Big Cypress National Preserve (FL)
Alligator Poaching
On Monday, November 15th, rangers following up on a visitor report concerning suspicious activity conducted a hunting/wildlife inspection of a camp in the Monument Lake campground. The rangers found a fresh alligator head and tail concealed in a trash can at the site. The alligator parts were wrapped in plastic, packed in ice and covered with a bag of trash in an attempt to fool check-station inspectors. Along with the information received from the visitor, rangers noted that the lower portion of the "trash can" was covered with condensation and cold to the touch. The alligator is estimated to have been eight to ten feet long. One adult and two juveniles were charged with poaching wildlife and possessing illegally taken wildlife. This case is still being investigated for further illegal activity. [Submitted by Ed Clark, Chief Ranger]
Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Multiple Holiday Weekend Incidents
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, South Rim rangers responded to a number of significant calls along with the usual array of medical emergencies, disputes, minor accidents, noise complaints, assist calls and alarms. Among these were the following:
- A domestic dispute that involved people who rangers have dealt with repeatedly in the past. The man had been arrested in 1997 after charging a ranger.
- An assist to the Coconino County Sheriff's Office in which four people were injured in a motor vehicle accident. The four were taken to Flagstaff Medical Center in park and center ambulances.
- Another assist to the same office on an assault involving two concessions employees who live in the park. One was taken by ambulance to Flagstaff Medical Center.
- A burglary at a concession-operated grocery store at 3 a.m. one morning. The thief made entry by shattering a large, double-paned window. Rangers and a Coconino County deputy cleared the building. People throughout the area were contacted, including two families camped illegally in their cars in the parking lot. The investigation is ongoing.
- An intoxicated male found lying in the snow in a ditch. He was initially thought to be a suspect in the burglary, but was cleared by a witness ID. He was, however, arrested for public intoxication.
- A missing person, associated with the above intoxicated male. He was located the following morning in a hotel hallway in a foldout bed he had taken from a store room. He was cited for trespassing.
- A single car accident in which a drunk driver ran into a tree. The driver was treated by rangers, taken to the hospital in Flagstaff by ambulance, and booked into Coconino County Jail following his release from the ER.
[Submitted by Karyl Yeston, South Rim Shift Supervisor]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Self-Rescue from Little Pigeon River
Park dispatch received a transferred 911 call from another agency on an afternoon in late November in which the caller reported that M.H., 51, of Florence, Kentucky, had fallen into the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River and had been washed downstream. Nearly five inches of rain had fallen on the area over the previous 48 hours and the river was swollen to flood level. Rangers quickly responded to the river, which is located along the Newfound Gap Road, and began a hasty search for M.H. down the bank from the point last seen. Ranger Dale Culver found M.H. 300 yards downstream and on the opposite bank of the river. Culver determined that he was okay, though wet, cold and exhausted, and told him to continue downstream and meet up with other rangers. Culver then followed him along the river from the opposite bank. M.H. contacted ranger Michael Nash about a quarter mile downriver; he was escorted to a safe log crossing, helped across, then brought back to the roadway. M.H. told the rangers that he had slipped on a wet rock while walking along the bank and had fallen into the river. Due to the severe whitewater conditions, he had to fight to keep afloat, eventually dragging himself out of the river when he got close to the far bank. M.H. said that he realized how close he came to drowning. The search was a success due the quick response and the subsequent emphasis on containment of the search area. [Submitted by Rick Brown, District Ranger]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Capitol Reef National Park (UT)
GS-0341-12 Administrative Officer
The park is seeking applications from qualified DOI employees interested in the administrative officer (AO) position, which is open on USAJOBS through December 20th. The person selected will be responsible for supervising three staff members, directing all administrative functions, formulating and executing the park budget, and providing operational and management analysis. She/he will be the primary advisor to the division and branch chiefs and park management regarding budget, finance, human resources, procurement, property, housing, internal controls, and information technology. Housing is available in the park and within one block of the administrative office and visitor center.
[Submitted by Donita Pace]Gateway National Recreation Area
Barry Sullivan Selected As General Superintendent
Barry Sullivan has been selected as the new general superintendent of the more than 26,000-acre Gateway National Recreation Area (NRA) located in New York and New Jersey. Slated to begin in early January, Sullivan will have overall management responsibility for the three Gateway NRA units: Staten Island (NY) including Fort Wadsworth and Miller Field; Jamaica Bay/Breezy Point (NY) including Floyd Bennett Field, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, and Riis Park and Sandy Hook (NJ).
"Barry Sullivan is just the perfect mix of seasoned professional and sophisticated park manager. He has a proven track record which shows that he believes in partnership and community involvement," commented Regional Director Rust in making the announcement. "Barry has broad park management experience, including having worked at Gateway twenty five years ago as a field supervisor for the Jamaica Bay and Breezy Point Units. Clearly, he is the right choice for the future of Gateway, and the partnership role Gateway will play in the greater National Parks of New York Harbor, " she said.
A native of New Jersey, Sullivan is currently serving as the acting superintendent of Fire Island National Seashore (NY) which includes 26 miles of Fire Island and features the only federally designated Wilderness Area within New York State, the Fire Island Lighthouse, and the William Floyd Estate which is the ancestral home of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve as the general superintendent of Gateway NRA, with its wonderful beaches, scenery and outstanding recreational, natural and historical resources", said Sullivan. "I look forward to working together with the park staff, community partners, organizations, local residents, and all stakeholders on the challenging issues facing Gateway and the national parks of the greater New York harbor area. My wife Patti, who once led tours as a volunteer of historic Fort Wadsworth, and my two children are looking forward to having immediate access to the wonders of the NY City area," he added.
During his six year tenure at Fire Island serving as both deputy and later acting superintendent, he was instrumental in building consensus with park neighbors and those living within the park on developing a new driving regulation through the park which allows access to the communities and provides protection for fragile park resources. He worked with community groups in establishing memorandums of understanding and permits which allowed limited beach restoration and fostered cooperation between agencies and organizations.
Sullivan is a veteran NPS manager with a wide range of experience in diverse geographical regions of the United States. He has directed science/research operations, law enforcement, search and rescue, and wild land fire operations, museum/cultural preservation facilities, education/interpretive operations and maintenance and construction operations. Sullivan began his NPS career twenty eight years ago as a seasonal park ranger at Edison National Historic Site (NJ) where he became a permanent park ranger before transferring to Gateway NRA in 1978. During his three years at Gateway ('78-'80), he served as the district (supervisory) ranger for Floyd Bennett Field, Plumb Beach, Canarsie Pier, Frank Charles Park and the Breezy Point Unit. He was the operations supervisor for visitor management when the condos were imploded at Breezy Point in 1980.
He spent the next 18 years at parks including Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND), Blue Ridge Parkway (NC), and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (NJ/PA). While at Delaware Water Gap NRA his duties included managing operations on the NJ side of the park which included protecting park resources and visitors, cooperating with local, state and federal agencies and serving as a liaison with NJ officials.
The recipient of numerous awards for park management, resources stewardship, managing search and rescue, fire and law enforcement operations, and developing outstanding community relations, he brings a broad breadth of park management experience to Gateway NRA. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Outdoor Recreation from Kean University, and a Masters Degree in Environmental Education from Southern Connecticut State University.
The three units of Gateway National Recreation Area surround the entrance to New York Harbor and include a compelling blend of wonderful beaches, historic sites, and unique natural resources. The park provides recreational facilities and opportunities for some nine million visitors every year.
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.