as soon as possible. [Jay Wells, CR, PWR, 2/28]
The Seattle Federal Office Building and the Columbia Cascades Support Office reopened for business on Thursday morning. Damage to the building appears to be limited to large cracks in the plaster walls (particularly in the stair wells), displaced ceiling tiles, and bent framing for ceiling tiles. A good deal of cleanup will have to be done in the CCSO offices. Bookcases and file cabinets toppled over or spilled their contents, and numerous desktop items - including a few computer monitors - ended up on the floor. Employees are reported little damage to their homes, mostly broken items that fell from shelves or countertops. Secretary Jan Thatcher sustained a minor injury when a file cabinet tipped over and struck the back of her leg. [Rory Westberg, CCSO, 3/1]
In response to President Bush's commitment to reduce the National Park Service backlog of deferred maintenance, the Service is establishing a process and systems to validate and verify deferred maintenance cost estimates as well as measure progress in reducing the backlog. To begin the implementation of this process, the Park Facilities Management Division has brought the Service's national Type I incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) to Washington to begin a comprehensive condition assessment program for the Service. The team is operating under a delegation of authority signed by Dick Ring, the associate director for park operations and education. As of now, plans are to conduct the assessment at six pilot parks this year - Redwood N&SP, Santa Monica NRA, Effigy Mounds NM, Fort Caroline NM, Timucuan E&HP, and Big Cypress NP. The team is employing subject matter experts from these parks and throughout the Service to carry out this effort. At some point, the program will be expanded to 30 parks or more. Once complete, the program will be reviewed and validated by an impartial, independent organization so that the public and the Congress can have confidence that the information is accurate. There are 13 people assigned to the incident at present, with more subject matter experts en route. [Greg Stiles, Planning Section Chief, IMT, WASO, 3/8]
In response to President Bush's commitment to reduce the National Park Service backlog of deferred maintenance, the Service is establishing a process and systems to validate and verify deferred maintenance cost estimates and to measure progress in reducing the backlog. The Park Facilities Management Division, WASO, has brought the Service's national Type I incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) to Washington to begin a comprehensive condition assessment program for the Service. Yesterday, operations staff made preliminary determinations on criteria for determining which assets need to be assessed and on asset categories and asset attribute templates. A proposal was also completed for the National Academy of Science's Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment. There are currently nine overhead personnel and sixteen subject matter experts assigned to the incident, with more subject matter experts en route. [Greg Stiles, Planning Section Chief, IMT, WASO, 3/11]
Since the incident is essentially concerned with day-to-day management of operations program(s), current and future updates from the incident management team will appear in Operational Notes (below). [Editor]
During 1999 and 2000, NPS investigators from Denver and Santa Fe and from Glen Canyon NRA worked with BIA, USFS, Customs, BLM and the state of New Mexico on an undercover operation in the Four Corners area called "Operation Silent Witness." In late January, a federal grand jury in Albuquerque indicted seven people - six from Aztec, New Mexico, and one from Fargo, North Dakota - on 14 felony counts for ARPA violations, conspiracy and aiding and abetting. The investigation is continuing; other suspects have been identified and additional indictments appear likely for crimes on federal, state and private lands. The investigation has resulted in the recovery of about 300 prehistoric Native American artifacts, including a rare Navajo Nightway mask and portions of two other masks excavated and removed from a site on BLM lands. The investigators found several damaged archeological sites. Damage at one of them is in excess of $31,000. [Phil Young, SA (ret.), IMSO]
Glenette Adams, secretary to the regional director, passed away on May 9th following an 18-month-long struggle with cancer. Glenette "was a well-respected, dedicated professional who carried out her duties with calm grace. She cared about people and was a woman who carried herself well in every role she was cast." She is survived by her husband, K., her daughter, T., her son, La., and her two-month-old grandson, Lo. Sympathy cards may be sent to the family. [Lois Vander Tuin, MWRO, 5/17]
National Park Service personnel systemwide are responding in many ways to the terrorist attacks yesterday on Washington and New York. Here's a summary, as of 11 a.m. today: o WASO/Servicewide - The National Park Service's Type 1 all-risk management team (Skip Brooks, IC) has been called out and is in place and operating at Shenandoah NP. The team is serving as a clearing house for information on incident-related activities throughout the agency. Please report them to Shenandoah NP dispatch at 540-999-3422. [Bob Martin, RCR, NER, 9/12; Einar Olsen, RCR, NCR, 9/12; Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/12; Dcennis McGinnis, Type 1 team, SHEN, 9/12; Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO, 9/12]
Additional reports have been received regarding the National Park Service response to Tuesday's terrorist attacks. Those reports appear below. Secretary Norton yesterday issued this press release regarding the reopening of National Park Service areas in Washington and elsewhere in the United States: "Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton today announced that the monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C., have been reopened to the public. "'We are all saddened and horrified by the magnitude of the tragedy our nation has experienced. Our focus remains on the safety of our visitors and our employees. We must remain vigilant as we provide the American people access to our nation's monuments, memorials and parks for the solace and inspiration they provide,' Secretary Norton said. 'The Washington, D.C., National Park sites are a special inspiration to the freedoms all Americans hold so precious.' "The Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorials reopened to the public at approximately 11:30 a.m. The sites had been closed yesterday after the tragedy at the Pentagon to ensure the safety of the American public, park staff, and the monuments and memorials. The Washington Monument, which has been closed for several months due to ongoing restoration work, remains closed. "National Park sites throughout the nation reopened today and have resumed normal business activities. Secretary Norton and National Park Service Director Fran Mainella have asked superintendents at each of the 384 sites to use their discretion in determining whether to limit or augment personnel and operations in sites where such measures are deemed appropriate. "At National Park sites in Manhattan and the New York City area, operations are more limited, and most of the sites in Manhattan are closed today. At Federal Hall on Wall Street, a water tower on the roof collapsed last evening. Gateway National Recreation Area is open except for areas where the New York Police Department is staging operations. "Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, two of the nation's greatest symbols of freedom, have reopened today as well. "'We encourage everyone to draw inspiration from our greatest national treasures, and let them serve as reminders that this nation will endure and prosper,' Secretary Norton concluded. Please also see Secretary Norton's memorandum to all employees under "Memoranda" below. Other reports from around the agency follow: o Washington Office (DC) - The National Park Service's national all-risk Type 1 team will begin operations in Washington sometime this morning. The director is about to sign a delegation of authority to the team; the text of that delegation will appear in this afternoon's edition or tomorrow. o USPP/New York Field Office (NY) - All available personnel were called in for duty following the crash of the two planes into the World Trade Center. Four USPP vessels were sent to secure the waters around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and to assist in medevacs of injured people from the area. Officers were sent to Federal Hall to assist with the securing and protection of that building; others were assigned to Ellis Island to assist with the set-up of a triage center. About 275 people were treated there; of these, about 60 were transported and admitted to local hospitals. The Statue of Liberty was evacuated. Officers were also assigned to the gates of Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Tilden, and Fort Wadsworth and to close those areas to the public. Rangers from Fire Island NS assisted USPP with two vessels and personnel. [Lt. John Lauro, USPP, NYFO, 9/12; Gregory Smith, CR, MORR, 9/12; Norah Martinez, CR, CANA, 9/12; MORU, 9/12; Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO, 9/13; Betty Knight, ARO, 9/12]
o Alaska Region - The region is working with FAA and the parks to expedite the removal of aviation restrictions, since access to many parks is by air only. There's also concern that employees and visitors (hunters and river floaters) awaiting pickup by planes may run short of food or have game spoil. Weather conditions are also deteriorating. All parks are open and all essential functions continue despite the air restrictions. [Lt. John Lauro, USPP, NYFO, 9/12; Gregory Smith, CR, MORR, 9/12; Norah Martinez, CR, CANA, 9/12; MORU, 9/12; Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO, 9/13; Betty Knight, ARO, 9/12]
Director Mainella yesterday signed a delegation of authority for continuity of NPS operations to the Service's national Type 1 all-risk management team (Skip Brooks, IC). The director also designated past Type 1 team IC Rick Gale as her representative throughout this incident. Director Mainella has given the team nine "specific management considerations for this incident": o Protect human life and operate safely as the first priority. o Notify agency managers and supervisors of the potential need to provide alternative work locations or other reasonable accommodations during the involved period. o During the continuation of agency operations, analyze information regarding the overall situation and determine the best course of action that maintains basic, essential agency operations while providing for the safety of our employees. When the analysis is not clear, err on the side of employee safety. o Coordinate the development of information regarding operations for National Park Service Washington Office employees. Provide analysis and alternative solution. o Coordinate activities with the Department as needed. o Ensure that members of the National Leadership Council are notified of significant events that occur during the period. o Gather information from regions about parks as requested by myself, the deputy director, anyone acting as the director, or Rick Gale. o Keep costs to a level commensurate with the needs of the incident, but not to exceed $100,000 without further approval from the director. o Meet daily with my representative and my associate directors to coordinate incident activities with normal WASO functions. Incident objectives and strategies have also been worked out and will appear in the afternoon edition, along with a full report on the status of parks and operations. Also see "Operational Notes" below. [Editor]
The National Park Service response to last Tuesday's terrorist attacks continues. The following summarizes new developments within Northeast Region; the status of other NER sites listed in yesterday afternoon's report remains unchanged. Two digital photos are attached to give readers a feel for the NPS response; more will appear in the future. One is of a responding Fire Island NS patrol boat, the other is a view of smoke rising from the World Trade Center as seen from the patrol boat in the harbor. New York and Boston area parks have received assistance from rangers who responded from Assateague NS, Cape Cod NS, Colonial NHP, Fire Island NS, Richmond NB, Petersburg NB, Upper Delaware NS&RR, Delaware Water Gap NRA, Gettysburg NB, Shenandoah NP, and Blue Ridge Parkway. The Park Police have also provided additional details on their response over the first 48 hours after the attacks, which amplify prior reports: o Manhattan Sites - Park Police officers are providing round-the-clock coverage of all sites. The Park Police committed five patrol boats to marine operations, ranging in size from 25 to 41 feet. Fire Island augmented the force with two boats and LE rangers. [Karl Merchant/Paul Pfeninger, Type 2 IMT, NERO, 9/15]
Today's updates follow; more will appear in the afternoon: o National Capital Region (DC/VA/MD) - The Park Police are continuing to provide the law enforcement support begun on September 11th. Officers remain on a heightened state of alert and are continuing their increased patrols around all monuments and memorials. The focus of these heightened security measures remains the protection of visitors and the country's national treasures. The patience of the public and the media during the past several days has made the job of the USPP that much easier. In addition to specific responses to emergency situations, which includes providing many high-level escorts and investigating numerous suspicious vehicles and packages, officers have met the demands of day-to-day operations. They continue to respond to calls for service, investigate crimes, enforce traffic and environmental violations, and assist citizens. USPP personnel remain on extended shifts, with days off cancelled. Two Park Police SWAT teams and USPP canine units have been deployed to Camp David and are providing presidential security. The Park Police helicopter continues to provide primary aerial law enforcement support to the USPP; it is also providing perimeter security checks in the District of Columbia, including bridges and overpasses, and monitoring the secure airspace in DC. Around-the-clock liaison is being maintained with all involved agencies, which entails having personnel assigned to each agency's command post. The Park Police chief's command post (CCP) was established minutes after the attacks on the WTC in New York and continues operation on a 24-hour basis. The CCP is supplying crucial "real time" information to personnel working on the front lines and at numerous command posts. Several PIO's have been assigned to the CCP and are providing 24-hour coverage, responding to all media requests. Live interviews are being conducted with area media to assure the public that all evacuations and closures have been precautionary in nature. They are disseminating press releases and providing information to local, national and international media. The Park Police have also provided Arlington County PD with a detail of officers to assist with security at the Pentagon. The detail will operate around the clock through September 20th. The Park Police honor guard participated in the memorial service at the National Cathedral on Friday on behalf of the Department, the Service and the Park Police. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 9/16; Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/16; Jay Lippert, DR, FIIS, 9/15]
Today's updates follow; more will appear in the afternoon: Jay Lippert, DR at Fire Island NS, was among those who responded from his park, and has asked that the following note be shared with Morning Report readers: "I have been getting numerous messages from folks all over the NPS wishing us well and to be safe. It's important for the NPS family nationwide to know that Fire Island's two boat crews consisted of law enforcement/EMT rangers and of maintenance employees on board as boat operators/captains. Our mission was a basic one, one that NPS employees have been doing for years: To protect each other and to protect our nation's resources. I have been speaking for both boat crews for the last week and feel confident that they would agree with my sentiments now. Please let everyone throughout the NPS family know we appreciate their comments." Jay has also sent along the attached JPEG photo, which speaks for itself. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 9/16; Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/16; Jay Lippert, DR, FIIS, 9/15]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country. Director Fran Mainella has set the tone for the continuing NPS effort with her message to "the employees, friends and partners of the National Park Service": "I regret very much that my first formal communication as Director comes at a time of such great sadness. Along with the President and Secretary Norton, I share your deep sense of sorrow about recent events. The National Park Service is a family that cares not only about its own staff and park visitors, but also for the nation as a whole. I am truly pleased to be a part of this family. "The role of the Service in the nation's life is crucial. As the Secretary said in her recent press release, 'We encourage everyone to draw inspiration from our greatest national treasures, and let them serve as reminders that this nation will endure and prosper.' We will continue to provide the services and inspiration of the national parks to the American people. "I will be working hard with all of you to protect our employees, visitors, and resources in the times ahead. My commitment to that will be addressed in a message I will be sharing with you shortly, and which I had intended to send you this past Tuesday morning. "All of us need to be sensitive to the stress these tragic incidents have placed on us. My instructions for dealing with continuity of NPS operations were reported in the September 14th Morning Report. But, beyond our professional responsibilities, we must also deal with the personal impacts that NPS employees have suffer ed. We must each take the time to offer solace wherever and however we can. Those who suffer losses and anxiety during this time are also encouraged to contact the Employee Assistance Program (800-222-0354). All counseling is always totally confidential for our employees." Director Mainella will be traveling to New York on Thursday to meet with employees from parks throughout the area. A primary focus of current NPS operations in New York is the provision of assistance to the these employees, including staff in all divisions, US Park Police officers, and concessions personnel. The NPS dispatched a team of five CISD counselors to the area to conduct an initial assessment over this past weekend and now has nine peer supporters, representing all divisions, on site at Ellis Island. They will be providing individual and group debriefings to all employees in the metro area. Quite a few saw the first airplane hit the World Trade Center, even more saw the second (it passed low over Liberty and Ellis Islands), and many others have been directly involved in on-scene search and recovery operations. Heading the CISD team is Pat Buccello. If you have concerns about support needs for any employee, please contact her at 212-883-1986 ext 317 or page her at 877-749-8702. Pat says that the employees she's talked with have invariably told her about how much they've appreciated emails from friends and colleagues from around the Service. If you know someone working in the New York or Washington metropolitan areas or someone involved in support or other related operations, take a minute to send him or her a note. The Service's national Type 1 incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) is operating from the South Interior Building in Washington. They have been charged with: o Protecting employees and assuring safe operations o Analyzing situation/intelligence information and determining the best course of action for the agency to safely maintain essential operations o Providing information regarding agency operations to WASO employees, including the directorate, as needed o Providing interagency support to the staff at the Department of Interior's command post In order to help the Type 1 team meet this mandate and to facilitate communications with the field, the Morning Report is currently being prepared and disseminated from Washington. Incident and other reports should still be sent to the same email address. The director has mandated that the team collect information from all NPS areas and provide it to her twice daily. Please see the informational copy of her memorandum to the regional directors below, which provides details on what is needed and when.
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country. Director Mainella will travel to New York this afternoon to meet and talk with employees and to visit sites affected by the attacks. The Service's Type 1 incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building. Tasks currently in the works or completed include: o Compilation of status reports on parks Servicewide for the director and secretary. o Compilation of reports on the status of dams. o Coordination of numerous resource requests from across the NPS for support personnel. o Completion of a security evaluation for the Department of Interior. o Continuation of a security and risk assessment of NPS offices in Washington, with a focus yesterday on facilities at AOC and 800 North Capitol. o Compilation of resource availability lists by region. [Pat Buccello, CISM Team, STLI, 9/19; Dennis McGinnis, Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/19; Sue Masica, Administration, WASO, 9/19; SHEN EICC, 9/18]
The following changes in the status of National Park Service areas and offices were reported yesterday: o Washington Office (DC) - Over the weekend of September 8th and 9th, portions of WASO (130 people from Administration and Natural Resources) were relocated from the Main Interior Building to new offices on G Street as part of the phased move associated with renovation of Main Interior. Yesterday, those offices began relocating back to Main Interior as part of a series of office relocations underway in downtown Washington in response to the current crisis. Communications with these individuals may be slow for a few days as offices, phones, and computers are reconfigured. The present target is to resume normal business by Monday. Your patience is appreciated. There's no word yet on when or where WASO may be relocated as part of the modernization of Main Interior. [Pat Buccello, CISM Team, STLI, 9/19; Dennis McGinnis, Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/19; Sue Masica, Administration, WASO, 9/19; SHEN EICC, 9/18]
The following changes in the status of National Park Service areas and offices were reported yesterday: o New York Area Parks - There are 13 trained NPS peer supporters working with personnel from all of the New York area parks. The team's goal is to provide a one-on-one contact with all employees. Work area debriefings are scheduled throughout next week. The team is in contact with mental health professionals from EAP, Red Cross, and Gilmartin/Harris (well known mental health advisors to the NPS). The CISM team may be contacted at 212-883-1986, ext 317/318, with any questions or concerns. [Pat Buccello, CISM Team, STLI, 9/19; Dennis McGinnis, Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/19; Sue Masica, Administration, WASO, 9/19; SHEN EICC, 9/18]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The Service's Type 1 incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building; a regional Type 2 team from Southeast Region (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. A new Type 1 team (Eddie Lopez, IC) will take over the incident on Tuesday. The regional Type 2 team (Rick Brown, IC) that has been supporting operations in Northeast Region has demobilized. There have been no changes in park status since Friday's Morning Report. [EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/22; NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/23]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The Service's Type 1 incident management team (Skip Brooks, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building; a regional Type 2 team from Southeast Region (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. Members of the team are in the processing of making individual calls to every park in the nation to establish a comprehensive list of qualified people (i.e., LE commissions, EMS certifications, etc.) and equipment (i.e., front-loaders, backhoes, etc.) that can be utilized in emergencies if needed. About 75 calls have been made so far; more will follow this week. The phone number for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) listed in Director Mainella's message to all employees was for Federal Occupational Health (1-800-222-0364), one of several health care providers that offer counseling services to NPS employees. Employees should contact their human resources specialist for an alternative EAP provider if they are not served by Federal Occupational Health. Links to helpful information on all aspects of the aftermath of the terrorist attacks can be found at www.foh.dhhs.gov. [EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/24; NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/25; Marcia Keener, WASO, 9/24]
The national Type 1 incident management team (Eddie Lopez, IC) will be demobing from the "Operation Secure Parks" incident on Wednesday, October 3rd. Steve Holder will be filling in for Rick Gale as agency liaison until approximately October 12th. Dave Price and Debbie Brown have been assigned to assist Holder, continue compiling information from the points of contact, and continue distribution of the daily report on park closures and restrictions. Holder can be contacted at 202-208-3277 (office) or 703-887-8490 (cell); Price and Brown can be reached at the same office number or 202-365-6594 (Price's cell). All orders for NPS resources related to continuing security operations are to be placed through normal ordering procedures. The team has completed or assisted with several tasks since it was called out on September 11th: o Produced a servicewide emergency resource inventory (law enforcement rangers, EMS personnel, boat operators, maintenance mechanics, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, equipment operators and specific types of heavy equipment) for the 385 units of the national park system. It is currently in an Excel spreadsheet, but it will be put into a database compatible with the Maximo software. o Compiled and distributed a daily report on the status of NPS units affected by closures or restrictions due to the terrorist attacks. o Provided a thorough evaluation, review and update of the NPS continuity of operations plan. o Assisted in completing a risk assessment for the South Interior Building. o Developed a draft evacuation plan for the AOC facility in Reston, Virginia. o Coordinated the critical incident stress management response for NPS staff in WASO. The incident was also tasked with compiling a list of NPS law enforcement personnel available for detail as an interim sky marshals. This was part of a nationwide call to federal agencies that had law enforcement staff. Several names were provided to the Department of the Interior, but it is anticipated that there will be a call for additional volunteers. Additional information on the sky marshal details will be provided at a later date. The team wishes to thank all involved on this incident for their cooperation and patience. [Kris Fister, IO, IMT, 10/2]
Eastern National has established a "Recovery and Remembrance Fund" to benefit the national parks of the New York and National Capital Region areas and their staffs. The events of September 11th had a marked impact on the many NPS employees working in these areas who witnessed the events first hand, helped with the evacuations, provided first aid, and assisted with recovery and clean up efforts. Northeast Region RD Marie Rust has noted that it will take considerable effort to mitigate the impacts of these events: "People from all over the nation have reached out to help their fellow employees. Unfortunately, there is still much that remains to be done." In response to this need, Eastern National, a non-profit partner of the Service, came forward with an offer to assist the parks and their employees. RD's Marie Rust and Terry Carlstrom, together with the superintendents involved, have identified three specific areas of need that this fund will be used to support: o Employee Assistance: Provide additional support to the employees who witnessed and who have been severely affected by the tragic events of September 11th. o Oral history project: Provide support to document the oral histories of the park employees who witnessed and have supported the recovery efforts. o Interpretation: Provide support to create waysides, interpretive material and educational programs about the September 11th events and the NPS involvement. Donations are tax deductible and will be acknowledged in an upcoming issue of The Arrowhead, the newsletter that Eastern publishes for the NPS. Send your donation to Eastern National, Park Recovery and Remembrance Fund, 470 Maryland Drive, Suite One, Ft Washington, PA 19034. [Jason Scarpello, Eastern, 10/1]
The National Park Service has successfully concluded a 30-month-long covert investigation (Operation Skullmasters) into the selling of endangered species parts and Native American remains in the Richmond area. C.S., Jr. and C.S., III, trading as Great Southern Arsenal, a Virginia corporation, were convicted in federal court on various violations stemming from the illegal sale of endangered, threatened and native species of wildlife and from the sale of Native American remains. The NPS became involved in the case because the two men were trying to sell human remains that were thought to be from Everglades NP (they turned out to be from the Southwest or northern Mexico). During the investigation, NPS special agents purchased Native American human remains from the men, and USFWS and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries agents purchased or seized endangered, threatened and native species of wildlife, including a white rhinoceros head, a black leopard, grizzly bears and parts, bobcats, gray wolves, black bears, white-tail deer, and migratory bird mounts. The value of the wildlife was placed in excess of $80,000. C.S., Jr., 69, was sentenced to 24 months in jail, fined $10,000 (to be paid into a Lacey Act reward account), ordered to pay $7,500 to the NPS to repatriate the Native American remains, and ordered to forfeit two vehicles - a 2000 Ford Excursion valued at $40,000 and a 1997 Chevy Suburban valued at $26,000. C.S., III, 40, was sentenced to year's probation and fined $3,000 (to be paid into the Lacey Act reward account). C.S. Limited, trading as Great Southern Arsenal, was sentenced to two years' supervised probation, fined $15,000 (paid to the Lacey Act account), ordered to pay $7,500 to the NPS to repatriate the Native American remains, and ordered to pay $1,325 in special assessments and forfeit the two above noted vehicles. The NPS extends its thanks to he U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Justice Environmental Division's wildlife section, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Henrico County Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service for their assistance and cooperation in this successful investigation. [Clark Guy, SAC, NERO, 11/15]
On November 12th, Grand Canyon NP firefighters Michael Flynn and Sean Cox were on a helitack assignment in the Daniel Boone NF when a Bell 407 helicopter crashed into the helispot where they were working. The helicopter was making water drops on the 65-acre Great Gulf fire. The 32-year-old pilot, who was the only person on board, was trapped in the helicopter after it rolled over. Flynn and Cox climbed inside and found the pilot unconscious and not breathing. Flynn cut the seatbelt and was able to move the pilot's head enough to reopen his airway, at which point he resumed breathing on his own. Flynn, Cox and six other interagency helitack personnel extracted the pilot, administered emergency first aid, and called in a medevac helicopter from Lexington. The pilot had numerous abrasions and contusions, a severely broken wrist, a broken rib, and a badly bruised clavicle. He was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center, where he was treated and released on the following day. Preliminary findings are that the helicopter's water bucket, which was attached to a cargo hook with an eleven-foot-long lead line, came into contact with the tail rotor while in flight, causing a catastrophic failure of the tail rotor system. [Dan Oltrogge, FMO, GRCA, 11/21]
A two-year interagency investigation into the illegal purchase and sale of American Indian religious objects, eagle feathers and other protected bird feathers led to a 17-count indictment last fall against J.B., a Santa Fe art dealer. The NPS became involved when a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigator asked for technical assistance and other forms of support in the on-going investigation; also participating were FBI agents. J.B. operates a major gallery in Santa Fe, and had previously been required to repatriate NAGPRA property to Jemez Pueblo. Agents suspected him of illicit activities, so began an undercover operation in 1999. Thirteen of the 17 counts of the indictment dealt with violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, three with NAGPRA violations, and the last with a violation of the Eagle Protection Act. J.B. was accused of offering to sell an 1875 Cheyenne headdress to an FBI agent for $140,000, during which process J.B. explained to the agent that such a sale was illegal. [Phil Young, SHPO/NM, 11/15]
Pacific West Region's incident management team (IMT) recently assisted BLM with management of a special event at Imperial Sand Dunes NRA in El Centro, California. The team helped oversee the four-day New Year's weekend gathering of between 50,000 and 80,000 off-highway vehicles at the recreation area. There had been an increase in violence, arrests and injuries at similar events held there recently and attended by more than 100,000 people, so BLM asked the IMT to oversee the event and provide the agency with planning, operational and logistical insights to improve management of future events. The team employed ICS to coordinate communication and control actions of the local, state and federal agencies involved in running the event. [Hugh Dougher, IC, PWR IMT, 12/31]
With the Winter Olympics now underway, the NPS operation in Utah has kicked into high gear. The Intermountain Region/Midwest Region incident management team is operating from a downtown Salt Lake City incident command post, directing and supporting a variety of Olympics-related efforts and coordinating the media and visitor services efforts of the "America's Public Lands" group. This hallmark alliance was formed by the NPS, BLM, the Forest Service and Utah State Parks to provide information at the host city's visitor center, at the "Western Experience" site at Soldier Hollow, at the downhill and "super G" venue at Snowbasin, and at three media centers. A significant number of rangers are on duty in the field, combining their winter skills and law enforcement training to provide perimeter security at four alpine venues under the direction of the Secret Service. Media interst in the NPS involvement in the games is high. Several local and national newspaper and television interviews with Park Service personnel have been conducted. Regina Jones Brake of Assateague Island NS was featured in a story which aired on the local NBC affiliate in Philadelphia; Chris Harder of Grand Teton NP and Michael Keator and Mona Divine of Yellowstone NP were interviewed for a story that aired on NBC Nightly News on Saturday evening. The team has also provided logistical support to Interior Secretary Gale Norton during her visit to the games. In all, more than 70 NPS units are represented at this year's Winter Olympics. [Al Nash, IO, IMT, 2/10]
Former NPS employee J.F., 54, was arrested on August 1st on federal felony charges of interstate stalking and mailing threatening communications to NPS employees. J.F. was arrested in a residence in Stockton by officers from the NPS, FBI and Stockton PD following a joint, five-month-long investigation. The investigation began in late February when a ranger in the Bay Area received a threatening letter. The team of arresting officers also obtained search warrants for his premises and for a rented storage unit. The searches resulted in the recovery of stolen government property and other potentially incriminating evidence. J.F. has worked for the NPS in the Bay Area and at Petrified Forest NP, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Death Valley NP, Everglades NP, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Great Basin NP, Gateway NRA and Point Reyes NS. He also served in the military prior to his work with the NPS. His employment with the NPS ended when he was convicted in 1995 for possessing an assault rifle and for stalking a ranger at Santa Monica Mountains. Said regional director John Reynolds: "Mr. J.F. frightened us back in 1995 and so did his recent behavior. Our employees have found his behavior unpredictable and his anti-government, anti-law enforcement sentiments threatening." The U.S. attorney will prosecute the case. [Eric Inman, SA, PWR]
During 1999 and 2000, a cooperative interagency investigation
entitled "Operation Cooperation" was conducted to investigate a major
case involving violations of the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Participating in the operation were
investigators from the FBI, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park
Service and Norwegian enforcement authorities. The NPS was asked to
participate due to the Service's technical expertise and commitment to
NAGPRA enforcement. The undercover operation resulted in the recovery of
hundreds of objects of cultural patrimony and the filing of criminal
charges against two men - J.B. and T.C. Both were
found guilty. On January 2, T.C. was sentenced on four misdemeanor
NAGPRA and four felony Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) convictions in
federal district in Albuquerque. The judge sentenced him to four months'
home confinement, three years' probation, a $1,000 fine, and forfeiture
to the government of all of the cultural materials that were seized
during the January, 2000, execution of a search warrant at his
residence. The court ordered that these items be repatriated to the
tribes who have made claims to them. The J.B. sentencing is set for
January 14. He has pled guilty to six MBTA and three NAGPRA violations.
Additional details on the entire case will appear after his sentencing.
Upon arriving at work on January 9, park employees found that the
main door and interior doors for the park office in Nome had been pried
open and that desks had been entered. Personal property was stolen, and
a floor safe had been tampered with. All major government property items
had been accounted for at the time of the report. The office space,
which is leased from a native corporation, is the second office within
the building to have been burglarized since December. Nome PD is
investigating. There are no suspects.
Cynthia Wilkerson, the environmental quality coordinator for the
Philadelphia Support Office in Northeast Region, passed away on Monday,
January 20, following a prolonged battle with cancer. Memorial services
for Cynthia will be held on Saturday, January 25, at Bruce Hawkins
Funeral Home, 6828 Old York Road, Philadelphia, PA 19126 (215-549-9910).
The precise time for the service has not yet been determined; once it
has been set, a follow-up notice will be disseminated. Flowers may be
sent directly to the funeral home but must arrive by 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Sympathy cards may be sent to Cynthia's family in care of M.W. Cynthia's
son, daughter, brother and extended family have expressed their
appreciation to all the NPS employees who supported her during her
illness.
Cynthia Wilkerson, the environmental quality coordinator for the
Philadelphia Support Office in Northeast Region, passed away on Monday,
January 20, following a prolonged battle with cancer. Memorial services
for Cynthia will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, at Bruce
Hawkins Funeral Home, 6828 Old York Road, Philadelphia, PA 19126
(215-549-9910). The funeral home is located on Old York Road between
68th and 69th Streets, a block east of Broad Street. A memorial fund for
Cynthia has been arranged with the World Wildlife Fund to support
efforts to protect the North American grey and red wolves, species that
had a special significance to her. If you're interested in contributing,
send a check to the World Wildlife Fund with a note mentioning that the
contribution is in memory of Cynthia Wilderson. The funds will be
automatically sent to the organization's wolf protection programs. The
fund will send back a receipt. Contributions should be sent to World
Wildlife Fund, Attn: Member Donations, 1250 24th Street, NW, Washington,
DC 20037.
The National Park Service has been asked to provide critical incident
stress management (CISM) peer support counselors to assist in Texas as a
debriefing team for people conducting searches for victims and shuttle
parts. An experienced CISM team of six peer counselors, lead by Lane
Baker of Yosemite NP will stage out of Hemphill, Texas. The other five
team members are Kevin Langley, Acadia NP; Karen McKinley-Jones, Arches
NP; Ralph Moore, Perry's Victory NHP; Tim Fazen-Baker, Gettysburg NMP;
Scott Berkenfield, BLM Monticello Office; and Brent Pennington, Blue
Ridge Parkway.
The NPS critical incident stress management team headed by Lane Baker
of Yellowstone NP is now in place in Texas and supporting teams involved
in the response to the shuttle disaster. The seven-person peer support
team is meeting with many individuals and will conduct three debriefings
for over 60 Forest Service employees and for an overhead team (some of
the search is in the 161,000-acre Sabine NF). Other agency CISM peer
support personnel are arriving on scene, which will permit the NPS team
to demobilize early next week.
During the early morning hours of January 19, Nome PD officers
captured two juvenile males who were burglarizing a local business. They
admitted to also breaking into the park's office along with a third male
juvenile on January 9, and to breaking into many other businesses in
Nome - some of them repeatedly. The two juveniles are currently in
custody, and the third is being charged for earlier break-ins. The case
is being handled by Nome PD; all three will be prosecuted through the
state's juvenile justice system.
The members of the critical incident stress management (CISM) team
that responded to a Forest Service/FEMA request to assist with stress
mitigation for searchers involved in the Columbia space shuttle tragedy
returned to their respective parks early last week. CISM team leader
Lane Baker of Yellowstone reports that the team made over 500 contacts,
led several very large debriefings, and wrote a plan for management of
short and long terms CISM services for search personnel. Wherever team
members went, they were met with heartfelt appreciation for their
services, as it was recognized that the incident had had an emotional
impact on everyone involved. Continuing CISM services are now in place
with the Red Cross and other agencies.
On February 12, J.B., 51, owner of J.B. & Company,
a gallery in Santa Fe specializing in Native American arts, was
sentenced in federal court following his previous guilty plea to nine
violations of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA), the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act. The judge sentenced him to three years probation, 100
hours of community service, and the loss of all those cultural items
seized during the January, 2000, warrant search of his gallery that had
been identified previously for repatriation by tribes (property
forfeited to the government that must be given back to the appropriate
tribes). The remaining identified property will be published in the
Federal Register, as per the terms of NAGPRA. No fine was imposed due to
J.B.'s bankrupt status, but he was assessed for $675 in court costs.
The Type 1 team charged with coordinating the NPS response to the higher level of security brought about by increased threats of terrorism continues its work. Yesterday, the team:
There were no significant incidents in the parks pertaining to either
the war in Iraq or terrorism threats.
The Type 1 team charged with coordinating the NPS response to the higher level of security brought about by the national response to increased threats of terrorism continues its work. Over the past two days, the team:
There were no significant incidents in the parks pertaining to either
the war in Iraq or terrorism threats.
The Type 1 team charged with coordinating the NPS response to the higher level of security brought about by the national response to increased threats of terrorism continues its work. Their focus over the past few days has been primarily on acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE) and training on its use:
Comments and questions about this update on PPE acquisition, fit
testing, and training should be directed to IMT operations at
540-999-3174. Please note the new phone number for IMT operations. The
ICP is now located at Shenandoah National Park. Also note that the IC is
now JD Swed, who can be reached at 540-999-3160 and faxed at
540-999-3155. Skip Brooks' team demobilizes today.
JD Swed's Type 1 team has succeeded Skip Brooks' team and is continuing their work, particularly regarding preparing rangers for possible response to weapons of mass destruction. Current actions include:
Questions about equipment acquisition and training may be called in
to operations at 540-999-3174.
JD Swed's Type 1 incident management team demobilized on April 15th
and was succeeded by a Type 3 team headed by Dennis McGinnis. The team
will be completing the task of acquiring the remainder of the PPE for
protection against weapons of mass destruction. Through the support of
the national and regional directorates, chemical and biological PPE will
be purchased for all permanent full-time and subject-to-furlough law
enforcement rangers and officers. Special event teams and icon parks
have already received this equipment. Arrangements are underway for
training in its proper use. Questions about PPE acquisition can be
called in to the incident command post at 540-999-3174.
On April 30th, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs in Albuquerque
asked Intermountain Region special agent David Sandbakken and retired
NPS special agent Phil Young, now working as an archeologist for the
state, for technical assistance in the investigation and recovery of a
16th century Spanish colonial church altarpiece that had allegedly been
stolen from Challpama, Peru, and taken to Santa Fe. On May 1st, Young
and Sandbakken participated in the execution of a 'sealed' search
warrant in Santa Fe and contributed significantly in determining where
the altarpiece had been located - and recently removed from -
the search site. On May 6th, federal authorities took possession of the
altarpiece, which is evidence in an on-going federal grand jury
investigation in New York.
The national threat level has been raised from "Elevated" to "High" (Level Orange). Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge issued the following statement: The Department of Homeland Security in consultation with the Homeland Security Council, has made the decision to raise the national threat level from an Elevated to High risk of terrorist attack or Level Orange. The U.S. Intelligence Community believes that Al Qaida has entered an operational period worldwide, and this may include attacks in the United States.
The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was held from August 4th through
August 10th. The associated heavy traffic and visitation impacted
national park units throughout the Black Hills area. Heavy motorcycle
traffic was evident several days prior to the official beginning of the
event. Rally officials estimate that approximately 500,000 people
attended this year's event. Approximately 112,500 people entered Mount
Rushmore on motorcycles during the rally period, supplementing visitors
who arrived in other vehicles. This was the heaviest motorcycle traffic
at Mount Rushmore in the history of the event. Park staff responded to
14 motorcycle accidents and to numerous other incidents during the week.
Members of over 20 "outlaw" motorcycle gangs, identified through their
"colors," were seen in the park. The staff at Mount Rushmore was
assisted in managing traffic and events by the Midwest
Region special events team and by rangers from Indiana Dunes
NL and Wind Cave NP . While based at Mount Rushmore, the team also
provided assistance to Badlands NP and Devils Tower NM. The official
dates for next year's Rally are set for August 9th through the 15th.
A supplemental report has been received on the Park Police response to Thursday's blackout:
[Submitted by Captain Martin Zweig, New York Field Office]
Parks along the East Coast are beginning preparations for the probable arrival of Hurricane Isabel, now being labeled by some as a "supercane" (see below). Hurricane plans are being put into effect at sites along the coast and inland in anticipation of very high winds, waves as high as 20 feet, storm surge, and torrential rains. Details on preparations for and reaction to the storm will be posted daily on InsideNPS and the Morning Report. The following assessment of the storm was prepared by Weather Channel meteorologist Buzz Bernard and is posted on their web page: "(According to Bernard), Hurricane Isabel would be called a supertyphoon in the western Pacific. Thus, this exceptionally powerful Atlantic hurricane--with an exceptionally large eye--certainly earns the designation 'supercane.' "Isabel, an extremely dangerous category 5 storm, continues to churn relentlessly in the direction of the continental U. S. It's beginning to look more and more like Isabel will strike the Eastern Seaboard, probably someplace north of South Carolina, before the week is out. "Although Isabel may no longer be a category 5 at landfall, it's likely to still be a major hurricane with winds in excess of 100 mph. Not only that, but a building high pressure ridge north of Isabel may well tighten the pressure gradient on the northern and eastern sides of the storm, thus producing a large area of potentially damaging winds. "The first signs of Isabel's approach will be building surf along the East Coast, mainly from the Carolinas northward. By Wednesday, wave heights may top 20 feet along the Mid-Atlantic Coast and as far north as the southern shores of Long Island." For detailed information on the hurricane, go to the National Hurricane Center web site (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/), the Weather Channel web site (http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/), or the Atlantic Tropical Weather Center site (http://www.atwc.org/).
Eastern parks in the path or potential path of Isabel have completed preparations. As a precautionary measure, one of the Service's two national Type 1 teams (JD Swed's team) has staging in Charlotte, North Carolina, in order to be prepared to respond as needed to any park or area. A number of Type 2 teams are also on standby. All federal agencies in the Washington area are closed today, including the NPS Washington Office. OPM will monitor the weather and make a determination later today on whether or not offices will reopen on Friday. Here's a rundown on the status of many of the parks in or near the storm's path (south to north):
This summary was compiled from reports submitted by Ken Garvin, SERO; Brenda Ritchie, EICC, SHEN; Russ Wilson, Superintendent, SAHO/GATE; Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR; Mark Hardgrove, Assistant Superintendent, CAHA; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Wayne Valentine, IC, FIIS; José Rosario, Acting Chief, Park Operations Support, GATE; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH; William Kenyon, NCR Dispatch; Scot McElveen, Chief Ranger, HAFE; Wayne Sanders, Chief of Maintenance, GEWA/THST; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP; Clay Jordan, IC, SHEN; Steven Ambrose, Park Ranger, HOFU; Frank Mills, IC, STLI; Ed Whitaker, IC, DEWA.
Due to the ongoing passage of Hurricane Isabel through the eastern states, not all parks have been able to report on their status. Here's a rundown of those that had been heard from as of late yesterday evening (south to north):
Meanwhile, the NPS Type 1 IMT (JD Swed, IC) is currently staged in Charlotte, North Carolina, working with the regional emergency response coordinators for the three regions (SER, NCR, NER) on providing assistance to parks currently being affected by Hurricane Isabel. The Type 1 team has compiled contact lists and has provided a team liaison to assist at the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center. Parks should report their current situations to their respective emergency response coordinators and make requests for resources and assistance to them. The Type 1 team will coordinate these requests with the regional emergency coordinator to determine the appropriate response. More information will be available later today, once parks have had an opportunity to complete preliminary assessments on their needs. This summary was compiled from reports submitted by Ken Garvin, SERO; Brenda Ritchie, EICC, SHEN; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Bob Vogel, Superintendent, CALO; Mark Hardgrove, Assistant Superintendent, CAHA; Barry Munyan, ADR, CAHA; Vince Santucci, Chief Ranger, GWMP; Doug Wallner, Acting Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Laura Joss, General Superintendent, FOMC/HAMP; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Carla Hauser Hahn, Executive Assistant, UPDE; Phillip Correl, Director, NEJE; Reed Johnson, Superintendent, APCO; Wayne Valentine, IC, FIIS; Ed Whitaker, IC, DEWA; Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT.
Yesterday's efforts focused largely on organizing incident management operations, orienting incoming personnel, obtaining equipment, and gathering important damage cost data for the regional and Washington offices. Initial recovery efforts were hampered by heavy rain that fell on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, causing new flood damage in many areas already affected by Isabel. The following reports were received from parks and regions over the past 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This information either supplements or revises information previously reported; no effort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each new summary. Through the assistance of David Duran in the Service's National Information Systems Center in Denver, URL's are posted below for maps of three of the hardest hit parks - Cape Lookout, Cape Hatteras, and Colonial - so that readers can more easily determine referenced locations. Others will be added in the future as needed. You can zoom in or out or pan from one park to another and can also turn additional data layers on or off, e.g. National Geographic TOPO!, Relief Imagery, Flood Hazard Areas, Land Cover Imagery, etc. The sites are, respectively: http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp?zoomtopark=Cape%20Lookout%20National%20Seashore For a gallery of photos of the hurricane's effects on several parks, put together by WASO ITC's Ken Handwerger, please go to http://inside.nps.gov/ people/hurricane/. This gallery will be added to on a regular basis. National Capital Regional Office The building is still without power or phones. Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations, which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential documents from the incident management teams will be available at the IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details. Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Dan Davidson, Shenandoah EICC; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH.
Overview Crews and other resources have been arriving at the Williamsburg ICP for JD Swed's Type 1 IMT since Wednesday, bringing the total number of personnel currently assigned to the incident to 131. Early work efforts are focused on orienting personnel to the operations, with a heavy emphasis on safety due to the increased hazards involved in tree removal operations, especially with vehicle traffic. Team members are also holding short training sessions on ICS for newly-arrived personnel, as there are many people coming to this incident with minimal previous exposure to the system. The FMSS team continues to compile and input facilities assessment information received from the 38 park units that sustained hurricane-related damage. The preliminary assessment has been 100% completed by the parks. The FMSS team members are going out to parks beginning today to conduct comprehensive condition assessments. Crews will continue work on clearing the Yorktown Battlefield tour road in Colonial NHP. Additional crews and other resources were dispatched yesterday to Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NB and Petersburg NB to work on tree clearing and other cleanup operations. Many employees working in the parks being managed in this incident are still without power at home. These same employees have been working for extended hours with little or no time off for over a week. A three-person Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) team was scheduled to arrive in Williamsburg yesterday. They will make arrangements to provide assistance to park employees dealing with incident-related stress Rick Brown's Type 2 team, which is focusing on four sites in what's being called the North Carolina Seashore Area, is divided into two branches. The Outer Banks Group branch has four divisions - one for Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh, one for Bodie Island, one for Hatteras Island, and one for Ocracoke Island; the Cape Lookout branch has two divisions - one for Core Banks and one for Portsmouth Village. Principal problems confronting personnel on this operation have to do with the time and distances between locations and the amount of travel required. Operations are underway in all divisions. Park Updates The following reports were received from parks and regions over the past 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This information either supplements or revises information previously reported; no effort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each new summary.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Zeke Seabright, NCR Communications Center; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO.
Overview Crews and other resources have been arriving at the Williamsburg ICP for JD Swed's Type 1 IMT since Wednesday, bringing the total number of personnel currently assigned to the incident to 131. Early work efforts are focused on orienting personnel to the operations, with a heavy emphasis on safety due to the increased hazards involved in tree removal operations, especially with vehicle traffic. Team members are also holding short training sessions on ICS for newly-arrived personnel, as there are many people coming to this incident with minimal previous exposure to the system. The FMSS team continues to compile and input facilities assessment information received from the 38 park units that sustained hurricane-related damage. The preliminary assessment has been 100% completed by the parks. The FMSS team members are going out to parks beginning today to conduct comprehensive condition assessments. Crews will continue work on clearing the Yorktown Battlefield tour road in Colonial NHP. Additional crews and other resources were dispatched yesterday to Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NB and Petersburg NB to work on tree clearing and other cleanup operations. Many employees working in the parks being managed in this incident are still without power at home. These same employees have been working for extended hours with little or no time off for over a week. A three-person Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) team was scheduled to arrive in Williamsburg yesterday. They will make arrangements to provide assistance to park employees dealing with incident-related stress Rick Brown's Type 2 team, which is focusing on four sites in what's being called the North Carolina Seashore Area, is divided into two branches. The Outer Banks Group branch has four divisions - one for Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh, one for Bodie Island, one for Hatteras Island, and one for Ocracoke Island; the Cape Lookout branch has two divisions - one for Core Banks and one for Portsmouth Village. Principal problems confronting personnel on this operation have to do with the time and distances between locations and the amount of travel required. Operations are underway in all divisions. Summary of Resource Commitment (through 9/24) The following are preliminary figures and will be revised and refined in future editions. The objective is to provide a general overview of resource commitments, not definitive numbers.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Zeke Seabright, NCR Communications Center; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO.
Overview Crews continue to make excellent progress on all fronts of the recovery effort. One example of the great work taking place is that of the Augusta Hot Shot crew, whose members were clearing 100 trees per hour on a section of the Battlefield Tour Road at Yorktown on Friday. The tour road is almost cleared, but still needs to be cleaned before it can be opened to the public. Hazard tree removal at the Jamestown Visitor Center began on Saturday and included taking a large tree off the Glass House bathroom. The Glass House was also evaluated for other repairs needed. Crews are also on site at Richmond NB, Peterburg NB and Fredericksville/Spotsylvania NMP, where they continue to make headway on removing fallen trees from roads. The work emphasis there will soon shift from road clearing to trail clearing. A secure location to store and triage the Jamestown cultural artifact collection has been found, and staff began moving the objects on Saturday. They expect to have this task completed by early this week. The FMSS crew continues to track incident costs and assist parks with condition assessments. That work is expected to be completed by today. The team's logistics section has been providing support for personnel assigned to the NPS hurricane recovery efforts and for personnel from interagency teams and other agencies who are supporting emergency services in the area. This incident team is providing food and lodging to an additional 350 people, and supporting the incident personnel staged at local facilities near Richmond, Fredericksburg and Petersburg. There are now 185 people assigned to the incident. The incident costs to date are $563,546. Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Karen Beck-Herzog, SHEN; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH.
The following reports reflect the status of operations through early Monday: Type 1 Team (JD Swed) Work continues at a rapid pace. Crews have made additional progress on clearing roads, overlooks, trails and other areas of fallen trees. The roads in Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP have been cleared and are now open. Workers accessed the Glass House restroom in Jamestown on Sunday to determine what repairs are needed and will continue to make repairs on the historic Archer House in Yorktown. Two injuries occurred on Sunday. An FMSS team member stepped on a nail at Jamestown, and a park maintenance worker at Petersburg NB had the pad on a finger tip sheared off while feeding material into a chipper. He was taken to the hospital, where it was stitched on. He was scheduled for surgery on Monday. The cultural resource team, made up of employees of the NPS, Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), and a private salvage firm, continued to pack up and move the 600,000 piece Jamestown artifact collection to Fort Lee near Richmond. They expected to finish the relocation of the artifacts yesterday. The collection will be housed in a secure site while curatorial staff continue to triage the damage and provide stabilizing treatment. It is estimated that three-fifths of the collection was underwater for some period of time and suffered damage due to immersion, while a fifth was not immersed but was damaged by high humidity. The remaining fifth of the collection appears to be undamaged. For a related newspaper story, see the "In the Press" section of today's InsideNPS. The FMSS crew continues to compile incident costs on park assets and assist parks with condition assessments. Parks being assisted include Colonial NHP, Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Petersburg, NB, George Washington Birthplace NM, Richmond NB and C&O Canal NHP. The assessment at Colonial, including the Jamestown Visitor Center, was scheduled for completion on Tuesday. All other assessments are scheduled to be done by October 5th. An additional park unit, the Presidential Park near the White House in Washington, DC, has reported some hurricane-related damage. Five additional Type 1 and Type 2 crews arrived yesterday. Some will remain in Virginia; the others will be sent to assist with recovery efforts at Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. Type 2 Team (Rick Brown) Sections of Cape Hatteras NS opened to the public on Monday after a 12-day closure due to Hurricane Isabel. Two ramps, about 11 miles of beach and the Hatteras Island Visitor Center were included in this first phase. Coquina Beach is now open as well, though minor repairs are still needed at the bathhouse. The Bodie Island Visitor Center opened yesterday morning, as did the NPS campground at Oregon Inlet and the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Much of Cape Lookout NS is open to pedestrians. Exceptions are Portsmouth Village, the area surrounding concession facilities at Long Point, and the Great Island fishing camps. Joining NPS workers are many local hire who were laid off from their regular jobs because of the hurricane. Some tree work remains at Fort Raleigh NHS. Damage assessment continues at the seashores as well as restoration work in all three parks. Summary of Resource Commitment (through 9/28) The following figures are approximate. The objective is to provide a general overview of resource commitments, not definitive numbers.
Additional Information
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Rick Brown, IC, Type 2 IMT; Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT; Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT.
As thousands of visitors come to Washington to pay their respects to President Ronald W. Reagan, National Capital Region staff quickly, yet quietly, pulled together and played a large role in helping assure that the ceremonies in the nation's capital went off without a hitch. National Capital Region redirected 10 law enforcement and 30 interpretive rangers from other NCR parks to work in various locations on the National Mall and associated memorials. Staff from C&O Canal, Catoctin, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Harpers Ferry, Manassas, Rock Creek Park, President's Park and Wolf Trap pitched in to help the staff at the Mall. Staff at the Mall directed all logistical support, shifting NPS personnel to sites where staffing was needed most. Law enforcement rangers were assigned specific locations on the Mall to help with crowd control for the casket transfer at 16th Street and Constitution Avenue as well as the caisson procession along Constitution Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue. Interpretive rangers — many of whom volunteered to work the overnight shift — helped in a variety of different positions and capacities, including helping with the crowds queuing in line to file past President Reagan's flag-draped casket in the Capitol. Three separate queuing locations — all on National Park Service property — were set aside for the public to wait prior to viewing President Reagan's casket. They were cordoned off with police "bicycle racks" and/or rope and posts, forming zigzag patterns to best utilize the space. These areas include locations at 3rd Street and Jefferson Drive, 4th Street and Jefferson Drive and immediately west of 7th Street between Madison and Jefferson Drives. Together, the three areas had room for about 50,000 people to gather. Maintenance staff from the Mall helped secure fencing along Constitution Avenue, removed all trash cans, and covered or secured other containers on the Mall and along the procession route. The maintenance staff provided additional fencing and other barricade devices to the U.S. Park Police and other agencies. About 20 employees worked from 2 p.m.on Monday through 10 a.m.on Tuesday in preparation for the security sweep at 6 a.m.on Wednesday. NCR and the Mall provided 80 portable restrooms between 3rd Street and 7th Street on the Mall and arranged for 1,000 cases of water to be used for first aid (largely rehydration) purposes. A medical tent was erected nearby in the center of the Mall at 7th Street, with doctors and other medical personnel working in shifts around the clock, beginning on Wednesday morning. As of Friday, three patients had been transported to local hospitals, none with life-threatening injuries. In addition to helping with crowd control and arranging for medical services, Mall staff coordinated EMS, including AED's, oxygen, medical bags and basic jump kits. Lost and found services were also performed, as groups of visitors separated from one another were reunited. A 14-person maintenance staff from National Capital Parks-East guaranteed that the motor route along Suitland Parkway from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland into Washington was mowed and manicured. The Park Police were the lead security agency on all NPS property, joining the other principal agencies involved in funeral security — the Secret Service, Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Capital Police and the Military District of Washington. Other local Washington area police agencies supplied personnel to help with the effort. Park Police responsibilities were numerous and varied. Officers provided escorts for all visiting dignitaries, escorted motorcades, and supplied officers to patrol the crowds gathering on the Mall queuing to enter the Capitol. On Wednesday, they joined with the above noted agencies in providing the motorcade that escorted the hearse, Mrs. Reagan and other family members down the Suitland Parkway, over the Potomac River, up the George Washington Memorial Parkway, over Memorial Bridge and down Constitution Avenue. They secured the area where the casket was transferred from the hearse to the caisson, then provided 150 officers as part of the security detail along the section of Constitution from 17th to 15th Streets. On Friday, Park Police officers assisted with the funeral motorcade. Other Park Police officers, rangers and officers from 40 local enforcement agencies rendered honors as the motorcade passed the World War II Memorial. It continued on to National Cathedral for the funeral ceremony. Officers then assisted with the motorcade from the cathedral to Andrews AFB. Also assisting in the management of this major event were the city's health, emergency management, fire, EMS and publics works divisions, the U. S. Public Health Service and the Red Cross. NCR's Regional Communications Office and the Office of Park Programs coordinated countless news media requests, among which was a nine-camera television network "pool" feed that sent live images to all network television stations in the United States and to international broadcasters. The Communications Office also arranged a still photograph "pool," with distribution of photo images to photo editors literally around the world.[Submitted by Bill Line, Public Affairs, NCRO; Commander, Planning and Development Unit, USPP HQ]
Following a traffic stop in Washington on May 12th, Park Police
officers arrested Bobby Lee Patterson, the passenger in the vehicle, on
drug charges. The officers found six pounds of marijuana and 92 Ecstasy
tablets in the 2001 GMC Yukon, which was also seized. On June 2nd, Park
Police narcotics and vice unit officers served a search warrant on
Patterson's house in Washington. They found and seized about eleven
pounds of marijuana and a loaded Raven Arms .25 caliber
pistol.
On July 24th, Summit FD asked park staff to assist at a serious EMS
incident in the Cinder Hills off-highway vehicle area, which is located
next to the park's southeast boundary. Four employees responded from the
Flagstaff area parks and assisted the Coconino County SO with the
recovery of a father and son who'd been killed while attempting to drive
down the 600-foot face of Hundred Dollar Hill, a favorite of OHV
enthusiasts. The driver lost control during the descent and the jeep
rolled about 11 times. D.R., 49, was ejected and died
instantly; his son, S.R., 26, was held in place by his five-point
harness, but suffered severe traumatic injuries and died at the scene.
NPS staff are frequently asked to assist in emergency operations in the
OHV area due to its proximity to the park.
Hurricane Charley is forecast to make landfall in south Florida this morning. Parks in its immediate path have completed preparations for Charley's arrival. Meanwhile, parks further up the Eastern seaboard are preparing for the effects of heavy to very heavy rains. According to meteorologists, a strong southwesterly flow aloft will rapidly steer remnants of Bonnie and then Charley up the East Coast today and into the weekend. Flooding rain will be a major concern as these systems drench areas from Florida black"> to New York and New England. Here are reports from parks in the storm's path: Yesterday afternoon, representatives from Southeast, Northeast and
National Capital Regions, including emergency program coordinators,
regional chief rangers, and the Eastern IMT, conducted a conference call
to share information on preparations and coordinate responses.
Preparedness efforts will continue today.
Shortly before 2:30 p.m. on the afternoon of August 23rd, a United
States Park Police officer approached and engaged in conversation the
passenger of a blue Chevrolet Suburban in the area of North Capitol and
K Streets Northeast. At some point, the passenger rolled up his window
and trapped the officer's arm. The operator of the Suburban then sped
off at a high rate of speed on North Capitol Street, dragging the
officer. The officer, who was dragged for about a block and a half,
continuously ordered the driver to stop the vehicle, but was forced to
fire his service weapon in defense of his life. He fired several
rounds into the interior of the speeding vehicle before he was thrown
clear. The Suburban continued traveling at a high rate of speed onto L
Street and struck several vehicles. It was found a short time later in
the 500 block of Oklahoma Avenue, occupied by a male passenger suffering
from a gunshot wound to his body. The driver had fled, but was
apprehended shortly thereafter when police searching the area discovered
him hiding under a motor vehicle in a nearby alley. The officer was
taken to an area hospital, where he was treated for several abrasions
and a sprained ankle and released. His identity is being withheld
because he is considered to be a witness in the case. The wounded man,
identified as 54-year-old R.W.H., was taken to Howard
University Hospital and admitted in undetermined condition. Both R.W.H.
and the driver, identified as 27-year-old K.L.M., have been
charged with assault on a police officer. K.L.M. has also been charged
with assault with intent to kill and fleeing from a law
enforcement officer.
Early reports have been received from some areas. Gulf Islands NS has been hit hard enough to warrant outside assistance. Rick Brown's Type 2 Eastern IMT is accordingly mobilizing to head to Mississippi or Florida, depending on where the park feels that they'll be best positioned. The Overmountain Victory special event, which draws public attention
to the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, an NPS-administered
area, has been cancelled. Other event cancellations include the
annual Heritage Days celebration at the Folk Art Center, and Sunday's
non-NPS sponsored Bridge-to-Bridge bicycle race. The
concessioner-operated snack bar, gift shop and camp store at Crabtree
Meadows closed yesterday afternoon. Parkway visitor centers at Craggy
Gardens, Waterrock Knob and Cumberland Knob also closed yesterday. Other
visitor centers will stay open, conditions permitting, to facilitate
communications with visitors.
Preparations for Hurricane Jeanne, thought to have wandered off for good, have begun in earnest. In case you're wondering when this busy storm season is going to let up, keep in mind the admonishment at the top of the Florida Division of Emergency Management web site (http://www.floridadisaster.org/) — just 68 days until the end of hurricane season. Fort Fredericka NM — Preparations have begun for Jeanne. Most staff will be putting up storm shutters today and cleaning up the area. Motel reservations have been made for all interested staff and families in Waycross, beginning Sunday night. These will be adjusted as needed, depending on the hurricane's speed and path. Tentative plans are to keep the area open through tomorrow, with possible closing on Sunday. Meanwhile, park maintenance crews are continuing the cleanup from Frances. Over 87 cubic yards of material have been trailered to Glynn County drop-off site on St. Simons Island for eventual disposal by the county. Four huge trees — nearly 36 inches d.b.h. and 100 feet high — have provided saw crews with lots of work, aggravated by the mosquitoes that have infested the area due to the saturated ground and pooled water. From reports by Ken Garvin, FMO, SERO; Gary Bremen, Park Ranger, BISC; Mike Tennent, Superintendent, FOFR.
On the afternoon of October 25th, two Park Police detectives arrested E.D., 34, of Washington, D.C., who was wanted in a homicide that occurred in August in Hyattsville, Maryland. The murder victim, a courier for Dunbar Armored Car Services, was walking towards a bank in Hyattsville on August 6th when two masked men approached him. Without warning, they shot him multiple times, then took the bank bag he was carrying, jumped into a green Jeep Cherokee and attempted to flee. They were stopped by the victim's partner, who was in the armored truck and rammed their car. The pair then leaped out of the Jeep, stole a bank customer's car at gunpoint, and made good their escape. On October 21st, Prince George's County PD investigators obtained an arrest warrant charging Davis with first degree murder. Four days later, the two Park Police detectives learned that Davis was driving a vehicle on Independence Avenue near the World War II Memorial in Washington. They spotted him and arrested him without incident. The investigation is continuing. Davis may be connected to as many as
20 additional homicides.
Reports have been received from several parks that were hit by last weekend's blizzard:
More snow is forecast for the region for today.
On the afternoon of Thursday, March 3rd, Park Police officer Chester
Perlinski was driving his marked police cruiser northbound on 15th
Street, NW, adjacent to the Washington Monument when a brown taxicab
traveling southbound crossed over the center line and struck the
driver's side of the cruiser, disabling it. The taxi continued south on
15th Street, where officer Brian Perry and sergeant Dave Tolson
attempted to stop it on foot at the intersection of 15th Street and
Independence Avenue. Both officers had to flee when it became apparent
the taxi was not going to stop and would hit them. The taxi then passed
through the intersection and struck the traffic signal device and the
National Park Service sign at that location. Sergeant Pete Shannon
attempted to stop the taxi and eventually had to block the vehicle from
going any further. Perry and Tolson, fearing for their lives, ordered
the individual out of the vehicle with their guns drawn. The driver
refused to obey commands from the officers. At one point, he started to
reach down below the seat, directly disobeying orders from the officers.
Perry and Tolson advised the other officers on the scene that they were
going hands on with the individual and they simultaneously broke out the
driver's side window and the passenger side window and entered the cab.
Tolson, Shannon and Perry gained control of the driver and placed him in
custody. Preliminary investigation revealed an almost empty bottle of
gin wedged beside the driver's seat. A breath test performed on the
operator revealed a blood alcohol level far above the .08 legal limit.
He was charged with three counts of assault on a police officer, felony
hit and run, driving under the influence/operating while intoxicated,
damage to government property, and no permit. Perlinski, Perry, and
Shannon were treated for their injuries and released.
A team of seven or eight climbing rangers from Mount Rainier, who may
be joined by two more climbing rangers from North Cascades, is headed to
British Columbia to help provincial authorities in a search for a
missing man. D.K., 36, a Wisconsin man who is an associate
publisher for the business magazine DM Review, traveled to
Vancouver on business in May. On May 25th, he bought a tram ticket up
Grouse Mountain, a peak located just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
Security video cameras captured D.K. exiting the tram car at the top of
the mountain, where he went for a 10 minute walk at the summit. The
security video shows he returned to the tram station, got onboard, then
exited two minutes later. He's not been seen since. An intensive search
began last Friday and continued through the weekend. No clues were
found. D.K. is reported to be an experienced hiker and in excellent
condition.
On August 31st, the Alaska State Troopers requested assistance from the National Park Service in a search for four men. The group, all from Kotzebue, Alaska, were stranded in a remote location along the Baldwin Peninsula, approximately 20 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Their boat had been swamped by rough seas on August 28th. The men, who were hunting along the peninsula, were reported overdue two days later. A Civil Air Patrol pilot located the overdue party that evening but was unable to land in a fixed-wing aircraft due to the terrain and rough seas. A radio was dropped to the party by the CAP pilot, but shortly after communication was established the radio battery died. Assistance was requested from the park the next morning. The park currently has a contract helicopter in Kotzebue for fall law enforcement patrols. Rangers Dan Stevenson and Galen Howell were flown to the location and utilized the helicopter to extract the men and fly them to Kotzebue. [Lindy Russell, Chief Ranger]
NPS contractors working in Kotzebue recently found 32 containers that may have at one time contained some sort of radioactive material. The containers are in the crawl space of a park house that is scheduled to be demolished. The contactors were performing a routine hazardous materials survey in the house when they found the containers, which are made of lead, with some labeled as having once contained radioactive materials.The original source of these containers is unknown at this time. The NPS and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) are working together to mobilize a team of specialists, including the chief of radiological health for the state. The team will first determine whether there is any radioactive material in the containers; if there is, then they will develop a plan for removal. The team will also work on a plan to assess the possible exposure of previous residents of the house and the public. The house was originally built in the early 1960s and was privately owned until it was purchased by the NPS for housing employees in 1986. It was being torn down because it was structurally unsound. The home is located in the southwest side of town near Second Avenue in Kotzebue. Currently the entire building is vacated and locked to prevent any exposure and no access is permitted to the site. The town of Kotzebue is the headquarters for Western Arctic National Parklands. [George Helfrich]
Lead containers suspected of being radioactive were found in the crawl space of an NPS house in Kotzebue on September 29th. Lat week, further investigation and testing by the state of Alaska's Radiological Health Program and the NPS found that the containers were free of radiation and posed no health threat. The team assessed the containers, the house and the area around the outside of the house. During the assessment, the team found no radiation present above natural background levels. A total of 39 containers were found in the crawl space; some were labeled as having once contained radioactive isotopes. It's believed a previous resident of the house stored the containers under the house and abandoned them. The source of the containers is being investigated. For the original report, click on "More Information" below. [John Quinley, Public Affairs, Alaska Regional Office]
On October 4th, the National Park Service and State of Alaska thoroughly tested the park house in Kotzebue that was suspected of containing radioactive materials. They found no evidence of unnatural radioactivity and no risk to public health. The team tested the outside and inside of the house, the attached apartment and the two crawl spaces underneath the unit with three different meters. They also triple-tested 39 items found in one of the crawl spaces. The readings showed no radioactivity above background levels. Of the 39 items found in the crawl space, 37 were lead containers (or "pigs") that were designed to hold short-lived radioactive isotopes. The other two items that were discovered were part of an antiquated x-ray machine. The NPS is shipping the pigs and x-ray machine components to the public health laboratories for proper disposal. Lead, a heavy metal, should not be disposed of in a landfill. The original source of the containers is still unknown. In addition to the tests performed with the meters, wipe tests were also done on the containers and soil samples were taken from the crawl space. The samples are being shipped to Anchorage for further analysis. To ensure public safety, the house will remain closed to public entrance until the results of these final tests are known. The house was originally built in the early 1960s and was privately owned until it was purchased by the NPS for housing employees in 1986. The house is being demolished because it has inefficient insulation and heating systems. It is located in the southwest side of town near 2nd Avenue in Kotzebue. It is likely that new park employee housing will be built at the site in the future. [George Helfrich)
The Service's National Incident Management Team (JD Swed, IC) has been pre-positioned in Orlando, Florida, for immediate response, if needed. Thirteen overhead team members are planning and preparing to assist parks with employee accounting and assistance, emergency damage mitigation and park recovery. Establishment of the ICP in Orlando in advance of the storm's arrival enables the team to respond at the first safe opportunity to the storm-related needs of NPS employees and park units. The general trend in lessons learned in responses to Isabel, Katrina and Rita, is that pre-positioning a team in advance of a hurricane results in more successful and rapid recovery of parks and employees from the effects of these weather events. [Ken Garvin, FMO, SERO; Shauna Dyas, IO, National IMT; Rick Cook, PAO, EVER; Ed Clark, Chief Ranger, BICY; John Stiner, CANA; Charlie Fenwick, Acting Superintendent, DESO]
National IMT The National IMT (JD Swed, IC) has established an ICP at the Miccosukee Resort, which now has electricity. A delegation of authority was signed on October 26th and the National IMT has begun transitioning with the parks. IC JD Swed has met with Miccosukee tribal leader, the chief of police, and FEMA. The IMT also helped facilitate the delivery of ice and water for the tribe. [Submitted by Michelle Fidler, Fire Education Specialist, SER; Shauna Dyas, IO, National IMT; Mark Lewis, Superintendent, BISC; Susan Gonshor, Chief of Interpretation, BISC; Dan Kimball, Superintendent, EVER/DRTO.]
A homicide occurred in Franklin Park on October 1st when one man stabbed another in the chest. Both were known to frequent the area. An officer familiar with crimes and criminals from the area in and around that park was brought in and advised that one of the suspect's names might have been "T." The lieutenant responded that he probably knew "T.'s" true identity through information he'd received from a confidential information source. The lieutenant was put in touch with the USPP Violent Crimes Unit detective assigned to the case and provided her with both the man's true name and personal identifiers. Using this information, the detective was able to compile a photo spread. She showed the photos to witnesses who positively identified the assailant. An arrest warrant was issued. Further investigation was required in order to find the suspect, but he was identified and arrested following a foot chase on October 4th. [Submitted by Major Robert Kass, USPP]
The Kotzebue office of Western Arctic National Parklands was broken into on Saturday, February 25th. The NPS office space, which is leased from a native corporation, is located within the Eskimo Building along with several other organizations. The NPS office was entered through an unsecured exterior door which provided access to the NPS office interior door. Although the interior door was locked, the thieves were able to pry it open. A government safe containing $1,730 in cash, 500 blank third party draft checks, NPS uniform badges, vehicle titles, property stickers, master keys to government facilities and cell phones was stolen. Government owned digital cameras and personal property were also stolen. Shortly after the Kotzebue Police Department began their investigation, two juveniles were located with the government and personal property. Though the juveniles were able to pry the safe open, all government and personal property was accounted for. The only loss was $10 in change that belonged to the employee association. The case is being handled by the Kotzebue Police Department and the juveniles will be prosecuted through Alaska's juvenile justice system. [Lindy Mihata, Chief Ranger]
A man who was being sought by the National Park Service for the theft of a historic NPS rifle evidently shot and killed himself as federal marshals were attempting to arrest him in Amarillo, Texas, on November 15th. According to news accounts, R.A., a.k.a. R.K., was wanted on federal arrest warrants for theft of government property, for a supervised release violation, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. R.A. was the focus of a joint agency investigation that was begun when a historic NPS rifle was stolen from a private museum in Estes Park last January. Investigators connected this theft to thefts of historic items in Illinois and elsewhere in Colorado and obtained a warrant on R.A.. On October 31st, an arrest/warrant team comprised of NPS special agents and rangers, ATF agents, officers from the Aurora and Estes Park (CO) police departments, and officers from the Elgin (IL) police department executed a search warrant at R.A.'s residence in Aurora. The stolen NPS rifle and other items specified in the warrant were seized, as were numerous other stolen items, including at least five automatic weapons and several silencers. Following the execution of the warrant, NPS agents prepared a criminal complaint on three felony counts and secured a felony arrest warrant. The arrest warrant was entered into NCIC and the US Marshal's Service began an active search for R.A. in Colorado, then in Texas. The shooting remains under investigation. [Brian Smith, Special Agent in Charge]
In May, 2003, the National Park Service charged the District Yacht Club with knowingly depositing debris without a permit into the navigable waters of the United States in direct violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1898 (33 USC 407 and 411). During the ensuing investigation, detectives from the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Park Police's Criminal Investigations Branch determined that the club had deposited 240 square feet of cement debris in the Anacostia River without permits from the Secretary of the Army. On December 14th, the Department of Justice notified USPP that the District Yacht Club had pleaded guilty under the terms of a plea agreement to one criminal count of knowingly depositing the debris in the river. As part of the plea, the club agreed to three years' probation, a payment of $10,000 to the National Park Foundation, and a payment of $10,000 to the U.S. Treasury. Assisting in the investigation from other agencies were SA Strickland (FBI), SA Solari (EPA), SA Zelen and environmental specialist Hewitt (NPS). Support was also provided by the Charles County volunteer dive unit. [Detective Jon Crichfield, Criminal Investigations Branch, Environmental Crimes Unit]
The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) for the National Park Service has contracted services for an editor to continue daily preparation and publication of both InsideNPS and the Morning Report. "I'm pleased to announce that we will continue to receive the services of Bill Halainen," said Deputy CIO Sue Hawkins. "Bill begins working for one of our contractors today and will continue overseeing both publications." Bill will for the most part be working mornings from Monday through Friday. Although it will be easiest to reach him via email (he will still be on Lotus Notes), you can also contact him at 570-686-3828 or via cell phone (depending on the whims of reception in the Poconos) at 845-341-3119. [Sue Hawkins]
On October 31st, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, former NPS Special Agent in Charge (SAC) P.B. pled guilty to one count of Title 18 United States Code §641, theft of public money. As part of her plea, P.B. was also required to resign from the service. Sentencing is scheduled for January 23rd. Charges in this case stem from an investigation initiated by the Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General (OIG). This followed receipt of a complaint alleging that in March of 2007 P.B. had failed to attend a scheduled ceremony as the representative of the director of the National Park Service. As is the case in any active criminal investigation, it is inappropriate to offer public comment that may potentially compromise the privacy of the individuals subject to the investigation or reveal incomplete, inaccurate or potentially sensitive information that could compromise an investigation. Although the NPS Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services (LESES) worked cooperatively with the DOI/OIG and OIG agents throughout this investigation, LESES officials were only recently authorized and able to provide comment that reflects an accurate account of the circumstances surrounding this incident. The full text of the Department of Justice press release, issued by Jeffrey A. Taylor, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and released on October 31st, appears below and is also available by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page: P.B., the former National Special Agent in Charge for the National Park Service, has pled guilty to theft of public money for fraudulently obtaining money belonging to the National Park Service, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and Inspector General Earl E. Devaney, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General, ("DOI-OIG"), announced today. P.B., 55, of Bar Harbor, ME, entered her misdemeanor plea to one count of theft of public money at a hearing today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia before Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson. During the plea hearing, P.B. admitted to fraudulently billing the government for all or a portion of the airfare associated with personal trips she took between Washington, D.C. and Maine from April 2005 through March 2007. P.B. faces up to six months in prison under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines when sentenced by Magistrate Judge Robinson on January 9, 2008. As part of the plea, she agreed to reimburse the government for the costs associated with the personal travel as well as for other losses suffered by the government resulting from her conduct, totaling $10,864.95. P.B. has also agreed to resign from the National Park Service (NPS) and not to seek law enforcement positions in the future. According to the factual proffer of evidence by the government at today's hearing, which was agreed to by P.B., since 1978, P.B. worked as a Park Ranger and Criminal Investigator for NPS, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior located at 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Between February 2005, and March 2007, P.B. was employed as the National Special Agent in Charge (SAC) at the NPS, which was a newly created position. For the 16 months prior to February 2005, P.B. had been the acting National SAC. As the National SAC, P.B.'s duties included managing all of the finance accounts for the NPS Special Agents, including supervising regional SACs, who in turn were responsible for approximately 45 NPS Special Agents. To fulfill her duties as the National SAC, P.B. frequently traveled to various locations in the United States to attend conferences, meetings and trials. On April 6, 2007, the DOI-OIG received a complaint from a Special Agent of NPS alleging that P.B. failed to perform her assigned duties in order to obtain a free round trip airline ticket. The subsequent investigation conducted by DOI-OIG revealed that in March 2007, P.B. failed to appear as a representative of the Director of the NPS at a ceremony honoring fallen NPS officers in Jacksonville, Florida. When asked why she failed to attend the ceremony, P.B. informed several individuals including, Special Agents who attended the ceremony, her supervisor and DOI-OIG investigators, that her connecting flight had been cancelled after being stuck for hours on the tarmac in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, the investigation revealed that the flight in question departed only minutes late and that P.B. had voluntarily given up her seat in return for a free round trip airline ticket. The investigation also revealed that in July 2006, P.B. failed to travel to St. Louis, Missouri to deliver the fatality report to the widow of a fallen NPS Special Agent. P.B.'s failures resulted in a monetary loss to the government of $2,649.30. Further investigation revealed that between April 2005 and March 2007, P.B. charged to the government all or a portion of the airfare associated with nine different personal trips between Washington, D.C. and Maine. The blanket travel authorization granted to P.B. due to her position as the National SAC enabled her to charge personal travel costs to her government credit card without the approval and knowledge of her supervisors. In addition, P.B. had not submitted vouchers for the questioned airfare costs which further enabled P.B. to charge personal travel costs to the government without the knowledge of her supervisors. The fraudulently billed airfare associated with the nine personal trips P.B. took between Washington, D.C. and Maine cost the NPS $4,265.21. In announcing today's guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Taylor and Inspector General Devaney praised the hard work of the investigative agents involved in this matter, especially DOI-OIG Special Agents Christine Parr and David Little. They also acknowledged the efforts of Legal Assistant Teesha Tobias, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe, who is prosecuting this matter. [Don Coelho, Chief, Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services] HYPERLINK "http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Press_Releases/2007%20Archives/Oct_2007/07-281.html"
A strong storm passing to the north of the Hawaiian Islands yesterday brought gale force winds, high surf and flash floods. Winds were clocked at from 40 to 80 mph (with higher gusts) and waves reached heights of 18 to 22 feet on north shores. Parks throughout the islands reported associated problems. Here's how they stood as of yesterday morning (local time): USS Arizona and Pacific West Regional Office - Closed due to power outages affecting much of the island. High winds and debris were reported on all exposed highways. [Karen Newton, with reports from Hawaiian parks]
On Friday, November 30th, Park Police officers from the Central District responded to Columbus Circle to a complaint of a man threatening National Park Service employees with a knife. Sergeant Mike Johnson and officer Mitchell Snow, along with other Park Police and United States Capital Police officers, canvassed the area after speaking with the employees who were assaulted. They spotted a man fitting the suspect's description and took him into custody without further incident. The knife used in the assault was also recovered nearby and collected for evidence. The suspect has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon. [Officer LM Weisbaum, US Park Police]
Parks throughout the Hawaiian Islands have provided current reports on their status following last week's severe storm: Pacific West Region/Honolulu - Operations are normal. The federal building where the office is housed did not close during the storm. There are still areas in rural Oahu with power outage issues. [Teri Murphy, Manager, Pacific Area Communications Center]
On January 25th, federal agents from the NPS, IRS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed numerous search warrants and subpoenas at museums, galleries and residences in the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago areas. These actions are in support of Operation Antiquity, a more than five-year-long investigation by NPS, ICE, IRS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Operation Antiquity involves investigations of looting, importation, sale and tax fraud violations related to historical and cultural items from the U.S. and other countries. Nearly 500 law enforcement personnel participated in the warrant and subpoena service. The investigation continues. [Scott Hinson, Special Agent in Charge] HYPERLINK "http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-museumprobe,0,6293537.story"
On Tuesday, March 4th, off-duty officer Michael Brumbaugh was on personal business in Montgomery County, Maryland. While in a local store standing in line to purchase merchandise, a suspicious man approached the clerk at the counter. The clerk asked him if he was hiding something under his jacket and the man said that he was. Brumbaugh, fearing for the safety of the public and himself, identified himself as a police officer and was able to safely detain the man. He directed the clerk to dial 911 and Montgomery County police arrived. The man was found to be hiding several store items in his jacket and was in possession of a large pair of scissors that could have been used as a weapon. Montgomery County Police arrested him. Brumbaugh's attention to his surroundings and professional police training safely ended a criminal act. The Montgomery County Police Department expressed their appreciation for Brumbaugh's actions to the United States Park Police. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer]
On Monday, May 12th, an internationally recognized expert on Asian antiquities made her initial appearance in federal court in Seattle, where she was arrested late Friday on a federal wire fraud charge stemming from an on-going multi-agency investigation into the importation of plundered antiquities from Southeast Asia. R.M.B., 62, director of the Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum at Bangkok University in Thailand, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles on Friday. The indictment alleges that she allowed her electronic signature to be used on appraisal forms that, for tax purposes, inflated the value of antiquities donated to several Southern California museums. The arrest and indictment stemmed from a five-year-long investigation called "Operation Antiquity" that is focusing on looting, importation, sale and tax fraud violations related to historical and cultural items from the U.S. and other countries. Participating along with the NPS are Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the IRS, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The charges against R.M.B. come four months after federal agents executed search warrants at four Southern California museums and the Silk Roads Gallery in Los Angeles. According to the affidavit filed in connection with the search of Silk Roads, the gallery's owners, J.M. and C.M., used R.M.B.'s electronic signature on several occasions to falsify appraisal forms so that collectors could claim increased tax deductions for objects donated to museums. The search warrant affidavit details how an undercover agent posing as a collector approached the M.s in 2006 about donating several Asian antiquities to museums for charitable tax deductions. J.M. allegedly told the agent he normally charged $1,500 for an item or items that would be appraised at just under $5,000. Subsequently, the undercover agent met with the M.s at their home where he viewed a collection of Thai antiquities he had purchased from the gallery owners for $1,500 in cash. According to the affidavit, the M.s showed the agent an appraisal form purportedly prepared by R.M.B. in which she claimed she had inspected the objects and valued them at $4,990. The items were ultimately donated to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. R.M.B. was taken into custody by special agents with IRS Criminal Investigation and the National Park Service. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is also involved in the ongoing investigation. R.M.B.'s prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. [Department of Justice]
On May 22nd, several members of the Natural Resource Program Center (NRPC) staff and their families and friends were seriously affected by a severe tornado which touched down in Windsor, Colorado, which is about 12 miles southeast of the center. The tornado that struck Windsor is referred to as a wedge tornado - the largest and deadliest of all tornadoes because of their size and ferocity. The twister, which was up to a half-mile wide, was on the ground for more than 30 minutes and traveled 35 miles. The storm caused approximately $152 million dollars worth of damage to this small town. One NRPC staff lost his home, two staff members reported extensive roof, window, and car damage, and other staff had friends and families who suffered damage to homes and cars. Staff at NRPC are assisting with the relief effort. Funds are being collected to purchase gift cards for food and/or home repair supplies, meals are being prepared for delivery to affected employees, and later this summer center staff will be helping plant trees, assisting city parks, and/or providing landscaping assistance to members of the community. The Red Cross has a site for assisting in Windsor recovery - HYPERLINK "http://www.northerncolorado.redcross.org/". For more information, contact center manager George Dickison (George_Dickison@nps.gov). For a news report on the tornado itself, see HYPERLINK "http://www.denverpost.com/ci_9359069?source=rss". [Linda Drees, Natural Resource Program Center]
On Thursday, May 29th, law enforcement ranger R.D. turned himself in to NPS special agents and United States marshals after being indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of Title 18 United States Code §641, theft of public money. According to the indictment, on or about August 31, 2007, R.D. willfully and knowingly did receive, conceal and retain stolen property of the United States totaling $9,000. Future criminal proceedings are pending. The investigation was conducted by the Service's Office of Professional Responsibility with assistance from the Investigative Services Branch after receiving information from a private citizen. R.D. has over 25 years of federal service, most of it served as a law enforcement officer for the National Park Service. He is currently a staff ranger in National Capital Regional Office. The National Park Service strives to uphold the agency's mission, as was emphasized by Director Bomar when she reminded all employees in a memorandum (November 8, 2007) that it "is important that each of us consider the principles of ethical conduct as the foundation for every action we consider." [Russ Roy, Special Agent in Charge]
The Kate Chopin House, named for the legendary feminist writer who lived there during the 1880s, burned to the ground in an early morning fire on October 1st. The structure, located in Cloutierville, Louisiana, was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Department of Interior in 1993. The cause of the fire has not been determined. For a news article with additional details, click on the link below. HYPERLINK "http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081002/NEWS01/810020324/1060"
On November 6th, R.B., Jr., pled guilty to two counts of vandalism and was sentenced to 17 days in jail (time served) and two years of supervised probation, to be followed by three years of unsupervised probation. As special conditions of probation, R.B, must participate in mental health counseling and must stay out of national parks in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia for the next five years, except when driving on commuter roads or traveling by metro. Between June 15, 2006, and August 9, 2006, R.B, repeatedly vandalized a construction site located along Memorial Avenue near Arlington Cemetery by writing pro-Nazi, anti-semitic terms. Also, on or about December 2, 2006, R.B, vandalized a portable toilet station at the Iwo Jima Memorial in the same manner. After an investigation, United States Park Police detective Kevin Fornshill identified R.B, as the vandal responsible for these incidents, with assistance from Arlington PD. The successful investigation and prosecution of R.B, has closed at least a dozen USPP investigations of vandalism on National Park Service property in the District of Columbia and in Arlington, Virginia. [Sgt. Robert Lachance]
On Tuesday, January 20th, President-elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office on the West Front of the United States Capitol Building. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the President will ride in an inaugural parade, complete with floats, horses, military units and marching bands, from the Capitol to the Presidential reviewing stand on the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest. The National Park Service has been directly involved in all inaugurals in Washington since FDR was President - a total of 19 inaugurals over more than 70 years. Key NPS inaugural areas include the National Mall (used for staging for the inaugural), Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site (the parade route), and Lafayette Square (site of a news media reviewing stand opposite the Presidential reviewing stand, which is located on the north side of the White House). The NPS works directly with the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), issuing permits to the PIC for use of the National Mall from 1st Street westward to 14th Street. Under the PIC's direction, military bands, floats and other parade participants assemble on the National Mall before joining the inaugural parade. The PIC will also establish a news media center where it will credential news media covering the event. This event has been declared a National Special Security Event (NSSE) and the United States Secret Service is serving as the lead federal law enforcement agency. The United States Park Police will be fully supporting this historic event. The goal, working in conjunction with numerous participating agencies, is for a seamless security plan that will create a safe and secure environment for President-elect Obama and his family, other dignitaries, event participants, and the general public. Large crowds are expected for this historic event. The USPP and NPS have extensive experience dealing with events attracting large crowds, from the annual Independence Day celebration to the millennium New Year's celebration. Preparations include a comprehensive analysis of the security and logistical requirements for the event. A unified command will be established in conjunction with partnering public safety, emergency management, and transportation organizations. [Sgt. Robert Lachance, US Park Police]
On Tuesday, December 9th, Peggy O'Dell, National Capitol Region regional director, briefed superintendents and staff on developing plans for the Presidential inauguration scheduled for Tuesday, January 20th. The noon swearing-in ceremony will be held on the steps of the Capitol with public viewing available from the National Mall. Later, the inaugural parade will traverse Pennsylvania Avenue, intersecting NPS lands at various points. On Sunday, January 18th, an opening ceremony will be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Final planning for all the events is dependent upon the requests of the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC, HYPERLINK "http://www.pic2009.com/") and a subsequent special use permit that will be issued for use of NPS lands. NCR interpretive staff, under the direction of Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, have been tasked to develop an interpretive plan featuring inaugural-related activities and visitor services. John Stanwich, NCR inaugural coordinator, with assistance from Rick Merryman and Leonard Lee, are NPS liaisons with the PIC. O'Dell also introduced the NPS Central Incident Management Team (CIMT), headed by Eddie Lopez, which will assist the region and parks with event planning. The regional director and acting assistant chief of the US Park Police have signed a delegation of authority to Stanwich, Merryman, Lee, Lopez and Park Police major Jonathan Pierce, directing them to plan and manage the NPS portion of the 2009 inauguration. Members of the CIMT arrived Wednesday, December 3rd, and some members will be on-site through the holidays, then will gear up with a full team in early January. Additional inauguration information will be shared through this site as plans develop. [Larry Frederick and James Doyle, CIMT PIOs]
Early on Tuesday morning, a 66-inch water main pipe broke in Montgomery County, Maryland, flooding River Road. Millions of gallons of water per minute gushed from the ruptured pipe and the roadway quickly became flooded with deep, fast-moving water rushing down the road. Several motorists were trapped in the flash flood. Maryland State Police (MSP) and United States Park Police helicopters responded along with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department. Three motorists were rescued by being hoisted by the MSP helicopter, and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue's swiftwater rescue team saved five others. One firefighter who had rescued a motorist in the fast-moving water became stranded when his boat became disabled. The crew of the Park Police 'Eagle' helicopter, pilots Sergeant Kevin Chittick and Jeff Hertel, responded and hoisted the firefighter to safety. The water and air temperatures were very cold and the victims and rescue crews who were exposed to the elements were coated in ice. The United States Park Police work extensively with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department in training for swiftwater rescues. For a series of photos of the rescue operation, click on the link below. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer] HYPERLINK "http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/23/AR2008122302853.html?hpid=topnews"
On the afternoon of January 15th, the Park Police dispatch center for the New York Field Office received notification that there was an airplane in the water in the Hudson River. Marine Patrol Unit officers Laura Teeple and John Pommerehn immediately responded from Ellis Island to the area in Marine 7, a 44-foot Sea Ark police vessel, and headed towards the area of the reported crash - the Hudson River west of 49th Street. The weather conditions were extreme, with very cold air and water temperatures and an extremely swift current. Upon arriving on scene, the officers found a U.S. Airways commercial airliner in the water surrounded by passenger ferries recovering the airline passengers from the downed aircraft. There were also numerous law enforcement vessels in the area, including the New York City Police Department with a cadre of divers and the U.S. Coast Guard. A scan of the area by Teeple and Pommerehn revealed no apparent bodies in the water, but there was a large amount of small and large plane debris as well as passenger property floating in the river. The officers were able to retrieve potential evidence from the water, including mechanical and structural components of the plane. Amongst the property recovered was a hydraulic mechanism from the plane as well as parts of the plane's door and miscellaneous fragments of the plane's body. The officers also recovered several pieces of the passengers' property. The officers remained at the scene and assisted in maintaining a secure perimeter around the crash site. [Captain Marty Zweig, New York Field Office]
On the evening of Sunday, April 26th, Montgomery County fire and rescue units were dispatched to the Potomac River at Pennyfield Lock to rescue a person reported to be in distress in the river. The standard protocol for this type of rescue calls for the Park Police to also send a helicopter. Eagle 1, manned by pilot/sergeant Kevin Chittick and rescue technician/paramedic sergeant Chris Perkins responded. When Eagle 1 arrived, the crew spotted a man who'd apparently been swept about a quarter mile downriver by a swift current and had managed to swim to an island. Since there was no access from the shore, Perkins jumped about five feet from the helicopter while Chittick maintained a hover. Perkins evaluated the man's condition and found that he was not seriously injured. A Montgomery County fire department boat picked the man up and brought him to shore. The man declined further treatment and transport to a hospital for treatment of a leg injury. [Sergeant David Schlosser, Public Information Officer]
Two men were fishing on the Occoquan River in northern Virginia when the motor on their boat failed. The boat began drifting toward the downstream Occoquan River Dam, which has a 72-foot drop, so the men abandoned it before it was swept over, grabbing onto a pole affixed to the top of the dam. The Prince William County Fire Department asked the Park Police for assistance with a hoist rescue, and Eagle 1 responded with a crew of four - pilot Kevin Chittick, co-pilot Ken Burchell, and rescue technicians Mark Varanelli and David Hurley. One fisherman was pulled to the shore by a Fairfax Police Department helicopter; the second fisherman was only a few feet from being swept over the dam when the USPP officers hoisted him onboard Eagle 1. According to rescuers familiar with the dam, a plunge down the dam face would have been "definitely fatal." [Sergeant David Schlosser, Public Information Officer]
A hiker who was injured on Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park was rescued by the crew of Eagle 2, the USPP helicopter, last Tuesday. Eagle 2 was dispatched to the park around 10:00 a.m. that morning to help rangers extract the man, who'd injured his leg in a fall. Eagle 2 was summoned because it would take almost two hours to reach him by ground, then several hours to descend from the park's highest mountain to a waiting ambulance. The temperature at the time was approaching 100 degrees and humidity was high. The helicopter, piloted by sergeant Kevin Chittick and staffed by rescue technician/paramedics sergeant Christopher Perkins and officer David Hurley flew 80 miles to the mountain. The crew spotted the injured man on a rock, but faced a difficult extraction because the area was surrounded by trees and steep rocky faces and was buffeted by unpredictable winds. Chittick located an area near the injured hiker where he could get close enough for Hurley to leap to the ground. After Hurley evaluated and treated the man, Perkins employed a hoist and rescue net to lift him out and bring him to a waiting ambulance. Chittick then flew back to the mountain and employed a jungle penetrator to hoist Hurley back onboard. [Sergeant David Schlosser, Public Information Officer]
Over 1,400 Native American artifacts from two separate investigations were returned to four tribes in the Pacific Northwest on Thursday September 24th. The return was the result of two covert investigations that were conducted by the NPS, Bureau of Indian Affairs, FBI, US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Department of Energy and two United States Attorney's Offices (Spokane and Los Angeles). The investigations involved the sale of artifacts that had been taken from three NPS units and four Indian reservations ( click on the link below for the original report , which appeared in this publication on January 2nd). The return ceremony took place at the federal courthouse in Spokane, Washington, and was attended by 18 tribal representatives from three tribes, three local television stations, three print media reporters, and others. The chief of the Criminal Section of the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington made opening remarks. He was followed by the Northwest regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Stanley Speaks, and Lake Roosevelt NRA superintendent Debbie Bird. Four tribal leaders from the Colville Confederated Tribes, Nez Perce Tribe and Spokane Tribe then spoke. After the ceremony, Bird gave members of the investigative team certificates for having won the 2008 Pacific West Region Cultural Resource Project through Partnerships Award. [Todd Swain, Special Agent] HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=4334"
USPP motorcycle officer David Fowler was critically injured in a crash on Wednesday, March 2nd. Fowler was on patrol on northbound Interstate 395 near 7th Street Southwest in Washington when the motorcycle crash happened. Fowler sustained serious injuries to his heel, tibia, fibula, femur, humerus, and internal organs. A USPP helicopter medevaced him to the trauma center at MedStar/Washington Hospital Center. He is facing several rounds of surgery and a substantial recovery period. He and his family would enjoy notes from his National Park Service family. Please direct all notes to: Capt. Scott Fear, Fowler Family Liaison, 1100 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20024. Fowler's wife, K.S., is a United States Park Police officer in the horse mounted unit. She has been approved as a leave share recipient and will be spending a great deal of time helping Dave as he regains his mobility. She would genuinely appreciate any leave that her NPS family might be able to share. [Sergeant David Schlosser, Public Information Officer]
The 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan last Friday - the fifth largest quake in the world since 1900 and nearly 8,000 times stronger than the one that recently devastated Christchurch, New Zealand - produced a tsunami that crossed the open and came up on the shores of park beaches from Guam to the West Coast. No visitor or employee injuries have been reported. The following summarizes reports submitted from all affected areas:
The waters of the Missouri River remain high, impacting National Park Service areas along its length, including Midwest Regional Office. While the regional office has not been flooded, there have nonetheless been impacts on the office. The city of Omaha's storm water system drains into the river nearby and has had to be blocked to prevent water flowing back into the city. In order to drain storm water, pumps, pipes and a large culvert are being set up adjacent to and through the regional office parking lot. Employee parking has been relocated and the office remains open, but it is less convenient for employees and visitors to access. Anyone planning to travel to the regional office, including the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail office, should contact the office before traveling to obtain the latest information and directions. [Jean Schaeppi-Anderson, Incident Information Officer]
Record snow and rainfall in Montana and the Dakotas has inundated the entire Missouri River system with record surface water flows. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has dramatically increased outflow from its six dams in anticipation of an exceptionally high level of snowmelt and runoff from the Rocky Mountains. The Corps is monitoring water flows through the upper Missouri River dams, with water at Omaha now sustained around the 34 - 35 foot mark. Barring additional major rains or a levee break these levels are expected to hold for several months. The greatest impact to the Midwest Regional Office is the construction of a flume to channel storm water to the river across the office's parking lot. The flume temporarily replaces a neighboring storm water handling facility that is no longer functioning because the outflow pipe is below the current high water mark of the Missouri River. Storm water began to back up into the city's sewer system and the city needed to alleviate the problem. On May 26th, the city of Omaha approved plans to design and build the flume. Phase one construction began June 17th and was completed this past Friday. This first phase removes water from the adjacent public works building. The second phase construction began in full force on Saturday with completion expected in seven to ten days. This final phase will allow the city to keep water out of the adjacent convention center parking lots and elsewhere in the city. The flume itself is 500 feet long and 40 feet wide. A total of 16 pipes and pumps will be in place to move storm water out of the city. When fully operational, water will flow at the rate of 500 million gallons a day, equivalent to 1,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. The project has caused employees to park off site at neighboring Gallup University. The Midwest Regional Office, however, remains open and fully operational. On June 27th, the Missouri River stage was 35.08 feet in Omaha. The main entry door to the headquarters building was 7.9 feet above water, with the river 2.6 feet below the lowest point of the sump pit below the elevator shaft. The point where the water will crest over the public sidewalk along the east side of the building was 1.8 feet above water. The high point in the driveway was 8.5 feet above water; the low spot in the parking lot was 0.1 feet above water. Impacts to the parking lot have been alleviated with an inflatable air bladder that was installed to keep river water from coming up the drain into a surface water retention pond. An in-house incident management team was activated on June 3rd to keep the Midwest Regional Office fully functional as long as it is possible to continue operations. The team has developed an emergency action olan that focuses on facility relocation if necessary. Alternate works sites have been identified should access to the building be impacted by floodwater, or lack of electrical power. [Roberta Wendel]
The 5.8-magnitude quake that shook most of the East Coast from Georgia to Massachusetts rattled scores of NPS offices and park facilities and led to some closures in Washington. The following reports have been received: Washington Parks - The Washington Monument was closed following the quake in order to properly evaluate the structure. An inspection revealed some cracking in the stones at the top of the monument. Structural engineers will evaluate the cracks today to determine the best way to make repairs before reopening the monument. The Washington Monument grounds have been reopened except for an area about 100 feet outside of the plaza. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials were closed for a short period of time as a precaution, but reopened to the public yesterday evening. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Memorial remain open. The Old Post Office Tower will open this morning at 9 a.m. Additional reports will be posted as they are received. [David Barna, WASO; P. Daniel Smith, COLO; Dave Ruth, RICH; Keith Kelly, FRSP; Bill Line, Toni Braxton and Carol Johnson, NCRO; Sgt. David Schlosser, USPP]
The 5.8-magnitude quake that shook most of the East Coast from Georgia to Massachusetts rattled scores of NPS offices and park facilities and led to some closures in Washington. The following reports have been received: Washington Office - Both the Main Interior and Eye Street offices were closed in mid-afternoon and employees were released. The action was precautionary, allowing assessments to be made of facilities and clearing structures in case of serious aftershocks. Similar actions were taken by almost all other agencies in the Washington area. The Main Interior Building remains closed today pending further inspections. South Interior is also closed, but the Eye Street building will reopen on schedule this morning. For information on operating guidelines if your building is closed and for a list of other federal building closures, click on HYPERLINK "http://www.opm.gov/status/index.aspx" "closedlist" this link. Additional reports will be posted as they are received. [David Barna, WASO; P. Daniel Smith, COLO; Dave Ruth, RICH; Keith Kelly, FRSP; Bill Line, Toni Braxton and Carol Johnson, NCRO; Sgt. David Schlosser, USPP]
An ARPA search warrant was served on a residence in the Sacramento area in California in March 20007 by agents from the NPS and FWS and rangers from the NPS and Sacramento County Parks. The residents were believed to have taken artifacts from NPS, USFS, FWS and Sacramento County Park lands. Interviews resulted in admissions that the residents went to northwestern Nevada on two occasions (2003 and 2006) and collected artifacts from BLM land. The residents knew this activity was illegal and these artifacts were recovered at their home. The suspects also admitted removing artifacts from other publicly owned lands. Searchers found and seized computers, GPS units, maps, photographs showing the residents searching for and collecting artifacts, and other documentary evidence. Officers also discovered approximately 38,000 artifacts on the property and in the vehicles associated with the property. These artifacts included beads and other burial objects, such as abalone breastplates and pendants, projectile points, mortars, pestles, metates, and stone tools. About 100 evidence lots were seized that included roughly 500 artifacts that may have come from federal lands. In June of 2008, damage assessment field work was conducted at the looted site in northwestern Nevada. This resulted in the documentation of over $15,000 in damage. Two of the residents, a father and adult son, were indicted in October 2008 on four felony counts including ARPA, conspiracy, and theft. In July 2010, after extensive negotiations, the father agreed to surrender approximately 30,000 nonfederal artifacts to the California Native American Heritage Commission. These artifacts, predominantly burial goods, were then returned to the appropriate tribes by the commission. In July 2011, the father was sentenced to three years probation, including six months home detention as a condition of his probation, a $3,600 fine, and $100 special penalty assessment based on his one count felony ARPA conviction. In October 2011, following a three hour sentencing hearing that included testimony by a BLM archaeologist and Native American tribal representatives, the adult son was sentenced to 30 days in prison, three months home detention and one year of supervised release for his one count misdemeanor ARPA conviction. [Todd Swain, Special Agent, ISB West]
On March 19th, M.M. and M.G. were each sentenced for felony Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) violations in US District Court in Los Angeles. The sentencings stemmed from a five-year-long investigation called "Operation Antiquity" that focused on looting, importation, sale and tax fraud violations related to cultural items from the U.S. and other countries. Participating along with the NPS in this investigative effort are Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division. Looted Native American and pre-Columbian artifacts were consigned to M.M. and M.G. in June 2004 by an undercover NPS agent. M.M. and the auction company knew that the domestic artifacts were illegally taken from public lands and that the pre-Columbian artifacts had been smuggled into the US from Central America. Despite this knowledge, these antiquities were sold by M.M. at an auction in October 2004 for $3,000. In January 2005, a second lot of smuggled pre-Columbian artifacts were consigned to M.M. and M.G. Having been provided information about the smuggled nature of the artifacts both verbally and in writing, these antiquities were sold for $1,500 by M.M. at an auction in February 2005. In both instances, the illicit artifacts were purchased back by NPS rangers and agents posing as buyers. In January 2008, a search warrant was served at M.G. in Encino, California, by agents with the NPS and ICE. M.M. and gallery employees were also interviewed at this time. At the sentencing hearing on March 19th, M.M. was sentenced to a year of home detention, two years of probation and 150 hours of community service. M.G. and M.M. were jointly ordered to pay about $24,000 in fines, restitution and community service. Additional cases against other entities are pending. More information about this ongoing investigation may be found at the link below. [Todd Swain] HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3701"
On May 7th, R.P. was sentenced for a felony smuggling violation in US District Court in Los Angeles. The sentencing stemmed from a five-year-long investigation called "Operation Antiquity" that is focusing on looting, importation, sale and tax fraud violations related to cultural items from the U.S. and other countries (for more information on the operation, click on HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3701" this link). Participating along with the NPS in this investigative effort are the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Between June and December 2002, R.P. sold $3,810 in pre-Columbian artifacts from El Salvador and artifacts and cave features from Thailand to undercover NPS and FWS agents. All of these items were smuggled into the US by R.P. after having been looted in their countries of origin. Authentication of the Pre-Columbian material was conducted by Dr. Karen Olsen Bruhns of San Francisco State University and Fundacion Nacional de Arqueologia de El Salvador. The Thai artifacts were authenticated by Dr. Joyce White of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. At the sentencing hearing on May 7th, R.P. was sentenced to six months of home detention, three years of probation and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Additional cases against other entities are pending. [Todd Swain, Special Agent]
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, as the hosting city for the recent Democratic National Convention, asked that the US Park Police Horse Mounted Patrol Unit assist them with the protection of their citizens and city. The unit was recommended to them as the premier horse mounted unit in the United States for crowd control. Due to the Park Police mission to protect and patrol the parks and icons in the Washington metropolitan area, it was not possible to send the 20 requested officers and horses, but USPP did provide 10 officers and their mounts. Other mounted units came from Atlanta and Richmond. The mission of these units during the convention was to provide high profile patrol as a deterrent to civil disobedience and to provide the citizens and visitors to Charlotte a sense of security and safety. Due to effective planning by the Charlotte Mecklenburg PD, the majority of demonstrators were peaceful and only a few violations occurred. The horse mounted units were therefore not utilized in a crowd control capacity. [Sergeant Paul Brooks, Public Information Officer]
Prosecutions continue in Operation Artifact, the multi-year interagency investigation into the sale of cultural items looted from federal lands. On September 19th, R.M. of the National Indian Center in Corona, California, was sentenced for a misdemeanor ARPA violation in federal court in Los Angeles. He was ordered to pay $758.41 in restitution and $10,000 in community service and fines. Looted Native American artifacts were consigned or sold to R.M. and the National Indian Center in 2007, 2008 and 2009 by a cooperating individual. R.M. and the auction company knew the artifacts were illegally taken from public lands. Despite this knowledge, R.M. sold these antiquities at several public auctions. The illicit artifacts were purchased back by NPS rangers and agents posing as buyers. In August. 2010, search warrants were served at R.M.'s residence and storage facility by agents and rangers with the NPS and BLM. R.M. and other company employees were also interviewed at this time. Participating along with the NPS in this investigative effort were the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish & Wildlife Service and the US Forest Service. Additional cases against other entities are pending. [Todd Swain]
A federal judge sentenced two Hawaii hunters to community service on Monday following an investigation into the inter-island smuggling of axis deer by helicopter. Neither man was charged with the smuggling itself, but prosecutors said their actions introduced axis deer to the Big Island for the first time and harmed the environment as a result. D.R. of Mountain View was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for illegal transport, a Lacey Act misdemeanor. J.G. was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service for operating an illegal guiding service, a Lacey Act misdemeanor, for taking an unlicensed hunter (an undercover Fish and Wildlife Service special agent) to shoot game animals on his ranch in upcountry Maui. J.G. must also pay a $15,000 fine and will be on probation for one year. The deer were introduced to the Big Island as part of a trade for mouflon sheep in December 2009. The animals were taken between the islands by Maui helicopter pilot T.H. A federal judge last month sentenced T.H. for illegal transport, a Lacy Act misdemeanor. He will be required to help the Big Island organization that is trying to eradicate deer by providing the group with 500 hours of flight time. The Big Island Invasive Species Committee has so far killed three deer within a two-mile radius of where D.R. released the deer. Conservationists, state officials and ranchers worry that the deer could harm Big Island forests, farms and ranches if they become established there. The assistant U.S. attorney said that D.R. released the deer because he believed it was his right to hunt and provide for his family. But he said D.R. failed to understand there are rules and laws to protect the environment and community and that he didn't have the resources to contain the deer. He said prosecutors brought the case before the court to deter others from similarly transporting and selling wildlife. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service led the investigation, assisted by the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Hawaii. [Investigative Services Branch]
Hurricane Sandy, a HYPERLINK "http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" Category 1 storm with current maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph, was east of the Outer Banks early this morning and moving to the north at about 15 mph. It is expected to turn to the northwest today, with the center coming ashore along the New Jersey coastline this evening or tonight. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 175 miles, mainly to the southwest of the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 520 miles. The following hazards are expected: Winds - Gale force winds are being reported from coastal North Carolina to New Jersey and are expected to arrive along other portions of the coastline from Long Island to southern New England later this morning. Winds of hurricane force are expected later today. Surge - A combination of tides and "extremely dangerous" storm surge will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following depths above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide - 4 to 6 feet in North Carolina; 2 to 4 feet in southern Virginia and Delmarva, including the lower Chesapeake Bay; 1 to 3 feet in the upper and middle Chesapeake Bay; 6 to 11 feet in Long Island Sound, Raritan Bay and New York Harbor; 4 to 8 feet elsewhere from Ocean City, Maryland, to the Connecticut-Rhode Island border; 3 to 6 feet from there to Cape Cod; 2 to 4 feet from Cape Cod to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border; and 1 to 3 feet from there to Canada. Rain - Rainfall totals of from 4 to 8 inches are expected over portions of the Mid-Atlantic states, including the Delmarva peninsula, with isolated amounts of up to 12 inches. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are forecast from New York to New England, with isolated amounts of 5 inches. Snow - Snow accumulations of from 2 to 3 feet are expected in the mountains of West Virginia, from 1 to 2 feet in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and 12 to 18 inches in the mountains near the North Carolina/Tennessee border and in the mountains of western Maryland. The following park status reports are based on regional phone calls conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and on email updates. Every park in the hurricane's very broad path has made preparations for downed trees, flooding, power outages and related problems; just about every park and office in the hurricane's broad path is closed today. Rather than list all of them, the summary below focuses on parks and offices that have been or are being impacted by the storm or that have substantial closures or other issues: National Capital Region - All parks in National Capital Region are closed as well. Three NPS Type II incident management teams - East, Intermountain and Midwest - are fully staffed and on standby for use as needed. Two of the teams are currently being staged, the Eastern IMT in Hagerstown, Maryland, and the Midwest IMT in Columbus, Ohio. Other NPS offices and specialized teams are also on standby.
As the remnants of Hurricane Sandy move north and east into Canada, parks that it traversed are undergoing damage assessments, completing status checks on their employees, and, in many cases, beginning the arduous process of recovering from the serious to severe damage inflicted by the storm. The main remaining threat related to Hurricane Sandy is the rise of small streams that could lead to flooding on main stem rivers. Moderate tidal flooding is expected to elevate water levels two to three feet along the Potomac through Friday afternoon. The National Park Service is mobilizing people and resources and getting them to places where they're most needed. The Midwest and Eastern incident management teams are moving from Maryland to a location in or near New York City and mobilizing a number of specialized teams to aid in recovery and support operations. The Intermountain IMT is also being mobilized. Preparations are being made for long term recovery operations. The highest immediate priorities are employee assistance and visitor and employee safety. Reports on the status of parks affected by the hurricane will appear as soon as damage assessments have been completed and submitted.
With Inauguration Day just around the corner, National Park Service operations and preparations for the event are in full swing, with numerous NPS personnel from across the Service pitching in. The Service's Eastern IMT arrived on January 9th to support the NPS IMT for the 57th Presidential Inaugural, which is being led by incident commander John Stanwich, the deputy NPS liaison to the White House. The NPS IMT has been in place for months, planning and preparing for Inauguration Day. The Service has been directly involved in all inaugurals since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took the oath of office in 1933 - a total of 20 inaugurations spanning 80 years. The role of the NPS in presidential inaugurations is primarily to provide logistical support, ensure the protection of park resources, and provide visitor services. The NPS works directly with the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), issuing permits to the PIC for use of areas of the National Mall, Lafayette Square and Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. Under the PIC's direction, military bands, floats and other parade participants assemble on the National Mall before joining the inaugural parade. This event has been declared a National Special Security Event (NSSE) and the Secret Service is serving as the lead federal law enforcement agency. The United Sates Park Police, NPS law enforcement rangers, and NPS emergency medical services providers will be fully supporting this event. Though the inauguration is certainly among the largest events handled by the National Park Service, it is only one of more than 3,000 permitted events held on the National Mall each year that range from small annual commemorations to the Fourth of July and large-scale First Amendment demonstrations. [Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles, Information Officer, 57th Presidential Inaugural IMT]
The National Capital Region incident management team for the Presidential Inauguration, led by John Stanwich, deputy NPS liaison to the White House, is almost at the finish line after more than a year of planning for the historic event. Numerous National Park employees from across the Service are pitching in. More than 500 staff and volunteers will be on hand on "Game Day" to ensure the best possible visitor experience and the protection of the cultural and natural resources on the National Mall and in President's Park. Making that happen are rangers, maintenance workers, Park Police officers (including their horse mounted patrol), permit monitors, EMTs, communications specialists and contract specialists, among others. The work takes an extraordinary amount of coordination, not only inside the NPS, but in working with a number of agencies, including the Secret Service, the DC Department of Transportation, the DC Metro Police, the US Capitol Police and Health and Human Services. This inauguration is only one of about 3,000 permitted events that take place on the Mall each year, all handled by the Permits Management Division at the National Mall and Memorial Parks. National Capital Region plays host to everything from the national Fourth of July celebration to the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony to say nothing of numerous First Amendment demonstrations. The National Park Service has been directly involved in all inaugurals since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took the oath of office in 1933—a total of 20 inaugurations spanning 80 years. The role of the NPS in presidential inaugurations is primarily to provide logistical support, ensure the protection of park resources and provide visitor services. The NPS works directly with the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), issuing permits to the PIC for use of areas of the National Mall, Lafayette Square and Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. Under the PIC's direction, military bands, floats and other parade participants assemble on the National Mall before joining the inaugural parade. [Carol Bradley Johnson, Communications Officer]
The best of the National Park Service was on national display during the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, January 21st. Hundreds of NPS staff and volunteers, under the direction of the National Capital Region's Inaugural Incident Management Team, operated like a well-oiled machine as they performed the innumerable tasks needed to keep thousands upon thousands of visitors safe and to protect the American public's parkland. Managing the inauguration and its associated events was a monumental task by itself, but was made even more challenging because Inauguration Day coincided with the Martin Luther King holiday and because of the need to protect the $16 million turf project recently completed on the Mall. Leading up to the inauguration, daily meetings were held to discuss operations and planning. National Park Service staff met and coordinated with the US Secret Service, the Capitol Police, the Presidential Inaugural Committee and many more agencies and groups. The tasks were myriad: Special use permits were negotiated and issued for use of the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue. Permits were also issued for First Amendment demonstrations. Permit monitors ensured that the requirements of the permits were met. Contracts were issued and supplies ordered. Interpretive staff created junior ranger programs and produced interpretive materials. Emergency medical services were arranged. The week before the inauguration, NPS maintenance employees and contractors installed 3,800 feet of chain link fencing, 17,000 feet of bike racks, and portable toilets at eight emergency medical service locations throughout the Mall. Public affairs staff were kept busy answering phones, conducting interviews, answering innumerable questions and updating the NPS inaugural website. Incident action plans were written and shared, and the NPS Eastern Type 2 IMT was brought in to support the NCR team. The inauguration and the inaugural parade were the finale to a jam-packed week on the Mall and in Presidents Park. The Martin Luther King holiday had a special significance for many of the visitors to the Mall not only because of it fell on the same day as the inauguration but because 2013 marks the 50thh anniversary of the March on Washington. A number of events took place at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to honor the slain civil rights leader and another took place at the Lincoln Memorial. A wreath laying was held at the MLK Memorial on January 15th. On January 18th, 90 students from a Washington, DC, school recited the "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, each child reciting one line. On January 19th, the inauguration's Day of Service, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar joined volunteers to spruce up the memorial. And on January 20th, the NPS partnered on a ceremony that included Rev. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Jamie Fox, Dick Gregory, and Chris Tucker. Director Jon Jarvis and Bob Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, spoke at the ceremony and laid an NPS wreath at the foot of the massive carving of Dr. King amid a teeming crowd of visitors. On Inauguration Day itself, thousands of visitors leaving the Mall after the swearing-in ceremony took the opportunity to visit the Mall's newest memorial. Many visitors cited a HYPERLINK "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsNliKmyHc8&feature=youtu.be" welcoming video produced by the NCR that ran on the Jumbotrons on the Mall before the president's swearing-in for encouraging them to visit the memorial. This year, the NPS completed a project to rebuild several of the grass panels on the National Mall, one of the most prominent historic landscapes in Washington, DC. The project included installing not just lush green turf, but handicap accessible granite curbs, engineered soil to resist soil compaction, and the installation of drains and large underground cisterns to collect storm water. The construction fences for the project came down just days before the inauguration. In order to protect the new turf, the National Mall required that it be protected from damage by laying down protective panels from Third to Eighth streets. Each panel was elevated above the grass, held up by a few round feet that distribute the weight evenly. The panels not only allow water to flow through it, but are translucent so the turf continues to get sun while the panels are down. The inauguration was one of the largest events on the Mall, but was only one of the large scale events that are regularly handled by the staff of the National Capital Region, who daily prove that the National Park Service is up to the task of maintaining, protecting and interpreting the America's national treasures. Congratulations to incident commander John Stanwich and his team. [Carol Bradley Johnson]
On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 27th, the U.S. Park Police Aviation Unit responded to an 'officer down' call in nearby Alexandria, Virginia. A motorcycle officer there had been shot while making a traffic stop in the Old Town section of Alexandria. The assailant then drove away, leaving the officer lying in the street. Eagle 1, the Park Police helicopter, was on scene within minutes and flew the wounded officer to a local hospital, where doctors treated him for life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, officers from several jurisdictions, including the Park Police, pursued the assailant and apprehended him after he crashed his vehicle. The officer remains in critical condition in the hospital. [Paul Brooks, Public Information Officer]
August was a busy month for Park Police officers assigned to the Washington D.C. area due to two special events - the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, which was on Saturday August 24th, and the 50th anniversary "Let Freedom Ring" Commemoration and Call to Action, which was held four days later on August 28th. Extremely large crowds attended each event. On Saturday, the weather was anything but typical for late August in Washington D.C., as it was sunny and in the low 80s with low humidity. August 28th brought back reality - clouds, temperatures in the 90s, high humidity and on and off showers. The heat was a factor for each event. There were numerous medical calls for heat-related illnesses, but none too serious. Both events had entertainment, VIP speakers, celebrities and politicians. The 50th anniversary "Let Freedom Ring" event also had President Obama and former Presidents Carter and Clinton, as well as the King Family and other civil rights representatives. Security was extremely tight and Park Police officers worked long hours, not only on the day of the events but also the days leading up to the events. These events could not have been successfully implemented if it were not for collaborative efforts of the National Park Service, Washington Metropolitan Police Department, United States Secret Service, the D.C. National Guard, and other state and local agencies. [Paul Brooks, Public Affairs Officer]
Fifteen NPS SAR personnel were deployed through the EICC to assist with the T.A. search (Holiday Incident) on the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico in late August. T.A., 41, a Forest Service firefighter, went missing in the Jemez Mountains on Friday, August 30th. The search effort was eventually managed under unified command between a Type 1 team (Reinharz) and the State of New Mexico. NPS SAR personnel included four technical specialists (search management), ten technical rescue (TRT2) searchers, and one liaison officer. The branch chief for search and rescue for the NPS coordinated with the incident to provide technical assistance and resource identification. Additional NPS personnel assigned to the incident included a wildland fire crew from Buffalo National River and overhead personnel assigned as members of the Type 1 team. Over the course of the week, 280 personnel from 18 government agencies employed horses, dogs, aircraft, and heat-seeking devices in the search, walking side by side through the rugged terrain of mesas separated by steep canyons. A cellular forensics analyst with the USAF/Civil Air Patrol conducted an examination of available cell phone data to assist in search planning. On Friday, September 6th, a fire crew from Jemez Pueblo found T.A.'s body. Incident personnel said that it appeared that he died on August 30th after crashing his ATV as he drove from the top of Stable Mesa toward a canyon to reach Schoolhouse Mesa, where a small forest fire had been reported the previous day. "He wasn't in the deep ravines," said Bob Rodgers, New Mexico search and rescue resource officer. "He was basically in a low-lying drainage, basically in the beginning of those valleys. He was in an area that had been searched. He was about a quarter mile off the road, so we couldn't see him from there, especially because he was in the drainage, and the vegetation prevented aircraft from seeing him." An accident-reconstruction team was brought to the accident scene following the discovery of his body. T.A. was wearing a helmet and was dressed in the required fire-resistant yellow shirt, green pants and heavy leather boots when he rode off into the forest a week ago on a red Polaris 400 ATV. When he failed to answer two-way radio calls or his cell phone, a search was immediately launched. T.A. lived in Jemez Springs with his pregnant wife, Heidi, and their three-year-old son. T.A. grew up in Coarsegold, California, graduated from Yosemite High School in Oakhurst, California, in 1990 and later served in the U.S. Navy. T.A. had worked for the Forest Service for about ten years. Incident personnel formed a formal procession to bring Adam's body back to the incident command post, where family members had gathered. "My sincere appreciation and thanks for your efforts and assistance in regard to the folk you sent us," said Richard Munoz Nieto, assistant director for fire operations and aviation management for the Forest Service's Region 3. "I hope you know I and my staff will be there for you as well, should you ever need our assistance." [Ken Phillips, Branch Chief of Search and Rescue, WASO]
A contingent of Park Police officers provided assistance to the Bureau of Land Management in overseeing the annual HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Man" Burning Man festival, held this year from August 23rd to September 2nd in Pershing County, Nevada. In the summer of 1990, the Park Police dealt with a Burning Man event at Baker Beach in the San Francisco area, eventually closing it down. The event moved and has since grown into a festival which as many as 69,000 people have attended. The festival celebrates art and music, with the art being constructed on site at the festival. The price of admission is approximately $350 for the week. On the last day of the festival, the "Man" is burned, along with other pieces of art. Throughout the festival there are also rave parties with live music that run throughout the day and night. The Park Police sent a detail of eight officers, including one captain, two lieutenants, a detective sergeant, two detectives, and two identification technicians to work with the other 95 law enforcement personnel from the Pershing County Sheriff's Department and the Bureau of Land Management. The detail arrived early and helped put together training that focused on active shooters and crowd management and also worked in conjunction with the BLM staff to develop the incident action plan for the festival. Park Police detectives and technicians were each paired up with a deputy sheriff from Pershing County and a BLM officer while on patrol. The new effort in integrating the three agencies was extremely beneficial to the overall success of policing the event. The shifts were long, averaging fourteen hours a day. The Park Police assisted with well over a dozen sexual assault cases along with numerous other criminal investigations. The participants of the festival overall were very open and friendly to the law enforcement personnel. The event was judged a success in large part due to the collaboration of the three enforcement agencies. [Sergeant Paul Brooks, Public Information Officer]
Early on the morning of September 16th, A.A. walked into Building 197 in the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast Washington and began shooting people. Within seven minutes of the first shots being fired, Metropolitan PD and Park Police officers assembled into active shooter teams and went into the building to stop the shooting spree. By that time, Eagle 1, the Park Police helicopter, piloted by Sergeant Ken Burchell, was already flying over the Navy Yard. Also onboard were rescue technician/paramedics Sergeant David Tolson and Officer Michael Abate and an MPD canine officer. An active shooter team made up of MPD and USPP officers located A.A. and engaged him in a gun battle, eventually stopping him. Unfortunately, an MPD officer suffered serious gunshot wounds to his legs during the gun battle. He was transported to a local hospital and later was listed in good condition. Tragically, thirteen people were killed in the incident, twelve of them innocent victims who had just reported for work on a Monday morning. Another eight people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. During the incident, Eagle 1 transported a gunshot victim to the hospital and extracted three other people from the rooftop, inserted two USPP SWAT team members, and provided flyover watch and intelligence to the ground units. USPP Eagle 3 was also up in the air, piloted by Officer Jonathon Lindley with Sergeant Timothy Ryan as rescue technician/paramedic onboard. Eagle 3 also provided flyover watch and intelligence to ground units. The USPP command staff immediately established a command center for the Navy Yard incident at USPP Headquarters. Many other law enforcement agencies also responded to the incident, providing support and assistance. The response was truly a collaborative effort, showing the agencies at their best during the worst possible scenario. [Sergeant Paul Brooks, Public Information Officer]
In early 2007, a 62-year-old California man visited several archaeological sites on public lands in northern California to search for Native American artifacts. In one rock shelter that he entered, he excavated and removed Native American human remains that had been previously looted from the same rock shelter in 1970 and repatriated by the Pit River Tribe in 2005. Upon discovering the human remains, the man contacted the local sheriff's department, which in turn contacted the local land manager. In December of 2012, the man was charged with two misdemeanor counts of attempting to excavate and remove archaeological resources from public lands. He pled guilty to both counts this past July, and was sentenced earlier this week to six months' probation, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, and required to pay $3,500 in restitution and $50 in court fees. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service's Investigative Services Branch and prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office in Sacramento, California. [Investigative Services Branch]
On October 25th, J.B., 52, of Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release for assaulting, resisting, opposing, and impeding officers of the United States Park Police during their attempts to lawfully arrest him and for disorderly conduct in a federal park. On March 11th, J.B. was found guilty of the above charges after a two-day jury trial. According to court documents, on the afternoon of January 12, 2012, Park Police officers observed J.B. naked and engaging in a public sexual act in the front seat of a vehicle parked at Daingerfield Island near the Washington Sailing Marina. Daingerfield Island is an area of federal parklands adjoining the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Mount Vernon Trail. The officers approached J.B., who was still in his vehicle, to arrest him for disorderly conduct. After being informed of the officers' identities, however, J.B. refused to exit his vehicle peacefully and assaulted one officer by kicking him in the stomach and violently resisted the other officers as they tried to remove him from the vehicle. Even after J.B. was out of the vehicle, he attempted to run away, dragging two officers for several yards until they brought him to the ground behind his vehicle. [United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia]
On the afternoon of Sunday, February 23rd, the United States Park Police Aviation Section received a mutual aid request from the Prince William County Fire and Rescue Department, which sought assistance from a Park Police helicopter with an ice rescue at Lake Manassas in Gainesville, Virginia. US Park Police Eagle 2 responded with a crew of four - Sgt. Kevin Chittick, pilot; Officer Ryan Evasick, co-pilot; and Sgt. David Tolson and Officer Michael Abate, rescue technicians. Eagle 2 arrived on the scene at about 3:45 pm and was asked to assist by hoisting an elderly man who had been stranded on Lake Manassas after his canoe became flooded with ice cold water. Prince William County Fire personnel had entered the water in ice rescue suits to attempt the rescue, but their efforts were hampered by unstable ice and dangerous conditions. Chittick positioned Eagle 2 for the hoist and Tolson was lowered about 20 feet to the man, who was attached to a rescue strap and then hoisted aboard the helicopter. Chittick then flew it to the nearby shoreline, where the man was lowered to the ground. Paramedics transferred the man to a waiting ambulance and began basic and advanced life support treatment for severe hypothermia. Eagle 2 then returned to the scene. Evasick was lowered to the canoe, where he located two dogs. He was able to rescue both animals and subsequently bring them to shore. [Lt. Simeon Klebaner, Commander, USPP Aviation]
With Canada experiencing an intense 2015 summer fire season, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) requested international assistance through federal agreements from the United States to assist with fire suppression operations. Five wildland fire suppression crews and 30 fireline management personnel were mobilized this past weekend through the National Interagency Coordination Center in Boise, Idaho. The Alpine Interagency Hotshot Crew, stationed in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, was one of the five crews sent to fight fires in Edmonton, Alberta and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. "It's great to be in a position to support Canada; they have provided resources to the United States on numerous occasions. By sending the NPS crew and other resources, we hope that the assistance will help the Canadians get a handle on what has been a very challenging season so far," stated Acting Wildland Fire Branch Chief, Mark Koontz. As of yesterday, Alberta and Saskatchewan had experienced over 2000 fires that have burned nearly 4,000,000 acres. [Submitted by Tina Boehle, tina_boehle@nps.gov, 208.387.5875]
On the evening of July 16th, Montgomery County Fire contacted Park Police Aviation and asked for a medevac of an injured 19-year-old man from a spot along the Potomac River. EMS personnel had categorized him as a Category A due to a possible spine injury incurred in a ten-foot fall. Eagle One Pilot Ryan Evasick was able to lift off and land at the expedient landing zone, a gravel bar in the river, prior to the arrival of a rescue boat. The injured man was quickly loaded onto the helicopter and flown to Suburban Hospital for care. [Sergeant Lelani Woods, Public Information Officer]
Hurricane Irma's long path from the Leeward Islands to the interior Southeast carried it over numerous parks. Reports are still coming in, but some early submissions are now available (below). The National Park Service's Eastern Incident Management Team has mobilized in Atlanta to begin coordination of recovery operations in the affected South Florida and Caribbean parks. The team's focus is on ensuring the safety of employees at impacted parks, organizing for the work ahead, and bringing in additional staff resources to conduct damage assessments, coordinate debris removal, and provide access to park areas. An operational branch has been established specifically for the Caribbean parks, and personnel to provide peer support for employees and damage assessments are en route. The IMT's advance team headed to South Florida on Monday afternoon; the remainder of the team will tentatively follow on Wednesday. The NPS is also coordinating closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the federal response to Irma. Here's what we currently know, sorted by area: Florida Parks All non-essential NPS employees in Dry Tortugas, Everglades, and Biscayne National Parks were released before the storm, and all parks on the Florida peninsula are closed to visitors. The Eastern Incident Management Team will establish operations in South Florida on Wednesday to begin information systems, peer support, damage assessments, and recovery operations. Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
Hurricane Irma's long path from the Leeward Islands to the interior Southeast carried it over numerous parks. Reports are still coming in, but some early submissions are now available (below). The National Park Service's Eastern Incident Management Team has mobilized in Atlanta to begin coordination of recovery operations in the affected South Florida and Caribbean parks. The team's focus is on ensuring the safety of employees at impacted parks, organizing for the work ahead, and bringing in additional staff resources to conduct damage assessments, coordinate debris removal, and provide access to park areas. An operational branch has been established specifically for the Caribbean parks, and personnel to provide peer support for employees and damage assessments are en route. The IMT's advance team headed to South Florida on Monday afternoon; the remainder of the team will tentatively follow on Wednesday. The NPS is also coordinating closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the federal response to Irma. Here's what we currently know, sorted by area: Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee Parks Most parks across the five states were partially or wholly closed during the hurricane's passage. In all cases, see individual park web pages — particularly the section with alerts — for particulars on the exact status of facilities. Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
The National Park Service has been providing assistance to the staffs of a number of national park units in Texas and Louisiana and is continuing to support other Department of the Interior bureaus. The Service is also supporting FEMA on a number of mission assignments in Texas. The current commitment includes rangers and other personnel from 43 NPS areas. See individual park web pages — particularly the section with alerts — for particulars on the exact status of facilities. Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
Two regional office employees rescued a man who jumped off the nearby Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which crosses the Missouri River. One of them was looking out his office window when the incident occurred. "I saw a splash in the water and I got up and I saw there was a man in the water," said NPS biologist Chris Holbeck. "I ran downstairs, we have a rescue ring by the back door, and I grabbed it and I started running down the sidewalk trying to catch up with the guy. He was just floating and I tried to make contact with the guy. I yelled out to him, said to swim to shore, keep his head up, don't go under." Coworker Bruce Swanson soon joined Holbeck in the rescue effort. "I started yelling at him to swim at an angle out of the river," said Swanson, "and I think at one point when he went under you could see that he was struggling with his hands, and he came back up and I don't know if that was the point that he decided he wanted to make it to shore because before then there was no effort to move." The two men ran along the shore, trying to keep up with the floating man, but the river was winning. "I was not able to run as fast as the current, so I was losing the guy and I was afraid he was going to go under," said Holbeck. They lost sight of the man for a bit, but soon found him among some trees and helped get him from the water to a rescue squad. Holbeck said this isn't the first time he's tried to help someone who had jumped into the river. "It usually doesn't work out this well," he said. "I'm very happy with the outcome." Source: WOWT News.
As of this writing (late Tuesday), the partial federal government shutdown, now 19 days old, remains in effect and is within three days of eclipsing the previous record length for such a closure (see the note at the end of the story for more info). Its impacts on National Park Service operations to date have been extensive, various and often substantial. Below are a few of the many, many articles that have appeared in the media on the effects that the shutdown has had on the parks. Since several report on more than one park, they're listed by source rather than by area, with park names highlighted. Efforts have been made to avoid duplication insofar as is possible; a second reference to an area usually indicates more information about the park. Several fatalities have also occurred in the parks since the closure began. Although many articles are linking these to understaffing, there's no evident direct correlation. They are therefore being treated separately following this summary:
USA Today — The newspaper ran a similar overview on January 3rd that quotes Coalition chair Phil Francis on the situation. "Visitors are still coming, and that need is still there," he says regarding the need to have parks managed by furloughed staff. "People who are called non-essential still provide essential services. When you have a rescue in the backcountry, it's not just the rangers who are working." Along with other parks cited in this summary, the article talks about the many organizations working to keep parks open — Friend of Vicksburg National Military Park donating funds for essential services at the Vicksburg NMP; New York state providing funds to operate Statue of Liberty NM; Concessioner Guest Services, Inc. providing portable toilets at several locations around the National Mall in Washington; Florida National Parks Association funding Big Cypress NP, Biscayne NP, Dry Tortugas NP and Everglades NP; and others. Phil gets the last word in the story — he calls on the administration to close all parks because of reports of "damage to our irreplaceable resources...," adding that "President Trump took responsibility for creating this mess and it will be National Park Service employees cleaning it up when they get back to work." Source: USA Today. National Public Radio — Local businesses are pitching in to pay staff at Yellowstone NP to keep parts of the park open during the shutdown: "[Private] businesses that operate inside the park are picking up the tab — about $7,500 dollars a day — to groom Yellowstone's 300-plus miles of snow-covered roads and to keep one paved road open to cars. Xanterra Parks and Resorts, which runs the only hotels operating inside the park in winter, is paying most of that — paying park service employees to perform the same grooming duties they due under normal circumstances. Xanterra asked the 13 guide services that operate in the park to chip in to help pay, and all of them did. It adds up to about 300 bucks a day for each of the guide services." Source: National Public Radio. A closing note: It may interest you to know that this is the sixth significant government shutdown since 1990, with "significant" defined as a shutdown that leads to actual employee furloughs. Here a list of them in chronological order:
As of today, the government has been shut down for 26 days, a new record for shutdowns. The huge sign that appeared recently on the side of the federal building in San Francisco about sums up the perspective of federal workers regarding this ongoing fiasco — "Sorry, We're Shut Down. Tantrum In Progress." Here's a summary of media stories about its impacts on the national parks that have appeared over the past week, grouped under four headings. The Shutdown — Articles pertaining to the shutdown as it has affected employees, federal agencies, and the NPS in particular: Employee Hardships — "As hundreds of thousands of federal workers brace for their first missed paychecks of the government shutdown this week, some have become immersed in the frantic financial calculus of choosing what they can live without," reports the Washington Post. "In the United States, living paycheck to paycheck is disturbingly common, regardless of profession or location. A recent report from the Federal Reserve revealed how little cushion most Americans have in their budgets: Four in 10 adults [polled in 2017 said] they couldn't produce $400 in an emergency without sliding into debt or selling something..." So many — including an NPS employee at Acadia, referenced in the article — have begun selling personal possessions on EBay or Facebook to raise money. Source: Taylor Telford, Washington Post. Rules On Employees Soliciting Donations — The Federal News Network has an article about unpaid employees launching GoFundMe campaigns and the "minefield" of ethical questions that they raise: "As the government approaches 18 days and counting, dozens of people describing themselves as federal employees are soliciting donations on GoFundMe pages to ease the financial uncertainty ahead of likely missed paychecks. But absent specific guidance from the Office of Government Ethics on this matter, federal employees walk a tricky line in accepting furlough donations and complying with existing ethics rules." The article details the issues. Source: Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network. Mandatory Work Without Pay — The Atlantic has an article on why federal workers have to show up even if they're not being paid — namely, because the law prohibits public employees from striking, forcing them into what one union leader called "involuntary servitude" during the government shutdown. Since the enactment of the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947, federal employees have been legally prohibited from striking. Source: Russell Berman, The Atlantic. Worst Shutdown Yet For Feds — The PBS News Hour has posted a story providing five reasons why this shutdown is worse for federal workers than its predecessors. Many workers and contractors were interviewed and the article includes quotes from several of them. Source: Lisa Desjardins and Matt Loffman, PBS News Hour. Lost NPS Revenues — NPCA estimates that the NPS is losing $400,000 per day from entrance fee revenues systemwide. NPCA also estimates that on an average day in January, 425,000 park visitors spend $20 million in nearby communities throughout the United States. Other economic impacts include the cost of lost labor, postponed maintenance leading to further and more costly damage, and the cost of cleanup after the shutdown. Source: Alex Johnson, Daily News-Miner. Summoned Back To Work — FWS has directed 38 wildlife refuges to order their staffers to return to work to ensure that hunters and others have access to the areas despite the partial government shutdown. The agency says it'll use "previously appropriated funds" to cover the payroll for 244 employees "so they can return to the refuges in order to oversee scheduled hunts, continue backlogged maintenance projects and prepare for the fire season." Source: Mary Papenfuss, Huffington Post. Federal Friends — Articles on citizens doing what they can to lend a hand to the parks and their employees: Lending A Hand — Marcus Lemonis, a self-made billionaire, philanthropist and host of the CNBC reality series "The Profit," is rallying his employees and others to help cash-strapped NPS employees. Lemonis, who is the owner of Camping World, the nation's largest retailer of RVs and RV accessories, has begun a campaign to not only offer part-time work at his hundreds of dealerships and retail stores to furloughed park employees, but to also provide a considerable force of volunteers to help clean up parks in need. Source: Michael d'Estries, Mother Nature Network. Weighing In — On the morning of January 11th, a full-page ad appeared in the Washington Post that consisted solely of an observation and an injunction. In large type it said "Make America's Parks Open Again." Under it was a quote from Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle: "Walls shouldn't block access to parks, and federal workers shouldn't be left out in the cold. Work together to open our parks." An article in Esquire provides background. Source: Christine Flammia, Esquire. Charging For Cleanup — It doesn't pertain to the NPS, but it's in keeping with the above. Dan Little, husband of Oregon's governor, came upon trash-filled bathrooms while visiting Sno Park in Mount Hood NF, so he cleaned them up. He then invoiced the president for $28 for his services. Source: Kristine Lofgren, The Inquisitr. NPS And DOI — Information how these two agencies are dealing with the shutdown: NPS Shutdown Contingency Plan — The Service put out its shutdown plan as a PDF document earlier this month. The full text can be found at the source link at the end of this entry, but here's a key introductory paragraph: "Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to suspend all activities and secure national park facilities that operate using appropriations that are now lapsed, except for those that are essential to respond to emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property. Parks must notify visitors that the NPS will cease providing visitor services, including restrooms, trash collection, facilities and roads maintenance (including plowing), campground reservation and check-in/check-out services, backcountry and other permits, and public information. National and regional offices and support centers will be closed and secured, except where they are needed to support excepted personnel. These steps will be diligently carried out while still ensuring visitor and employee safety as well as the integrity of park resources." Source: National Park Service. DOI Shutdown Guidance — The Department has a webpage entitled "Operations in the Absence of Appropriations: Guidance for Interior Employees During a Partial Government Shutdown." Here are the headings: OPM Furlough Guidance; IBC Furlough Guidance; Employee Express (including Leave & Earnings Statements and 2018 W-2s); Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Services; TSP Furlough Guidance; Ethics Guidance (e.g., outside employment); and Leave Restoration. It also has links to all DOI's agency contingency plans. Source: Department of the Interior. NPS 'Muzzles' Superintendents — "Faced with growing public outrage over the condition of parks across the country," reports E&E News, "the National Park Service has decided to muzzle its superintendents and other employees, at least during the partial government shutdown..." Superintendents are required to defer requests for interviews or comments to WASO; WASO's reply to such requests is no dice. When E&E News sought an interview last week with acting NPS Director P. Daniel Smith, WASO replied that the agency was "not able to accommodate interview requests during the lapse in appropriations." Source: Rob Hotakainen, E&E News.
As of today, the government has been shut down for 26 days, a new record for shutdowns. The huge sign that appeared recently on the side of the federal building in San Francisco about sums up the perspective of federal workers regarding this ongoing fiasco — "Sorry, We're Shut Down. Tantrum In Progress." Here's a summary of media stories about its impacts on the national parks that have appeared over the past week, grouped under four headings. Washington (DC) Parks — The NPS has announced that it's resuming maintenance services in Washington-area parks, including the National Mall, George Washington Memorial Parkway and Rock Creek Park. It will also reopen several bathrooms at sites around the Mall. The Service has not collected trash, worked on roads, or attended to sanitation services since the shutdown began. The money is coming from fee revenues "from national parks across the country." Source: Mikaela Lefrak, WAMU News.
The shutdown continues and the National Park Service continues to be its poster child. Some of the myriad reports on the agency and its employees that have come out over the past week follow. The Shutdown — Articles pertaining to the shutdown as it has affected employees, federal agencies, and the NPS in particular: Second Furlough Notice, Second Missed Check — The shutdown has now dragged past the 30-day mark. "That means the furlough notices most federal workers currently sent home without pay received on Dec. 21 will expire," reports Government Executive. "Due to a quirk in federal statute, furlough notices can only last for a month. Most of the 300,000 employees still furloughed received a message at the start of the shutdown that read: 'This furlough is not expected to exceed 30 days. Therefore, it expires on Jan. 21.' According to guidance from the Office of Personnel Management, agencies should treat a shutdown passing the 30-day mark as resetting the clock. 'When the shutdown furlough goes beyond 30 days, agencies should treat it as a second shutdown furlough and issue another adverse action or furlough notice,' OPM said, which also clarified that reductions in force would not take place as part of any shutdown." Source: Eric Katz, Government Executive. Bill Would Offer No Interest Loans To Feds — "A bill introduced by newly-elected Rep. TJ Cox, D-Calif... would offer employees at shuttered agencies a no-interest loan of up to $6,000 to help pay mortgages and cover bills for other necessities," says Government Executive. "A credit check would not be necessary in order to qualify, and the amount of the loan would be automatically deducted from the recipient's paycheck once government reopens." The article also notes that excepted employees working during the shutdown have always been guaranteed compensation once the appropriations lapse is resolved, and a bill the president signed last week extends that guarantee to furloughed employees as well. The bill had 70 Democratic co-sponsors as of last Thursday. Source: Amelia Gruber, Government Executive. 'Jerks' Invade Parks — Yahoo! News ran a story on January 17th with this arresting headline: "America's most stunning jerks are flocking to your national parks. Who are they?" The lead sentence reads as follows: "Like an unlocked museum, national parks have been left largely defenseless during the most recent government shutdown, allowing scoundrels and cheats to tramp over unstaffed lands." Along with some pithy characterizations of such people, the article examines possible causes, including "a kind of radical antigovernment individualism" and a feeling that some adults have that they "enjoy special advantages in social relations out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that immunizes [them] against the complaints of other people." Source: Mark Kaufman, Yahoo! News. Keeping Parks Open Violates The Law — "In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act calling for national parks to remain 'unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations,' reports Business Insider. "More than a century later, environmentalists are accusing the Trump administration of violating that act by allowing parks to remain open during the government shutdown... During prior government shutdowns, administrations have suspended all operations at parks, including visitor access. In an unorthodox move, the Trump administration has opted to leave gates open to the public. The NPCA [has] called the decision 'reckless' and 'illegal,' arguing that it violates at least four separate provisions of federal law...While most parks have managed to avoid shutting down entirely, many have closed their campgrounds due to health and safety concerns. Both the NPCA and park rangers agree that the solution would be to close the parks for the remainder of the shutdown." The article closes with this comment from a representative of NPCA: "It's gotten to the point where businesses and people and communities surrounding parks are now urging that parks be closed. They understand that our parks are not just for short-term gain. They are for long-term preservation and the enjoyment of the American people." Source: Aria Bendix, Business Insider. Long-Lasting Impacts To Desert Parks — Although many parks have seen abuses to public lands, including off-road driving and illegal camping, reports Popular Science, "some of the longest-lasting impacts of unregulated trampling, driving, and camping might be the least obvious...Desert ecosystems are slow-growing, starved of nutrients and water. Trampled desert plants take much longer to recover than forest vegetation. Desert soil may look sandy, dry, and uninhabitable—a lifeless rock dust. But a large part of it is covered by a living layer, called a biological soil crust, made up of some combination of cyanobacteria, fungi, algae, and mosses." Recovery could take "from tens of years to hundreds of years." Source: Ula Chrobak, Popular Science. NPS Friends and Neighbors — Articles on citizens doing what they can to lend a hand to the parks and their employees: California Chips In — On January 18th, National Public Radio ran a piece on California defying the federal government and offering unemployment benefits to furloughed federal workers: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Trump administration has told states they can't offer unemployment benefits to federal employees who are required to report to work without pay during the government shutdown. Newsom called a letter sent to states by the U.S. Department of Labor 'jaw-dropping and extraordinary' as he met with TSA workers at the Sacramento International Airport Thursday afternoon. 'So, the good news is, we're going to do it, and shame on them.' The governor explained that California will offer the workers unemployment coverage, despite the federal government telling the state it can't do so for workers still on the job. Newsom says he believes California is on strong legal footing." Source: Ben Adler and Nadine Sebai, National Public Radio. Nonprofit Supports Employees — No doubt you've frequently seen footage of piles of food and/or clothing and other supplies being gathered for victims of disasters. You can now add the NPS to the list. The Charlottesville-based Shenandoah National Park Trust is collecting packaged snack foods for park employees who are working without pay during the shutdown; local citizens are being invited to contribute items. Members of the trust have been working overtime to support the park and its employees, and the nonprofit is also raising emergency funds to keep bathrooms operational at two of the park's most popular areas. Source: Hailey Wilt, WVIR News. LL Bean Steps In — The company is looking at providing financial support to national parks for recovery from the shutdown. The Freeport outdoor gear retailer announced Wednesday that it gave away $4 million last year in charitable donations, including $2.8 million through its new Outdoor Access Fund. Major beneficiaries include the National Park Foundation and the Trust for Public Land, both of which support public access to the outdoors. Bean said it has contacted NPF about directing some of its pledged amount for 2019 toward a park restoration fund. The expectation, said the company, is that the need for park restoration work will grow this year because of the government shutdown. Some parks have reported damage during the shutdown because park workers are not on the job to oversee use by the public. Source: Edward Murphy, Portland Press-Herald. PayPal Joins Other Groups In Supporting Employees — On January 18th, USA Today carried an opinion piece from the president and CEO of PayPal on what his organization — and other business organizations — are doing to help federal employees: "The PayPal community is proud to stand alongside AT&T, Kraft, Hyundai and many other companies to offer assistance to our federal government workers who contribute so much to our public sector. Starting immediately, PayPal is offering an interest-free cash advance up to $500, the equivalent of one week's take home [the nationwide average for all federal workers], for any existing or new PayPal Credit customers who are federal employees and are struggling to make ends meet. We are committing to fund up to $25 million of interest-free cash advances to help federal government employees pay for food, gas and other everyday necessities. We hope that this program can provide some relief and certainty in uncertain times." Source: Dan Schulman, USA Today. NPS And DOI — Information on how these two agencies are dealing with the shutdown: DOI Issues Ethics Guidance — The Department of the Interior has posted guidance on one of its web pages entitled "Ethics Considerations, Including Outside Employment, During a Furlough." Furloughed employees are reminded that they still have to follow all applicable ethics laws and regulations, including the Standards of Ethical Conduct, the criminal conflicts of interest statutes, and the Hatch Act. "In particular, employees are reminded that the provisions regarding outside employment and activities continue to apply. Outside work or activities are generally permitted unless they are prohibited by statute or regulation, or would conflict with the employees official duties. A DOI-wide regulation requires all employees to obtain written approval from an Ethics Official prior to working for or seeking employment with a 'prohibited source' (i.e., any non-Federal person or entity who is seeking official action from DOI; does or seeks to do business with DOI; or conducts activities regulated by DOI)." The guidance instructs employees to contact either the DOI ethics office or their agency's ethics office for further information, but also advises that there likely won't be anyone there as ethics officials are not excepted employees so are also on furlough. As the person said who sent this along to the newsletter, "you can't make this stuff up." Source: Department of the Interior. Acting DOI Secretary Offers Empathy — National Parks Traveler has obtained a copy of a memo from Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to all DOI employees regarding the shutdown. Bernhardt, "who makes an annual salary of almost $190,000, says he can empathize with the tens of thousands of Interior Department employees who are not being paid during the ongoing partial government shutdown." See the article for the full text of his note. Source: Kurt Repanshek, National Park Traveler.
The shutdown officially ended late last week and we can now log its exact length in the record books, courtesy of the Washington Post — 34 day, 21 hours and 18 minutes. The recovery may well take longer in some parks. Since it has now ended, this weekly summary of articles on the shutdown is limited to just a few stories, mostly critiques or reports on collateral impacts: Federal Employees React To End Of Shutdown — On January 25th, the day the shutdown ended, the New York Times ran a story entitled "'Our Country Is Being Run by Children': Shutdown's End Brings Relief and Frustration." The paper's reporters talked with a dozen federal employees about how they had survived the shutdown and the uncertainties they now face. They include a Coast Guardsman ("The faith in our leadership to be able to negotiate with each other has been broken...I certainly question the hostage-taking of government employees' paychecks"); a wildland firefighter ("Our country is being run by children"); and an IRS worker (the president and Congress "are so out of touch with the American people that it's unacceptable"). Source: Jack Healy, Kate Taylor and Tara Siegel Bernard, New York Times. Concerns About Long-Term Impacts On Employees — "Much attention has rightly been paid on the immediate financial toll the shutdown has had on individual government workers," reports the Washington Post, "as well as the questions it's raising about the long-term promise of government employment. But as federal workers return to work, a vast army of federal managers will suddenly be tasked with supervising people who've been furloughed for weeks...[They] will face the monumental task of helping people wade through an overwhelming backlog of work, perform without being overly distracted by questions about their futures, and grapple with the sudden uncertainty of once-stable jobs." The article also cites a number of professionals concerning the long-term impacts of shutdowns on employees. Source: Jena McGregor, Washington Post. Unpaid Feds Called Back To Pay Contractors — Although the shutdown is over, we'd be remiss in not including this gem, written just before it ended on Friday. "In a policy reversal sure to sting suffering federal employees, the Trump administration is calling some furloughed feds back to work with no pay so agencies can pay federal contractors," reported the Washington Post. Although OMB said this was permissible under their guidelines, particularly as the feds would get paid later, it in fact reversed a policy implemented a year ago in which OMB told agencies that the need to make payments on a timely basis didn't by itself qualify as a reason for doing so during a shutdown. In fact, it's likely illegal, according to Sam Berger, a senior official who provided government-wide guidance during the 2013 shutdown: "This new guidance is directing government officials to break the law. Payments can only go out the door during a shutdown in the rarest of circumstances: when they're necessary to protect life or property, to preserve the president's constitutional functions, or because not doing so immediately would significantly damage a funded program. Otherwise, payments have to wait until the shutdown ends and agencies have the authority and funding to pay the federal workers they're asking to do the job." Source: Joe Davidson, Washington Post. Significant Economic Impacts — The National Park Service lost an estimated $400,000 per day in entrance fees during the shutdown. Since the shutdown lasted about 35 days, that works out to an estimated $14 million in entrance fees alone. But, says John Garder, NPCA's senior director for budget and appropriation, the total economic impact is likely to exceed that number. "We fear that the costs to the park service will be worse than initially expected due to the administration's decision to rob fee accounts to prolong its damaging effort to keep parks partially open. There will be other costs to the already underfunded park service, including cleanup and condition assessments after the shutdown, the loss of labor and backlogged work during the shutdown, and challenges involving preparing for the busy season." Source: Kyla Mandel, Think Progress. Feds Silent On Shutdown Due To Reprisal Fear — Reporter Wes Siler opens his article on the shutdown in the January 23rd edition of Outside (two days before it ended) with this question: ""The most surprising emotion I've encountered while reporting on the partial government shutdown?" His answer: "Fear." Siler says that this is totally atypical; that federal workers normally are quite willing and prompt in providing him with sought after information. The reason, of course, is that the administration can be quick with reprisals against anyone who says anything that deviates even mildly from its positions — or against anyone who tells the truth. Siler quotes a fellow reporter's observation regarding the seriousness of this change: "When a culture of fear and reluctance to engage with the public has reached such a level that even frontline firefighters and park rangers doing taxpayer-funded work are afraid to engage with the public that they serve, then we have real problems." Source: Wes Siler, Outside. LWCF Legislation On Hold — The January 24th Washington Post has a story on the holdup of bipartisan Land and Water Conservation Fund renewal legislation as an example of a side effect of the shutdown — and of the general operations of Congress: "[Despite] its popularity, the fund...is right where so much other legislation is: in shutdown purgatory... But what happened to the Land and Water Conservation Fund is a reminder that the shutdown has also effectively halted one of the most important duties of the government: the passage of laws. The political dysfunction in Washington has reached the point where Congress might struggle to pass a resolution endorsing apple pie. (Imagine the outrage from the powerful Cherry Pie Lobby.)" Meanwhile, the lag in authorization for LWCF has held up land deals currently being negotiated due to lack of funding. "Normally, the Treasury diverts oil and gas fees into the fund, but that hasn't been happening since Oct. 1, according to the fund's supporters. They're fuzzy on whether that lost funding will ever be replaced. They fear the money is lost forever." Source: Joel Achenbach, Washington Post. Reports on impacts to the parks themselves appear in the "Around The Parks" section further on in the issue along with other news.
J.B., regional aviation manager, and E.B., regional safety manager, were killed in an off-duty airplane crash in Whitehorse, Canada, on Monday, May 27th. According to the coroner's press release, E.B. and J.B. had bought the plane, a 1952 Cessna 170B, in Minnesota on May 25th, intending to fly it back to Palmer. They arrived in Whitehorse from Watson Lake in the afternoon, then took off again for Anchorage about an hour later. Moments later, the plane went down, crashing into a forest about 600 meters away from the end of the runway. A column of smoke was seen rising from the area and emergency personnel from Whitehorse Fire Department, the Whitehorse RCMP and airport firefighters responded immediately. J.B. had a distinguished 23-year career as a sergeant, lieutenant and captain in the Alaska State Troopers, where he served as a commercial pilot, aircraft and vessel section supervisor, use of force instructor, accident reconstructionist, undercover investigator, internal investigator, tactical dive master, firearms instructor and certified flight instructor. After retiring from the Alaska State Troopers and before coming to work with the National Park Service, Jeff flew for seven years as a pilot for K-2 Aviation. He enjoyed flying guests around Mt. Denali and sharing with them his favorite parts of Alaska. E.B. served for 25 years in both the U.S. Air Force and Army on a variety of assignments. He served as a UH-60 Army aviator, platoon leader, company executive officer, brigade aviation element leader, and aviation maintenance company commander. E.B.'s last active duty assignment was as battalion executive officer for the general support aviation battalion of the 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, New York. He joined the National Park Service after retiring from the Army. Both men were long-time Alaska residents and well known throughout the state. Services for J.B. were held on June 1st; private services are pending for E.B. "J.B. and E.B. were two of our very best and the National Park Service and Alaska Region have suffered a terrible loss," said Bert Frost, Alaska's regional director. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of J.B. and E.B. We are heartbroken." Sources: Peter Christian, Alaska Regional Office, and Jackie Hong, Yukon News
Forecasters continue to predict that Hurricane Dorian will closely follow the coastline from Florida to North Carolina before it moves out into the open ocean. Watches and warnings have been issued for portions of the Florida coast and evacuation orders are in place for coastal areas in the Southeast. National parks from Big Cypress to Cape Hatteras are preparing for potential impacts and implementing storm plans. The parks below have closed or will soon close in preparation for the storm: No reports of damage have been received from parks in the Caribbean. Source: National Park Service.
Stories pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic constitute pretty much the only news coming from parks and central offices. A brief overview follows, beginning with the Washington Office. On Tuesday, March 17th, the Washington Office posted a news release entitled "National Park Service is Modifying Operations to Implement Latest Health Guidance." Excerpts follow: "The National Park Service is taking extraordinary steps to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and local and state authorities to promote social distancing. The NPS is modifying operations until further notice for facilities and programs that cannot adhere to this guidance. Where it is possible to adhere to this guidance, outdoor spaces will remain open to the public. "'The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners is the priority of the National Park Service,' Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said. 'Park superintendents are empowered to modify their operations, including closing facilities and cancelling programs, to address the spread of the coronavirus...' "Updates about the NPS response to the coronavirus will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations." The above was followed the next day (March 18th) by a news release entitled "National Park Service to Temporarily Suspend Park Entrance Fees." Excerpts follow: " After careful consideration, Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt directed the National Park Service (NPS) to temporarily suspend the collection of all park entrance fees until further notice. "'I've directed the National Park Service to waive entrance fees at parks that remain open. This small step makes it a little easier for the American public to enjoy the outdoors in our incredible National Parks,' said Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. "Other states and municipalities have implemented similar policies waiving fees to parks in an effort to support social distancing. "'Our vast public lands that are overseen by the Department offer special outdoor experiences to recreate, embrace nature and implement some social distancing.' Secretary Bernhardt continued. "At a majority of park locations where it is currently possible to adhere to public health guidance, outdoor spaces remain open to the public, while many facilities will be closed." If you're interested in actions being taken by specific parks, you can dial up the site you're interested in at an NPS website entitled "Active Alerts In Parks." It lists all park alerts, including closures, and is searchable by state, park name or type of alert. A list follows of notable articles about the closures, mostly focusing on the ambiguity of WASO directions and the propriety of keeping parks open: "National Parks Are Staying Open During the Pandemic. Is That Safe?," Aaron Mak, Slate.com. "After shutting some national park sites over coronavirus, Trump administration waived entrance fees at many others," Darryl Fears, Washington Post. "The danger of self-isolating from COVID-19 on public lands," Jessica Kutz, High Country News. "National Park Concessionaires Seeking Federal Help In Dealing With Tourism Falloff," Kurt Repanshek, National Parks Traveler. "Interior pushing parks," Mike Koshmrl, Jackson Hole Daily. "National Parks See More Visitors, Worrying Health Officials and Park Staff," Jordan Davidson, EcoWatch.com. "US national parks cause public health concern as visitors flood in," Annette McGivney, The Guardian. "Jam-packed parks prompt officials to cut back on access to keep people apart," Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle. "Does Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Not Understand Coronavirus Threat?," Todd Wilkinson, Mountain Journal. Please see the fire section below for a couple of articles that address the potential impacts of CV on wildland firefighting.
The coronavirus response remains the primary — and just about only — story being reported by media covering the national parks. Here are short excerpts from and links to some of them: CV Guidelines for Parks — "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue new guidelines aimed at preventing parks from becoming viral hotspots as the novel coronavirus continues to spread and Americans seek time outside as a break from staying at home. The National Park Service, as well as state and local recreation departments, have closed some parks or areas of parks to protect visitors and staff from coming in close contact with one another -- but in many national parks, outdoor spaces have remained open." Source: Stephanie Ebbs, ABC News. Appeals Grow to Close Parks — "The Trump administration is sticking with its crowd-friendly waiver of entrance fees at national parks during the coronavirus pandemic, as managers at some parks try and fail to keep visitors a safe distance apart and communities appeal for a shutdown at other parks that are still open. While the Interior Department agreed this week to requests from local managers of Yellowstone and some other iconic national parks to close, others remained open and newly free of charge. In Arizona, local governments and the Navajo Nation were waiting for an answer Thursday on their request earlier this week for federal officials to shut down Grand Canyon National Park as cases of the coronavirus grow in surrounding areas." Source: Associated Press via USA Today. Senator Pushes For Closure Of All NPS Parks In California — "U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior and National Park Service Thursday pushing for the closure of all 28 California national park units for the remainder of the COVID-19 state of emergency." Source: Andy Krauss, KRCR News. Opposition To Keeping Parks Open And Waiving Fees — "The Trump administration is urging Americans to head to national parks as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. Many people are heading outdoors to seek a reprieve from being cooped up at home. But in Colorado and elsewhere, some fear that the sudden influx of visitors to national parks could put those parks and the public's health at risk." The article goes on to detail the broad opposition to these measures. Source: Allison Winter, Colorado Independent. Virtual Tours Of Five Parks — "Google Arts & Culture has teamed up with five national parks in the U.S. so people can enjoy the beauty of the natural world while sitting safely on their couch. These parks feature different climates and environments from across the country, including famous desert vistas and snowy terrains." The parks are Kenai Fjords, Hawaii Volcanoes, Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon and Dry Tortugas — the article provides links to each of them. Source: Andrea Romano, Travel and Leisure. See also the Coalition's response to the issue of allowing parks to remain open during the pandemic in the "Coalition Actions" section further on in this edition.
There are far too many closure and modified closure notices from the 400+ units of the National Park System to summarize here. You can, however, find specifics on the status of just about any park by going to the Service's "Active Alerts In Parks" webpage and using the search engine to find information on a particular site. We will continue to limit our reporting to a listing of articles of note on the NPS response: Calls For Closing All NPS Areas Increase — The Grand Junction Sentinel ran an article last week on the increasing pressure to close all parks. As of last Friday, according to NPCA, 123 NPS sites nationwide were closed, 144 had partial closures, and 20 were fully open. Phil Francis, the Coalition's chair, is cited, as are members Bruce Noble and Joan Anzelmo. Source: Christopher Tomlinson, Grand Junction Sentinel. "Shut Them Down" — The April 1st edition of Daily Beast has a story entitled "National Park Staff Revolts, Says Shut Them Down" that talks about employee resistance to keeping some NPS areas open. "As COVID-19 continues to take its toll in the U.S, fear of exposure is leading typically rank and file national park staffers to speak out in an unusual display of agency-wide pushback to the Trump administration's ongoing policy that is keeping a majority of the more than 400 national parks open during the pandemic. Concerns are that NPS and Interior Department leadership in Washington are not taking the public health threats of coronavirus seriously, and are unfairly putting employees, visitors and the surrounding local communities at risk by continuing to keep open parks." The article goes on to talk about DOI efforts "to wrangle in outspoken employees--those who have spoken to the media or posted their frustrations online." Source: Miranda Green, Daily Beast. Wildland Fire and CV — "As the wildland fire season draws near, federal and state officials are scrambling to modify their tactics in this new era of coronavirus concerns," writes Larry Mayer in the Billings Gazette. "For now, details on how they might accomplish this are still being discussed." The article enumerates issues and challenges. Dan Buckley, NPS fire director, is interviewed. Source: Larry Mayer, Billings Gazette. See also the Coalition's response to the issue of allowing parks to remain open during the pandemic in the "Coalition Actions" section further on in this edition.
The summary that follows focuses on articles of note on how the NPS is dealing with the pandemic, as there are far too many closure and modified closure notices from the 400+ units of the National Park System to list them here. You can, however, find specifics on the status of just about any park by going to the Service's "Active Alerts In Parks" webpage and using the search engine to find information on a particular site. Here's this week's compilation of media reports: DOI Putting Staffers, Public At Risk — On April 9th, Sierra, the national magazine of the Sierra Club, posted a story entitled "As National Parks Remain Open, Staffers Worry They Are at Risk." Author Adam Federman sums up the issue thusly: "The Interior Department's reluctance to close parks—especially those that draw large numbers of tourists—even as the pandemic is sweeping across the country is being criticized by current and former National Park Service staff who say that the inconsistent messaging and leadership's failure to take decisive action is putting staffers, the public, and rural communities at risk. Today, more than 200 national park sites remain open. In contrast, Canada closed all of its national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas on March 25." The article contains a link to an April 3rd memorandum in which the Service's epidemiology branch chief has advised DOI to restrict park access in communities where stay-at-home orders are in place and to discontinue dormitory-style housing for new employees and concessionaires. Failure to limit visitation to national parks, the memo warns, will increase the risk of negative outcomes for the federal workforce and the public. The article then lists some of the impacts that DOI's "dangerously uneven and contradictory" policies are having on the Service. Source: Adam Federman, Sierra. Reopening Parks — Despite the continuing high number of coronavirus cases, it's inevitable that the current pandemic will abate and that parks will reopen. But how to do that? "Overarching concerns for the health of staff, concession workers, and visitors are complicating the reopening of national park sites shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic," reports National Parks Traveler. "Business won't return to normal quickly or uniformly, with many parks confronting a unique set of issues they must resolve before they can welcome the public's return. Exactly when individual parks will reopen is unknown, with some units of the National Park System already saying they'll be closed into late June, and others saying they might try staggered openings before summer officially arrives." Then there's the matter of hiring and housing the summer work force. "Seasonal workforces, thousands of individuals strong, normally are getting their positions for the summer season finalized now. But bringing workers in from not just across the country but possibly from throughout the world and housing them in dormitory settings is a potentially deadly proposition, something the National Park Service's public health director has warned David Vela, the de facto Park Service director, about." One method for dealing with this is to bring on some seasonal workers in waves -- a process called 'onboarding' -- with the first expected to arrive sometime in May. Source: Kurt Repanshek, National Parks Traveler. DOI's Override Of NPS Operational Leadership Program — The Service's slow and inconsistent response to the pandemic is the subject of an article in Mashable: "The problem is, the National Park Service never had to become mired in this weeks-long, belabored controversy of how and when to close parks...That's because the Park Service has a system — which employees receive formal training in — that grants any worker, however far down in the ranger hierarchy, the ability to raise the danger flag and halt risky situations." That system is Operational Leadership, a program taught to employees Servicewide over recent years "that hammers home the idea that if a situation is too risky, any employee can slam on the brakes and ask for the risks to be mitigated, avoided, or stopped entirely." Despite receiving requests to close based on such analyses, DOI refused to permit superintendents to act on a demonstrable hazard to visitors — which Mashable points out represents a "top-down, out-of-touch, slow, bureaucratic system [that] is the polar opposite of the Operational Leadership strategy." Source: Mark Kaufman, Mashable. See also the Coalition's response to the issue of allowing parks to remain open during the pandemic in the "Coalition Actions" section further on in this edition.
The summary that follows focuses on articles of note on how the NPS is dealing with the pandemic, as there are far too many closure and modified closure notices from the 400+ units of the National Park System to list them here. You can, however, find specifics on the status of just about any park by going to the Service's "Active Alerts In Parks" webpage and using the search engine to find information on a particular site. See also the "Coalition Actions" section further on in this edition for information on CPANP's actions on coronavirus issues. President Announces Imminent Reopening Of Parks — National parks will be reopening soon after being closed for weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday," reported USA Today on April 23rd. In a comment made during an Earth Day ceremony at the White House, Trump had this to say: "Thanks to our significant progress against the invisible enemy, I'm pleased to announce that in line with my administration's guidelines for opening up America again, we will begin to reopen our national parks and public lands for the American people to enjoy. That's going to be very exciting; we have a lot of land to open up, too. People are going to be very happy." The president didn't discuss a timeline or plan for reopening the parks. It's also unclear what will happen to parks in states that have not relaxed their stay-at-home orders yet. Source: Nicquel Terry Ellis, USA Today. Secretary Writes Op-Ed On DOI CV Response — On April 17th, an editorial by Secretary Bernhardt appeared on the Fox News webpage. Relevant excerpts follow: "President Trump has led and coordinated an 'All-of-America' strategy to combat the coronavirus pandemic and slow the spread of the virus. The Department of the Interior, as the primary public lands manager in the United States, has accordingly done its part to protect the health and safety of the public and our employees. From the advent of this pandemic, the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and other bureaus have taken measures to try to maintain basic accessibility to our lands, while adhering to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local public health authorities. Our response to this public health crisis has been led by our incredible public health officials on staff and those of state and local jurisdictions....We have implemented our pandemic plan in conducting risk assessments of our public lands and facilities and relied on the guidance of public health officials in modifying or even closing access to some of our country's most iconic places, such as Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and the Washington Monument. Closure is a last but sometimes necessary resort to best protect the public during this pandemic. But by working in close coordination with public health experts and with the cooperation of the public in following social distancing, we have been able to keep most of our public lands open. Many national monuments, memorials, battlefields and other public lands remain generally accessible, as are a majority of Bureau of Land Management's 245 million acres and the Fish and Wildlife Service's 90 million acres, despite most facilities and amenities being closed. Based on the guidance of public health officials, we have made — and will continue to make — necessary changes to our operations that attempt to keep America's public lands accessible during this pandemic, allowing the public to have a place to be socially distant, together." Source: Fox News. Acting Director Addresses Next Phase Of Pandemic Response — Acting Director Dave Vela sent a message to all regional directors, associate and assistant directors and superintendents on April 25th concerning the "operating posture of the National Park Service as we transition to the next phase of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic." Key passages follow: "Based on current White House, OPM, and DOI HR guidance calling for a three-phase approach, there should not be an immediate change to your work status while we take the time to develop our plan for next steps. We are currently working with the Department of the Interior on the framework for a gradual resumption of operations. The framework will be based on this guidance....Decisions on a phased recovery of operations will be made in each park or support office based on what is occurring in the respective State and local community. White House guidance requires certain conditions be met to understand the status of the pandemic in a particular area of the country before phased recovery may begin...Our plan will include phased reassessments of conditions and modifications of operations, gradually increasing access to parks in accordance with federal, state and local public health guidance and in coordination with the Department of the Interior. We are committed to working with state and local officials to reopen national parks, facilities, and offices in a safe manner." Vela concludes by saying that WASO "will share the plan with you as soon as possible." Source: National Park Service.
News on national parks continues to focus mostly on the administration's response to the pandemic. Here's an assortment of stories from the last two weeks: Washington Guidance — On May 19th, WASO transmitted a 16-page document entitled "National Park Service COVID-19 Adaptive Operations Recovery Plan" to all field areas. Here are the introductory paragraphs: "The National Park Service COVID-19 Adaptive Operations Recovery Plan provides strategic direction and guidance to NPS offices to resume phased operations consistent with State guidance. The information in this Plan is consistent with the White House guidance and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)/Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies. Decisions on operations should occur at the local and regional level subject to consultation with NPS leadership, Field Special Assistants, and the Department of the Interior (DOI). Managers should generally align their actions in accordance with State guidance, in areas where States have begun reopening certain operations, access or opportunities without strict adherence to Federal gating criteria or Federal phases. The Plan informs and guides appropriate transitions from wide-scale restrictions and closures imposed to slow COVID-19 infections, to scalable operations that allow for routine office operations and public visitation that sustain communities and local economies, but do not compromise public and employee health and safety. This Plan provides an adaptive, decision-making framework to enable NPS managers to scale operations in a manner that best supports the visiting public under evolving recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), OMB/OPM, and State/local public health officials." No link is available to the full document.
News on national parks continues to focus mostly on the administration's response to the pandemic. Here's an assortment of stories from the last two weeks: Second Lady Visits Smokies — On May 19th, Second Lady Karen Pence and Deputy Secretary of Interior Katharine MacGregor visited the park to talk about the many mental health benefits the outdoors offers and shared more on the park's progress on the second phase of restoring access to the public, reports the White House. "The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for us to pay closer attention to our mental health and emotional well-being," said Pence. "Our amazing national parks offer many mental health benefits and more than ever before, we must ensure that we are taking care of ourselves and each other." For information on the status of other parks in the system, go to the Service's "Active Alerts In Parks" webpage and use the search engine to find information on a particular site.
The National Park Service has joined other federal agencies in taking steps to assure that the inaugural set for next Thursday is free from the kind of insurrectionist disruptions and violence seen last week at the Capitol. The Washington Monument will be closed through January 24th and other NPS facilities around D.C. will be temporarily closed due to "credible threats" from groups involved in the January 6th Capitol invasion. The park released a statement on Monday that said, in part: "[The] the National Mall and Memorial Parks is implementing temporary closures of National Park Service public facilities, parking areas and roadways in response to credible threats to visitors and park resources. Groups involved in the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol continue to threaten to disrupt the 59th presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021. This includes the set up and execution of inaugural events, which occur in several park areas. In response, the National Park Service will suspend tours of the Washington Monument beginning January 11, 2021 through January 24, 2021 and may institute temporary closures of public access to roadways, parking areas and restrooms within the National Mall and Memorial Parks if conditions warrant, to protect public safety and park resources." D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote a letter Sunday requesting that the United States Department of Homeland Security boost its security preparations for the January 20th presidential inauguration to ensure the safety of those involved in the event. She also asked that the Secretary of the Department of the Interior cancel any and all public gathering permits in D.C. and to deny any applications for public gathering permits between January 11th and January 24th. Last week, the NPS announced that protest applications for inauguration week are coming in and, by law, they can't be denied unless they pose a clear specific threat. Source: KOMO News.
"Federal agencies are taking drastic measures to keep employees safe with the looming threat of violence surrounding President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, including by hosting additional federal security personnel and even telling some workers to evacuate their homes," reports Government Executive. "Following the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, federal offices in the Washington area and around the country are cautioning workers, many of whom are already working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to stay away, effective immediately." In an unprecedented move, the Mall and much of the surrounding area have already been closed to the public. Hundreds of thousands of spectators typically watch the ceremonies, but this year the Secret Service has launched a massive security operation to protect the Biden inauguration following this month's short-lived insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Vehicle traffic in much of the city will be prohibited or limited to residents and businesses only. Metro is shuttering stations in the city's core and near the Mall. Street closures will continue through Thursday, and are subject to change at the discretion of the Secret Service. Maps in the Washington Post (click here) provides further details on closures. As noted in last week's newsletter, the Washington Monument will be closed through January 24th and other NPS facilities around D.C. will be temporarily closed due to "credible threats" from groups involved in the January 6th Capitol invasion. The park released a statement on Monday that said, in part: "[The] the National Mall and Memorial Parks is implementing temporary closures of National Park Service public facilities, parking areas and roadways in response to credible threats to visitors and park resources. Groups involved in the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Capitol continue to threaten to disrupt the 59th presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021. This includes the set up and execution of inaugural events, which occur in several park areas. In response, the National Park Service will suspend tours of the Washington Monument beginning January 11, 2021 through January 24, 2021 and may institute temporary closures of public access to roadways, parking areas and restrooms within the National Mall and Memorial Parks if conditions warrant, to protect public safety and park resources." Sources: Lauren Tierney, Tim Meko, Hannah Dormido, Laris Karklis and Joe Fox, Washington Post; Eric Katz, Government Executive.
Parks across South Caroline and Georgia closed on July 7 ahead of the advance of Tropical Storm Elsa. The storm is likely to bring heavy rans and flooding, as well as wind gusts of 100 mph or more. Source: National Parks Traveler
The NPS gave a summary of the response and effects of Hurricane Ida upon various parks across the East. Source National Park Service
On October 19, a 46-year-old former Special Agent assigned to the Lake Mead Resident Office of the National Park Service was sentenced for submitting false information about work experience and education on the job application for the position. The individual received one year of probation, a $500 fine, and a restriction barring them from future employment as a federal law enforcement officer. The case was investigated by the Department of the Interior's Office of the Inspector General and the National Park Service's Office of Professional Responsibility. Source: The U.S. Attorney's Office: District of Nevada
Due to the impending storm and bomb cyclone sweeping the southern and eastern United States, many parks shut down preemptively and will reopen after damage assessments are complete.
NPS staff from around the island have joined an interagency effort to support local communities in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, including search and rescue, medical response, logistics, public information, cultural resource assessment, and evacuation center support. Haleakalā National Park remained closed through the morning of August 22. Source: Department of the Interior, Haleakalā National Park
A federal court in the District of Alaska has allowed a lawsuit against the NPS and Department of the Interior for allegations of a racially hostile work environment. A claim on retaliation will not advance. Source: BNN
The Glacier Range Riders, a minor league team based in Kalispell, Montana, and associated with Major League Baseball, applied for several trademarks and logomarks for the team, including a mountain goat wearing a park ranger hat, a bear riding a red bus like the iconic Glacier National Park tour buses, and an arrowhead with the letters "RR" inside. The Department of the Interior filed a protest with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which rejected arguments that the logo would be confused with that of the NPS. In June, the Interior filed a letter of opposition. A final hearing on the matter is scheduled for 2025. The matter has gained some media attention recently, as U.S. Representative (and former Interior Secretary) Ryan Zinke questioned current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland about the agency's litigation. Source: Inc.
On May 6, a 48-year-old who formerly served as the chief operating officer of the Citizens Conservation Corp (CCC) pleaded guilty to theft from federal programs. In 2018, the CCC received $111,221 from the NPS through a cooperative agreement to recruit, hire, and pay two interns to do work at the Olmsted Center for 13 months. The individual directed an accountant to draw down $108,753 of the obligated funds and fraudulently misapply them for other operating expenses at the CCC. At the time, the organization had recently lost its 20-year multimillion-dollar contract with the State of West Virginia and was "extremely financially unstable." The individual stated that they misapplied the funds at the direction of the Chief Executive Officer. The CEO, a 67-year-old, pleaded guilty to related charges on January 12. Both individuals await sentencing for their crimes. The cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General. Source: U.S. Attorney's Office: Southern District of West Virginia
In 2015, several hunting and trapping techniques, including baiting bears and killing cubs and pups in their dens, were outlawed on NPS preserves in Alaska. In 2018, officials moved to repeal those rules, which has been under litigation ever since. In March of 2023, a draft rule was created to restore 2015 rules, which led to a long stay of litigation. However, the draft rule has not been approved by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which would be the last step in finalization. As a result of the delay, a federal appeals court refused to extend the stay and has ordered that briefing begin on July 29. Source: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Over the weekends of February 15-16 and 22-23, and March 1-2, many protests took place at NPS units across the country in response to executive actions related to the federal workforce. One that received a great deal of media attention was the hanging of an upside-down American Flag on El Capitan, as well as protest signs in view of webcams in Yosemite National Park. Source: SFGate, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Denver7, KIRO7, The Times-Independent, Grandview Independent, Record-Courier, Arkansas Times, MorristownGreen.com, and many others
A federal court recently ruled that a group of plaintiffs suing the NPS for its cashless policy at several parks (see 3/20/24 Coalition Report) lacked appropriate standing because they had not actually been denied entry to any parks. The plaintiffs have until March 7 to file a complaint addressing their standing. Source: National Parks Traveler
On March 4, the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the National Park Service for its policy of going cashless at most NPS units (see 1/24/24 and 3/5/25 Coalition Reports) filed an amended complaint, expanding on the "constitutional and statutory issues" of the issue. Source: National Parks Traveler
The weekend of March 22, "at least 93 national parks" experienced new protesting against staffing cuts, hiring delays, and funding freezes at the NPS. The demonstrations were organized by Resistance Rangers, a coalition of over 1,000 off-duty NPS employees. Source: SFGate
On April 1, the Department of the Interior settled with the Glacier Ranger Riders minor league baseball team over its use of branding resembling NPS imagery (see 5/1/24 Coalition Report). The parties did not disclose the specifics of the settlement, though the communications director for the team said, "the case was resolved with prejudice in our favor, meaning that our use of the arrowhead shape does not imply any affiliation with the National Park Service." Source: Daily Montanan
On August 25, the 109th anniversary of the National Park Service, several protests took place at several national park units, demonstrating against cuts to the National Park Service and efforts to erase important American stories. Source: Danville San Ramon, Mammoth Times (via Pressreader)
On September 23, a salvage company, JJM, LLC, filed a lawsuit against the NPS after a 125-year-old shipwreck off Bar Harbor, Maine, was designated eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. JJM has a separate pending lawsuit attempting to obtain title for the ship, the Delhi. The State of Maine has contested the lawsuit, arguing that federal law has established that unclaimed shipwrecks in state waters are property of the state. The designation on the National Register would render the attempts to obtain title useless. Source: Bangor Daily News
Unseasonably cold winter storms the week of January 23 caused many parks across the Eastern United States to close temporarily.
On March 27, the Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the ban on firearms possession in federal facilities operated by the NPS. Source: Second Amendment Foundation, USA Carry
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by BASE Access to overturn the "Aerial Delivery Rule", an attempt to allow BASE jumping in national parks. The lawsuit was dismissed due to lack of legal standing. Source: National Parks Traveler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||