The Morning Report
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
INCIDENTS
Hot Springs National Park (AR)
Search For Stolen Explosives Leads To Partial Park Closure
On Thursday April 9th. a portion of Hot Springs National Park was closed for approximately ten hours while a search was conducted to locate stolen dynamite which had possibly been stashed within the park's boundary.
On March 27th, 195 pounds of ammonium nitrate explosives and 83 sticks of Red Delite dynamite were reported stolen from a work site in Lonsdale, located about ten minutes east of the park boundary.
Some of the explosives were located two days later after Garland County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to a call of a possible kidnapping at a residence on White Sulphur Road. A suspect at the scene identified as S.D.S., 43, fled from deputies in his car, which he abandoned near the park boundary in the area of East Grand Avenue. Investigators believe S.D.S. to have fled on foot into the park, but he could not be located during a subsequent search.
An inventory of the car was conducted which lead to the discovery of a bag in the back seat containing five sticks of dynamite. The sticks were banded together and fused in series.
A passenger in the vehicle, K.R.J., 23, was arrested on five counts of criminal possession of explosives. S.D.S. was later arrested and also charged with five counts of criminal possession of explosives.
During the investigation, S.D.S. admitted that he bought the dynamite from J.A.B., 38. Investigators with the Garland County Sheriff's Department sought J.A.B. and considered him armed and dangerous. One of J.A.B.'s known residences was located directly across the street from the parks law enforcement headquarters.
Rangers assisted in the investigation after information was shared concerning J.A.B.'s mother, B.A.Y., 58, who had previous history with the park's law enforcement division. B.A.Y. was taken into custody on April 7th and charged with hindering apprehension, a felony punishable by up to six years in prison.
J.A.B. was also taken into custody on Tuesday, approximately two blocks east of the the park's ranger station. He was charged with 84 counts of possession of stolen explosives after investigators located a large quantity of ammonium nitrate and approximately 45 sticks of dynamite he admitted to possessing.
On April 9th, rangers received two anonymous reports concerning J.A.B.. Callers stated that they had observed him enter the park on the Reserve Street Trail system carrying a box of unknown contents three days prior to his arrest. The callers said that J.A.B. returned from the trailhead empty handed approximately 20 minutes later.
Rangers quickly secured the trail area and with assistance from NPS and FBI special agents began the process of clearing the area of any potential explosive materials. An explosives K-9 from the Little Rock Police Department was brought in along with park law enforcement and FBI search members and conducted a thorough search of the area. This portion of the park was closed for approximately ten hours while investigators coordinated their search. No explosives or suspicious items were located and the park reopened the trail system to the public.
[Submitted by Jeff Johnson, Acting Chief Ranger]
NEWS AND NOTES
National Interagency Fire Center
Four-Month Fire Potential Forecasts Released
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise has issued its April, May and June through July 2015 significant wildland fire potential forecasts. A summary follows — for the full forecast, including detailed maps, click on the "More Information" link at bottom.
April
- Above normal wildland fire potential across the north central U.S. will expand.
- Above normal wildland fire potential will develop across portions of Southern California.
- Above normal wildland fire potential will become prevalent across southern Alaska.
- Below normal wildland fire potential will continue along the coastal plain of the Southeast as well as Puerto Rico.
May
- Wildland fire potential across the north central portion of the U.S. will return to normal in May
- Above normal wildland fire potential will expand across into northern California, southwestern Arizona, and much of Hawaii.
- Above normal wildland fire potential will persist across most of southern Alaska.
- Below normal fire potential will develop on the southern Rockies Front Range and persist in Puerto Rico.
June through July
- Above normal wildland fire potential will expand to across the West Coast, part of the northern Rockies and Great Basin, and continue for most of Hawaii.
- Wildland fire potential will return to normal for southern Alaska.
- Below normal wildland fire potential will spread across the Tennessee and Lower Mississippi Valleys.
Partnerships and Visitor Experience
George Minnucci Receives James V. Murfin Award
George Minnucci, Eastern National's chief executive officer, was recently presented with the 2015 James V. Murfin Award by Deputy Director Peggy O'Dell on behalf of the National Park Service.
The James V. Murfin Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the partnership between the NPS and cooperating associations over time. The award, inaugurated in 1988, is named for the talented and dedicated Servicewide cooperating association coordinator who worked for over a decade to encourage excellence and innovation in the cooperating association program.
Murfin's groundbreaking ideas included improved bookstore design, training programs to improve literature offerings, especially children's literature. Because this award is never given to the same person twice, it is viewed as a "lifetime achievement award."
Minnucci's career with Eastern National began in 1977, when he joined the organization to revitalize EN's business practices and to help renew EN's commitment to its partners. Under his leadership, EN grew exponentially though the forging of new partnerships, and the development of new products and publications, including the Passport To Your National Parks® program.
After almost 20 years, Minnucci retired from his position at EN, but continued to serve the organization as board chair until 2003.
In 2007, Minnucci returned to EN at the behest of the board of directors to assist with a management transition. Since his return to the role of CEO, he has helped to foster a new era at EN, achieving financial stability, training and developing staff, breathing new life into EN's products and publications, and providing a new level of service to EN's partners.
Minnucci's hands-on, personal approach is a key ingredient in developing lasting relationships with the NPS that serve the parks and Eastern National now and into the future.
"I am grateful to be presented with the James V. Murfin Award," he said. "It has been an honor and a pleasure working with the National Park Service, and serving the visitors of America's national parks."
Eastern National, a not-for-profit cooperating association with the National Park Service and other public trust partners, promotes the public's understanding and support of America's national parks and other public trust partners by providing quality educational experiences, products, and services. Since 1947, Eastern National has donated over $105 million to the National Park Service in the form of direct donations and grants, which support vital educational and interpretive programs in America's national parks.
[Submitted by Monique VanLandingham]
Pacific West Region
Mike Reynolds Selected As Death Valley Superintendent
Mike Reynolds has been named the new superintendent of Death Valley National Park. He replaces Kathy Billings, who recently retired.
Reynolds will begin his new assignment on May 31st. He will manage a staff of 125 full-time employees and an annual budget of approximately $9 million.
"Mike is an experienced leader with the National Park Service, and we know his skills, experience, and passion for Death Valley make him a great fit for Death Valley National Park," said Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz. "I am delighted to keep him in our region and know that park staff, partners, and community members will enjoy working with him."
Reynolds most recently served as superintendent of Lava Beds National Monument and the Tule Lake Unit of World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, both located in northeastern California. He has worked with both the local and Japanese American communities to develop the future of the new Tule Lake Unit. A general management plan is nearing its final stages. Reynolds will indirectly continue his affiliation with the story of Japanese American incarceration through Death Valley's close connection to Manzanar National Historic Site.
"I am excited by the chance to further the NPS mission at Death Valley and humbled by the opportunity to serve the visitors, resources, and staff at the park," said Reynolds. "Death Valley is a world class resource and I look forward to the opportunity to live and work there again."
Reynolds has worked for the National Park Service for more than 18 years and has served at Big Bend, Great Smoky Mountains, Death Valley, and Yellowstone National Parks. He also spent three and a half years as superintendent at the National Park of American Samoa.
Reynolds has a BS in math and business operations from Indiana University and an MS in outdoor recreation from Arizona State University. Reynolds will relocate to Death Valley along with his partner, Sarah Bone, and his Samoan cat named Tele. As avid outdoor enthusiasts, they look forward to running, hiking, and backpacking throughout the beautiful and wild park.
[Submitted by Amy Collier]
Flagstaff Area National Monuments - AZ
Ancient Southwestern Clothing Conserved
What happened to prehistoric clothing that was excavated from NPS archeological sites in northern Arizona in the 1930s?
For the most part, after being taken to museums to be preserved for future generations, many remain in the crumpled state in which they were found, as conservation treatments are time-consuming and expensive. Due to creasing, many cannot be adequately viewed or studied.
Until now. The Flagstaff Area National Monuments recently received SCC funding to conserve and rehouse rare fragments of ancient clothing from archaeological sites at Navajo, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki National Monuments stored at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.
Funding was obligated through the Colorado Plateau CESU to the Museum of Northern Arizona to hire textile conservator Rachel Freer Waters to conserve over 300 prehistoric pieces of clothing from the 1100s, ranging from everyday ware to technologically complex clothing with dyes.
Now almost finished with the project, Waters, an American Institute for Conservation professional associate, has taken before and after pictures of the textiles, employed a range of cleaning techniques and fiber relaxing treatments, and designed storage systems to provide preventative care.
Selected images will be available on each monument's website. When the project is finished by the end of the summer, over 300 prehistoric textiles will look almost as good as when Ancestral Puebloans hand-wove them over 800 years ago!
[Submitted by Gwenn Gallenstein, Museum Curator, Flagstaff Area National Monuments]
Southeast Region
Regional Director Participates In Find Your Park Virtual Tour
On Thursday April 9th, Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin, with invited guests from Atlanta City Council, Georgia State Parks, Georgia Forestry Commission, The Georgia Conservancy, local business leaders, and park staff participated in the Find Your Park Virtual Tour at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
During the day, visitors used the tour kiosk, attended ranger programs and participated in the Bells Across the Land event. All participants were encouraged to stop for four minutes at 3:15 p.m. and ring bells to remember the symbolic end to the Civil War when General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox and commemorate those who gave their lives.
Based on the smiles, the experiences and pictures, the day was a successful day for Find Your Park program and Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
[Submitted by Bill Reynolds, Assistant Regional Director, Communications]
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Virgin Islands National Park (VI)
GS-0189-4 Recreation Aid
Virgin Islands National Park has issued an announcement for a lifeguard/recreation aid.
Click on the link below for a copy of the announcement with full details on duties, area information, and procedures for applying.
It closes on May 1st.
More Information...
Virgin Islands National Park (VI)
WG-4749-5 Maintenance Worker
Virgin Islands National Park has issued an announcement for a maintenance worker.
Click on the link below for a copy of the announcement with full details on duties, area information, and procedures for applying.
It closes on May 1st.
More Information...