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Friday, June 26, 2009


INCIDENTS

Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Commercial Vehicle Inspection Held In Park

Park staff and personnel from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Wyoming Highway Patrol conducted two days of full-level commercial vehicle safety inspections on June 23rd and 24th. A complete inspection evaluates both the driver and the commercial vehicle to ensure compliance with federal regulations that govern these vehicles. The inspections were unannounced and focused on commercial buses and trucks.  A safety inspection station was assembled in Colter Bay Village, and every commercial vehicle traveling on Highway 89/287 through the park was diverted to it by rangers. Vehicles inspected included passenger vans operated by local hotels for touring guests, commercial passenger buses, delivery vehicles, construction vehicles, and commercial vehicles carrying hazardous materials (a propane truck and a double trailer hauling gasoline).  A total of 45 commercial vehicles and drivers were inspected.  Inspections focused on safety issues that could lead to motor vehicle accidents, injuries to passengers and others, and/or resource damage to the park.  The inspections resulted in nine “out-of-service” violations, requiring the vehicles to be parked until identified safety issues were resolved. Three construction side-loading dump trucks were parked for mechanical failures, two vehicles (a beverage delivery truck and a 40-passenger bus) were parked for brake failure, one propane truck was parked due to an unsecured load, and a delivery truck with an underage driver was suspended from service until the driver could be replaced. Additionally, nine operators received citations for equipment or driver violations. [Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]


Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Man Drowns In Crescent Cove

Claude Finney, 48, was with friends on a houseboat in Crescent Cove in the Virgin Basin yesterday when he jumped into the water for a swim. Finney had been treading water for about a minute when he called for help. By the time his friends began throwing life rings into the water, he’d slipped beneath the surface. Rangers were notified around 4:30 p.m. and responded with five rescue boats – two from Boulder Harbor, two from Echo Bay and one from Temple Bar. Las Vegas Metro PD provided a rescue helicopter. Surface and shoreline searches were fruitless, and operations were suspended at dusk. Weather conditions in the area had created a light chop, about one to one-and-a-half foot waves in open water. According to rangers, though, the water was relatively calm in the area where he was last seen. [Submitted by Andrew S. Muñoz, Public Affairs Officer]


FIRE MANAGEMENT

NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights

National Fire Activity – Preparedness Level 1

NIFC remains at PL 1.

NPS Fire Narratives

No large uncontained wildfires are currently reported in NPS areas.

Fire Weather Forecast

Scattered showers and a few thundershowers are on tap for the Alaska interior today. California will be generally warmer and drier while scattered thundershowers are expected over the Southwest and Great Basin.

Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)


Date

Fri

Mon

Tue

Thu

Fri

Day

6/19

6/22

6/23

6/25

6/26

Initial Attack Fires

101

68

99

85

121

New Large Fires

4

6

4

2

4

Large Fires Contained

1

0

3

1

3

Uncontained Large Fires

8

6

5

4

3



National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)

Date

Fri

Mon

Tue

Thu

Fri

Day

6/19

6/22

6/23

6/25

6/26

Area Command Teams

0

0

0

0

0

NIMO Teams

0

0

0

0

0

Type 1 Teams

0

0

0

0

0

Type 2 Teams

1

0

0

0

0



NPS Fire News

Park State Fire Type Acres Percent
Contain		 Est. Full
Contain
Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve AK Chakina Fire - ref#362, EON8 Wildfire 150   10/30/2009
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks CA Hart Prescribed Fire Prescribed Fire Treatment 802   08/05/2009
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For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:




OPERATIONAL NOTES

Fire and Aviation Management
New Stories Highlight NPS Fire and Fuels Successes

One National Park Service unit conducted their first prescribed fires, others used previous prescribed fires or fuel reduction projects to slow wildfires, and still other sites conducted training to prepare for the coming season. Stories from across the Service were submitted to the Department of the Interior, Office of Wildland Fire Coordination this week, and all met one or more goals of the National Fire Plan: Accountability, Community Assistance, Firefighting, Fuels Reduction, and Rehabilitation.

National Fire Plan - Accountability

National Fire Plan - Firefighting

National Fire Plan - Fuels Reduction

National Fire Plan - Rehabilitation

These stories will eventually be placed on the Healthy Forests and Rangelands website (the combined National Fire Plan and Healthy Forests Initiative websites) - http://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/ , however, you can read them immediately as well as other non-National Fire Plan stories on the NPS Fire and Aviation website, 2009 Fire Stories http://www.nps.gov/fire/public/pub_firestories2009.cfm.
[Submitted by Tina Boehle, tina_boehle@nps.gov, (208) 387-5875]  More Information...


Servicewide
Upcoming Training Calendar

Please submit information on upcoming training courses to Bill_Halainen@nps.gov. New listings and revisions are in bold face.

Please note that the calendar now includes ongoing on-line training offerings, which will be posted for about a month at a time.

Online Training

NPS Fundamentals I: NPS Mission and History. First of a five-part course of study which is a foundation for all NPS careers, Fundamentals I is divided into three modules: History of the NPS, Organization of the NPS, and The NPS and the Federal Government. Completion of this online training takes about three hours, and allows you to register for Fundamentals II: Introduction to NPS Operations (in-person training held at Grand Canyon). All NPS Fundamentals training is free, with expenses paid for by Servicewide Learning and Development. To learn more about NPS Fundamentals and how to register, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm . Contacts: Mark Harner at (928) 638-7983, or Debbie Cox at (304) 535-6277 or via Lotus Notes.

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Scheduled Training


July 7 – July 16 – Introduction to NPS Operations: Fundamentals II, Grand Canyon, AZ. Fundamentals II elaborates on the history, mission, and operations of the NPS and covers leadership, teamwork, communications, and interpersonal skills. In its entirety, Fundamentals is a five-part course of study based on NPS Universal Competencies, the foundation of all NPS careers and critical for all new and experienced employees to understand.  All travel and tuition expenses are paid for by Servicewide Training and Development. Learn more and find registration information at  http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm  . Contacts: Mark Harner at (928) 638-7983, or Debbie Cox at (304) 535-6277 or via Lotus Notes.


July 8 – Commercial Services Program Monthly Chat: Bedbugs – Things that Bite You In the Night, 3 p.m. EDT. An hour-long workshop is held each month on a commercial services topic. The call-in number is 888-455-0749, and the pass code is 9999. For more information, log onto the NPS Commercial Services chat website: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=1197&lv=4  Questions or suggestions on these sessions should be directed to  Doug Hawthorne (303-987-6908).


July 12 – July 17 – Practical Preservation of Square Log Buildings, Pine Mountain Settlement School, 36 Highway 510, Pine Mountain, KY.  This workshop will focus on how to conduct repairs to a square log structure. Instruction will cover preservation techniques and the philosophy behind the selection of particular techniques.  Students may also expect to learn about how to examine a log structure for common preservation issues, how to approach preservation work from a safety viewpoint, including how to safely lift a two-story log building to replace a sill log, and what skills are needed for preservation work. The hands-on application of preservation techniques will include demonstrations in full and partial log replacement, use of epoxies in repairs, skyward facing check crack, chinking and daubing. The re-establishment of log features will focus on proper handling techniques, reinstallation of materials, and identifying and recovering/replicating character-defining features. Students will learn how to lay out and cut typical notches: half-dove tail and saddle notch. Other topics will include proper documentation methods, recordation of activities, material identification and selection, and proper tool selection and usage. Participants will receive a notebook with reference materials on logs and log structure-related subjects. for more information and to register go t http://www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com/events.php?view=details&id=76


July 13 – July 17 – Integrated Pest Management Principles, Homestead National Monument of America, Beatrice, NE. This 36-hour course addresses the principles and techniques of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).  Using the 11-step IPM process, participants learn through a combination of instructor presentations, demonstrations, hands-on exercises and field sessions.  Click here for complete course description:  http://www.nps.gov/training/nrs/IPM_Announce_Jul_09.doc  Interested participants need to apply in DOI Learn (https://doilearn.doi.gov); to locate class, in search box type “Integrated Pest.”  The last day to register has is June 26th. For further information contact Chris Furqueron, acting chief, Science & Natural Resource Management Division, Southeast Region, 404-507-5812

July 14 – July 15 – NAGPRA in the Parks, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola, FL. The Park NAGPRA program is offering a day-and-a-half long training session about the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) at Gulf Islands National Seashore. Park superintendents and resource managers as well as archeologists, curators, and other staff with NAGPRA duties are invited to attend. The training is open to all regions; attendees need not work in the Southeast Region. The session will provide a comprehensive overview of NAGPRA and prepare participants to respond to inadvertent discoveries and plan for intentional excavations as prescribed by the law. Topics will include NAGPRA basics, collections, intentional excavations and inadvertent discoveries, culturally unidentifiable and unclaimed, consultation, evaluating repatriation requests (claims), disputes, transfer of control or custody, Kennewick Man case, reburial on park lands, contaminated collections, funding, and sources of information and assistance. There are no registration fees or tuition for the training session.  Approximately 25 participants can be accommodated. To sign up or for more information, contact Mary Carroll at 303-969-2300 or mary_carroll@nps.gov.

July 20 – July 24 – Preservation Philosophy for People Who Maintain Old Buildings, Cornish NH.  The historical context of a historic site is the most important basis for resolving maintenance and repair dilemmas. This workshop will help maintenance personnel to make typical judgment calls on the job: repair or replace, preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation; and setting priorities with modest budgets. Workshop topics include the following: balancing the goals of buildings, landscapes, and collections maintenance; a review of the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation as they relate to routine maintenance; communication skills between supervisors and workers, clients, and preservation consultants; architectural history in the context of how technology shaped building construction practice; and building diagnostics and some of the tools that can be used in the field.  To Apply:  Log on to DOI Learn and search the catalog for "hps" without the quotation marks to find the class.


July 27 – July 30 – CANCELLED: Flashpoint for the Fixed Assets Subsystem (NPS-ADM3010), Mather Training Center, Harpers Ferry, WV. The class has been cancelled due to unavailability of instructors. The class has not been rescheduled.  We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to offering the class in the near future.

July 28 – Distance Learning Symposium, Homestead National Monument of America, Beatrice, NE.  This one day course covers the who, what, and why of buying a distance learning system.  Click here for complete course description and registration form: http://www.nps.gov/home/upload/Distance%20Learning%20Symposium.pdf . Interested participants should submit their registration form no later than July 1st. For further information contact Tina Miller, Education Coordinator, Homestead National Monument of America, at (402) 223-3514 or via Lotus Notes.

July 28 - August 6 – Introduction to NPS Operations: Fundamentals II, Grand Canyon, AZ. Fundamentals II elaborates on the history, mission, and operations of the NPS and covers leadership, teamwork, communications, and interpersonal skills. In its entirety, Fundamentals is a five-part course of study based on NPS Universal Competencies, the foundation of all NPS careers and critical for all new and experienced employees to understand.  All travel and tuition expenses are paid for by Servicewide Training and Development. Learn more and find registration information at  http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm  . Contacts: Mark Harner at (928) 638-7983, or Debbie Cox at (304) 535-6277 or via Lotus Notes.

August 3 – August 7 – Fundamentals of Special Park Uses, DOI Learning Center, Albuquerque, NM. This training course covers all aspects of special park uses from First Amendment issues to commercial filming and still photography to wireless telecommunication sites. Temporary food services and other health and safety issues related to special park uses will also be discussed. DO-53/RM-53 is covered in depth, as well as 36 CFR and NPS Management Policies 2006. A draft agenda is posted on the special park uses page at http://inside.nps.gov/waso/waso.cfm?prg=185&lv=3 . For more information, contact Lee Dickinson, special park uses program manager, WASO, at 202-513-7092

August 3 – August 7 – Trail Management: Plans, Projects and People, Homer, AK. Agency trail staff, contractors, and volunteers will develop sustainable and accessible trails of all kinds, using the best practices of the trail management process (TMP). The TMP is a collaborative process that includes planning, design layout, construction, maintenance, monitoring, crew leadership, interpretation, operations, and safety.  NOTE: Registration closes seven weeks prior to the start of the training.  At that time you will be notified if you have been selected to attend and receive information on the class and lodging. This course is specifically designed for those who have beginning to intermediate trail management and leadership responsibilities For more information and to register log on to DOI Learn & search the catalog for "trails" (without the quotation marks).

August 3 – August 7 – Housing Management Course, San Diego, CA. The course will provide NPS employees responsible for management of employee housing with a better understanding and working knowledge of the NPS housing program.  Specific topics will include: roles and responsibilities, QMIS inventory requirements, required and non-required occupancy, safety and health issues, needs assessments, total cost of facility ownership, condition assessments (FMSS/FCAS), housing management plans, PMIS projects, and tenant issues.  The target audience for this course includes park housing officers, housing assistants, facility managers, and regional office housing management personnel.  Priority will be given to those who have not had housing management training in the past five years.  There is no tuition; all travel and per diem, however, are paid by benefitting account. Register for this course in DOI Learn by a search on “Housing Management”.  For specific questions regarding the content of this course, please get in touch with Pat Bantner at 402-661-1586. The application deadline is July 21st.

August 10 – August 13 – Tree Care Safety Workshop, Adams NHP, Quincy, MA. The tree care industry is one of the highest safety risk occupations in the United States. According to recent OSHA surveys, safety hazards that can cause serious injuries and fatalities are exceedingly high for tree care employees. This training course, coordinated by the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, will provide participants with training in the principles and practices related to tree care safety. For more information, contact Dan McCarthy at 617-241-6954 x 262 or Jamie McGuane at 617-241-6954 x 269. Closing date: July 17th.

August 10 – August 14 – TTOS Level 1 Tactical Tracking, B.H. Corpening Training Center, Crossnore, NC. Blue Ridge Parkway will be hosting this 40+ hour class focusing on tracking and tactical operations in the woodland environment. The lead instructor for the course is retired Virginia state game warden Mike Hull. The tuition is $250; lodging and meals are $300. The TTOS website is http://www.ttos.us/index.php . For more information and a course outline or to register for this class, contact Bobby D. Miller, Plateau district ranger, at 540-745-9681 (office), 540-239-4301 (cell), or to Bobby Miller on Lotus Notes.


August 17 – August 21 – Preservation Skills Workshop, Palomar Mountain State Park, (approximately 2-hours from San Diego, CA)  The class will provide basic skills and knowledge to maintain historic buildings. The course will focus on the roles of historic materials, the importance of material compatibility, and the correct methods for successfully cleaning and repairing historic buildings according to the Department of the Interior standards. Sessions include topics such as: how to determine the appropriate preservation method, identify and select appropriate materials to include: masonry, wood and paint deterioration and repair. Participants will study treatment techniques and then practice specific skills in hands-on sessions on a historic building preservation project.  To Apply:  Log on to DOI Learn and search the catalog for "preservation  skills" without the quotation marks to find the class; scroll down to see the San Diego class.


August 17 – August 21 – Equipment Operator Safety, Mount Rainier NP, Longmier WA. This course will examine the risks of operating heavy equipment and steps required to minimize them.  Topics include an in-depth examination of dangers of heavy equipment operations, pre-shift inspection, loading, unloading and transportation.  Participants will demonstrate proper pre-shift inspection and safe operating skills in the field on equipment commonly found in park operations.  Participants will gain insights on how to establish park practices and procedures that provide a framework for compliance and actions they should incorporate into their park’s operations.T o Apply:  Log on to DOI Learn and search the catalog for "mnt7" without the quotation marks to find the class.

August 24 – August 28 – Investigation of Complex Archeological Resource Crimes   (ICARC-902), FLETC, Glynco, GA. This training will provide the experienced officer/agent with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and manage more complex archeological resource crimes. Some of the program topics to be covered: principles of undercover operations, developing/utilizing sources of information, interviewing, writing cultural resource search warrants, financial aspects of criminal investigations, forensics, body wires and video recorders, GPS tracking operations, and writing investigative plans. The program is 40+ hours of instruction, plus pre-course work. Students should be highly motivated and expect instruction to run into the evening hours. The target audience is journeyman officers with experience in archeological resource investigations and special agents seeking to expand their investigative abilities. If you have specific questions regarding this class contact FLETC senior instructor Charles Louke at 912-280-5188. NPS applicants should contact Wiley Golden at 912-267-2246 all others should contact their  agencies national academy at FLETC for registration.

August 25 – August 29 – International Preservation Trades Workshop, Leadville, CO (approximately 2-hours from Denver).  The three-day workshop celebrates the contributions that crafts people have made toward the preservation of our built environment. The workshop will feature dozens of hands on demonstrations by skilled craftspeople in trades related to the preservation of historic buildings. The demonstrations and lectures will focus on topics such as plaster and decorative arts, timber framing, roofing and rigging, stone and brick masonry, metalworking, carpentry and joinery, documentation, and much, much, more.  See http://iptw.org/iptw09-home.htm  for details.  Limited scholarships available to NPS employees.  To Apply:  Log on to DOI Learn and search the catalog for "hps" without the quotation marks to find the class.


September 14 – September 18 – Historic Plaster Repair, Harpers Ferry, WV.  During this four day workshop, participants will be introduced to traditional plaster repair and conservation techniques, means and methods. Participants will mix and apply plaster on walls in a historic building in Harpers Ferry NHP.  To Apply:  Log on to DOI Learn and search the catalog for "hps" without the quotation marks to find the class.


September 14 – September 18 – Interdisciplinary Resource Protection and Law, Glacier NP, MT. This course provides employees with a solid understanding of the resource mission of the NPS and the primary laws, legal authorities, case law interpretation, and policies used to protect park resources. Participants will also receive instruction in the functions and roles that contribute to effective interdisciplinary group work and practice these skills through resource protection case studies.  Training focuses on the ability of the employee to recognize a diversity of natural and cultural resources existing throughout the national park system and the types of threats and vulnerabilities associated with these resources. Participants utilize the legal basis (including compliance) for resource protection and develop skills and strategies to respond and take action to prevent resource injuries through effective interdisciplinary collaboration.  Participants will be required to complete pre- and post course work to receive full credit for the course. Part of the post-course work will include developing an outline of a response plan for a resource injury. CEU’s will be available if desired by the participant. This 40-hour interdisciplinary course, formerly titled “Resource Stewardship for Protection Rangers,” is the second course in the resource stewardship and protection curriculum developed with support from the Natural Resource Challenge. For a description of the curriculum and full course announcement go t http://www.nps.gov/training/nrs/nrshome.htm. Interested participants need to apply in DOI Learn (https://doilearn.doi.gov); to locate class, in search box type “Resource Protection.”  Scholarships for student travel may be available. Go to the above website and complete the scholarship for travel request.  Last day to register is August 7th. For further information contact Jeri Hall, Horace Albright Training Center, at 928-638-7927 or via Lotus Notes.


September 14 – September 18 – Archeological Resources Protection Training Program (XP-ARPTP-903), Department of the Navy, Jacksonville, FL. This 37-hour FLETC course provides training in all aspects of an archeological investigation and subsequent prosecution of the crimes. The class culminates in a 12-hour archeological crime scene practical exercise where law enforcement officers and archeologist work as a team to investigate and document a crime scene. Attendees will gather and process physical evidence, write incident reports, executive summaries, search warrants, damage assessments, and provide testimony in a courtroom scenario. Open to all  sworn law enforcement officers, prosecutors and federal archeologist. All NPS applicants should contact Wiley Golden at 912-267-2246 for registration. All others should contact their national academy representatives at FLETC.  Contact FLETC senior instructor Charles Louke at 912-280-5188 for course information.


September 14 – September 25 – Basic Tactic Instructor Training (BTITP-904), FLETC, Glynco, GA. The deadline for applications is July 24th. For more information, please click on http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?v=37PRG=574&ID=4024 .


September 14 – September 15 – Firearms Instructor Training (A_FITP-903B), FLETC, Glynco, GA. The deadline for applications is July 24th. For more information, please click on http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?v=37PRG=574&ID=4024 .


September 14 – September 25 – Law Enforcement Fitness Coordinator Training (LEFCTP-905), FLETC, Glynco, GA. The deadline for applications is July 28th. For more information, please click on http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?v=37PRG=574&ID=4024 .


September 21 – September 25 – Archeological Resources Protection Training Program (XP-ARPTP-904), San Juan Public Lands Center, Durango, CO. This 37-hour FLETC course provides training in all aspects of an archeological investigation and subsequent prosecution of the crimes. The class culminates in a 12-hour archeological crime scene practical exercise where law enforcement officers and archeologist work as a team to investigate and document a crime scene. Attendees will gather and process physical evidence, write incident reports, executive summaries, search warrants, damage assessments, and provide testimony in a courtroom scenario. Open to all  sworn law enforcement officers, prosecutors and federal archeologist. All NPS applicants should contact Wiley Golden at 912-267-2246 for registration. All others should contact their national academy representatives at FLETC.  Contact FLETC senior instructor Charles Louke at 912-280-5188 for course information.


September 24 – September 25 – Firearms Instructor Training (FITP-908), FLETC, Glynco, GA. The deadline for applications is July 23rd. For more information, please click on http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?v=37PRG=574&ID=4024 .


October 5 – October 9 – Trail Management: Plans, Projects and People, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV.  Agency trail staff, contractors, and volunteers will develop sustainable and accessible trails of all kinds, using the best practices of the trail management process (TMP). The TMP is a collaborative process that includes planning, design layout, construction, maintenance, monitoring, crew leadership, interpretation, operations, and safety.  NOTE: Registration closes seven weeks prior to the start of the training.  At that time you will be notified if you have been selected to attend and receive information on the class and lodging. This course is specifically designed for those who have beginning to intermediate trail management and leadership responsibilities.  For more information and to register log on to DOI Learn & search the catalog for "trails" (without the quotation marks) and scroll down to see all classes.


October 19 – October 23 – Archeological Resources Protection Training Program (XP-ARPTP-101), Apostle Islands NL, Bayfield, WI. This 37-hour FLETC course provides training in all aspects of an archeological investigation and subsequent prosecution of the crimes. The class culminates in a 12-hour archeological crime scene practical exercise where law enforcement officers and archeologist work as a team to investigate and document a crime scene. Attendees will gather and process physical evidence, write incident reports, executive summaries, search warrants, damage assessments, and provide testimony in a courtroom scenario. Open to all  sworn law enforcement officers, prosecutors and federal archeologist. All NPS applicants should contact Wiley Golden at 912-267-2246 for registration. All others should contact their national academy representatives at FLETC.  Contact FLETC senior instructor Charles Louke at 912-280-5188 for course information.


November 2 – November 6 – Archeological Resources Protection Training Program (XP-ARPTP-102), Jean Lafitte NHHP&P, New Orleans, LA. This 37-hour FLETC course provides training in all aspects of an archeological investigation and subsequent prosecution of the crimes. The class culminates in a 12-hour archeological crime scene practical exercise where law enforcement officers and archeologist work as a team to investigate and document a crime scene. Attendees will gather and process physical evidence, write incident reports, executive summaries, search warrants, damage assessments, and provide testimony in a courtroom scenario. Open to all  sworn law enforcement officers, prosecutors and federal archeologist. All NPS applicants should contact Wiley Golden at 912-267-2246 for registration. All others should contact their national academy representatives at FLETC.  Contact FLETC senior instructor Charles Louke at 912-280-5188 for course information.



Servicewide
Upcoming Events Calendar

Please submit information on upcoming events to Bill_Halainen@nps.gov. New listings and revisions are in bold face.

August 29 – Employee Reunion, Minute Man NHP, Concord, MA. A reunion of past employees will be held at the park on Saturday, August 29th, as part of the park’s on-going 50th anniversary celebration. There will be a picnic at noon at the Hartwell Tavern historical area, a park tour at 2 p.m., and a concert at North Bridge at 4 p.m. by the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums. For additional information or to RSVP, contact Lou Sideris at the park at 978-318-7833.

October 16 – October 18 – Employee Reunion, Zion National Park, UT. The park is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The final event of the year-long celebration will be an employee reunion, scheduled for October 16th to the 18th. The reunion will bring together present and former employees of Zion National Park, including the National Park Service, Zion Natural History Association, Parks Transportation, Inc., and park concessioners, both past and present. The reunion will reunite friends and coworkers and celebrate their accomplishments and the events which have taken place in the 100 years since Zion National Park was first established as Mukuntuweap National Monument by President William Howard Taft.  Special events, exhibits, tours, and gatherings will take place during the reunion.  Events are scheduled both in the park and in Springdale, Utah.  Former employees will have the opportunity to record oral histories of their memories of working in Zion National Park to be preserved in the park’s museum archives.  Participants must register for the reunion in advance. The registration deadline will be September 18th.  Information on registration and planned events can be found on the Zion Natural History Association website at www.zionpark.org.  Participants must make their own lodging arrangements and should do so soon to ensure lodging within or close to the park.  Former employees who are interested in being included on the mailing list to receive information about the reunion should contact Karen Mayne, Centennial program coordinator, who can be reached at Karen_S_Maynes@nps.gov or 435-772-0210.

December 6 – December 10 – “America’s History: Protecting the Past, Informing the Future,” Ranger Rendezvous XXIII, Association of National Park Rangers, Wyndham Hotel, Gettysburg, PA. The Rendezvous will open on Sunday evening with a reception at Gettysburg NMP’s new visitor center, which will be followed by special viewings of the park movie, “A New Birth of Freedom,” narrated by Morgan Freeman, and the restoration of the 1884 cyclorama painting of Pickett’s Charge. Monday will feature a three-hour-long afternoon field trip of the battlefield and the national cemetery (where the Gettysburg Address was delivered), guided by a park ranger (there will also be opportunities to see the Eisenhower Farm at the same time). Workshops, presentations and breakout sessions are being worked out on myriad topics, including interpretation and protection of historic sites, managing NPS sites in collaboration with park partners, issues in landscape restoration and other aspects of battlefield management, issues in park operations, ANPR international activities (including a report on the IRF World Congress in Bolivia set for this fall), collecting NPS oral histories for the upcoming 2016 centennial, and engaging in Civil War genealogy. Additional details will appear in the future. http://www.anpr.org/anprrr.htm



PARKS AND PEOPLE


Death Valley National Park (CA)
Death Of Connie Patterson

On the evening of Tuesday, June 23rd, family members discovered the body of park employee Connie L. Patterson, 59, at her home in Beatty, Nevada. The death has been ruled a suicide.

Connie had been a permanent visitor use assistant in the Resource and Visitor Protection Division since August of 1995. Her family has had a long association with the park and the community of Beatty. Connie’s grandfather was a permanent ranger-naturalist in the park and both of her parents had been park employees.  She was fifty-nine years old. 

A critical incident stress management (CISM) team from Lake Mead will be traveling to the park. Information on a memorial service is pending.

Cause of death is believed to be suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs.  Memorial service information is pending.  A CISM team will be responding to the park from Lake Mead, on Thursday afternoon.
[Submitted by Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]


Pacific West Region
Deanne Adams Is Retiring

Deanne Adams, regional chief of interpretation and education in the Pacific West Region, has announced her plans to retire on August 31st.  She and her husband, Tony Sisto (retired NPS), plan to return to Alaska next year, and live in Anchorage near Deanne’s siblings, their kids and all the grandkids.  They have five grandnephews and nieces under the age of five.  Deanne says “How can you resist that?”

Deanne has been in the regional chief position for 15 years, starting in the old Pacific Northwest Region, Seattle, in 1994, then in 2000 moving to the San Francisco area as regional chief in the new combined Pacific West Region (PWR).

Deanne was raised in McGrath, Alaska and graduated from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She started her NPS career in the Alaska Regional Office in 1972, transferred to Denali NP (then Mt. McKinley NP) in 1977 where she met Tony.  After their marriage, Deanne joined Tony in Yellowstone NP where she worked for the concessioner, managing hotels for the next five years.  They returned to Alaska and Deanne returned to NPS when she transferred to Fairbanks as the first manager of the Alaska Public Lands Information Center.  In 1989 they moved to the Washington DC area, where Deanne was chief of interpretation at Shenandoah NP until her transfer to Seattle in 1994.

During the 15 years in the PWR regional chief position, Deanne was part of major changes with the interpretation and education profession.  She was involved with the establishment of the Interpretive Development Program and the peer review certification program, serving as a certifier and an advocate for the program.  Deanne is known as a collaborator and team-builder, as well as an organizer and communicator.  She took advantage of new technologies in communication to increase effectiveness of meetings and to expand availability of information to all levels of staff.   She adapted as the job evolved with PWR parks working within networks of parks and partners and as the regional and national advisory councils focused attention on interpretation and education programs.  

Deanne has been an active volunteer with the Association of National Park Rangers, serving four years as president from 1995-1998.  She’s currently serving with the International Ranger Federation as the vice-president.

Planning for an October 10th retirement party is in the works.  The vacancy announcement for the GS13/14 position is expected to be out by early July.



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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363

All reports should be submitted via email to Lane Baker in the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services in the Washington Office and to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with copies to your regional office.