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Friday, May 17, 2013


INCIDENTS

Blue Ridge Parkway
Man Convicted Of Galax Poaching

Last fall, rangers on several occasions saw a silver Toyota Camry in areas along the parkway known for illegal galax harvesting. An inspection of the vehicle led to the discovery of twist ties and other items used in galax harvesting. On November 17th, rangers saw the same vehicle on the parkway and contacted the driver. He was found to have 4,140 galax leaves in his possession. The man also had been cited previously for commercially harvesting galax by the US Forest Service. On April 30th, he pleaded guilty to possession of galax and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
[Submitted by Tim Francis, Pisgah District Ranger]


OPERATIONAL NOTES


Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Division
National Trails Day 2013 Takes Place On June 1st

Hike. Bike. Paddle. Ride. Whichever way you choose, you can celebrate trails on National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1st. 

National Trails Day is devoted to appreciating America’s trails and the hard-working individuals who build and maintain them.  In honor of this day, thousands of public events will be hosted nationwide, and tens of thousands of trail enthusiasts will be outside as they hike, pedal, ride, and paddle through some of America’s most beautiful areas.

Last year, the National Park Service had the largest participation out of the five federal land management agencies for National Trails Day events, with 238 different events across America (133 of them hiking events, 35 trail stewardship, and 26 youth outdoor recreation activities).

We hope this year even more parks will hold National Trails Day events. To participate, please add your park or program’s event to the event registration page. In addition, you can find an event near you, or get inspired by these two NPS events:

  • For history buffs, Valley Forge National Historical Park will host a Trails Fair that will feature guided hikes, educational clinics, and volunteer projects.  The event will also include a showcase of the latest developments in outdoor equipment and gear.
  • In Woodstock, Vermont, attendees can celebrate both local trails and local food at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, where each trail in the Fifth Annual Trek to Taste will lead to samples of delicious farm-fresh treats prepared by area students.  Event attendees will also enjoy family-friendly arts and crafts activities, trail games, displays, live animals and music.

National Trails Day activities will be available in all 50 states and also the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  The National Park Service cooperatively partners with the American Hiking Society to support National Trails Day.

For more information about our partnership with the American Hiking Society, contact Steve Elkinton, Program Leader, National Trails System Program, at steve_elkinton@nps.gov or 202.354.6938.
[Submitted by Steve Elkinton, steve_elkinton@nps.gov, 202-354-6938]


Park Facility Management Division
2012 Accessibility Achievement Awards Conferred

The 2012 Accessibility Achievement Awards, conferred earlier this year, have been announced. The awards, designed to recognize exemplary efforts in making parks more accessible, were presented in three categories.

Sustained Park Achievement Award

Casa Grande Ruins NM received this award for its ongoing effort to improve accessibility both physically and programmatically between 2007 and 2012. Staff at the park worked to identify barriers throughout its facilities and programs. In 2007 the park’s picnic area was upgraded to include accessible elements in trail work, picnic shelter use, and cultural landscape displays.

In subsequent years, the park continued the efforts by:

  • Installing push button door openers were at front and back visitor center entrances
  • Completing some extensive accessibility upgrades in a public restroom inside a historic building
  • Conducting a holistic review of the park website to enhance accessibility functionality, and
  • Opening a new accessible theater addition, complete with an audio induction loop and a new film boasting captioning and audio descriptions.

For those continuing efforts to improve accessibility, the park sets a high standard for all units, offices, and locations to strive for.

Programmatic Achievement Award

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site earned the award for its efforts to make the site itself far more accessible than it once was. As a historic asset, the Roosevelt Home at Sagamore Hill is inaccessible to visitors with physical disabilities, so the staff undertook an effort to develop a narrated, captioned, and audio described video tour of the home’s rooms. Staff also assembled a detailed 60-page companion photo book to accompany the video. Together, the video and the book offer a normal interpretive tour of the home and an in-depth look at the collections within each of the 23 rooms—including detailed floor plans, original family furniture, artwork, animal trophies, and other items gathered from a lifetime of service.

The project was planned with universal accessibility in mind, and is of particular significance because the Roosevelt home is closed for extensive renovations. Though designed for a specific audience, the video and the companion book are, temporarily, the primary interpretive medium for all visitors.

Architectural Design Achievement Award

Tumacori National Historic Park and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area are co-winners of this award.

Tumacori rebuilt a Spanish Mission ruins trail and, in the process, made it wheelchair accessible. The upgrade makes it possible for a large segment of the retired and disabled visitor audience to access new interpretation sites and other areas that were once nearly impossible to get to. Going further, Tumacori constructed three accessible pullouts along the trail, and established a new accessible picnic area near the orchard’s entrance. After the upgrades, all visitors can enjoy the orchard and wander among the quince, pomegranate, and fig trees.

Whiskeytown re-routed a deeply eroded, steeply graded, and dangerous trail and made it accessible. The project relied on universal design techniques and best management practices. Newly resurfaced in a natural crushed granite and sealed with a polymer, the now-accessible trail provides a natural-looking hard and even surface that now provides all visitors—including those with wheelchairs, walkers, and even strollers—safe access deep into the forest. At the terminus of the trail, Whiskeytown constructed a new vista point, cleared out heavy brush that blocked views, and constructed a stone wall and sitting bench to provide all trail users with magnificent views of the surrounding forest, Lower Clear Creek, and the canyon’s beauty.
[Submitted by Michele Proce and Joseph Matthews]


Servicewide
Upcoming Training Calendar

Please submit information on upcoming training courses to Bill_Halainen@nps.gov no later than the Thursday morning before the Friday calendar update. New listings and revisions are in bold face.

Please note that the calendar includes ongoing, on-line training offerings. They appear at the end of this listing.

All entries must be brief and should have the following:

  • Beginning and ending dates.
  • Name and location of course.
  • A short one- to two-line description.
  • The closing date for application or registration.
  • Name(s) and number(s) for more information.
  • Most importantly, a link to a website where full announcements or detailed information can be found.

Note: Listings are removed from the calendar once the application deadline has passed.

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Webinars

May 21 – FBMS Programming – FMSS Tracking Work Flow, webinar, 3:00 p.m. EDT. The course covers the work flow between FBMS/AFS4 programming and how it relates to FBMS’s total cost of ownership (TCFO) and the tracking of time within the FMSS to support both FBMS’s TCFO and facility managers’ reporting needs. The target audience for this webinar is administrative staff with programming responsibilities and facilities staff. To participate, students should sign up individually in DOI Learn and search using “fmss tracking” to bring up the course.  To limit the number of phone lines used in an area, please share a speaker phone line where possible.

May 22 – Creating A Culture Of Inclusion, webinar, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. EDT. To register for this webinar, go to https://doilearn.webex.com, hit the “Upcoming” tab to locate the webinar and hit the “Register” link to the right of the webinar title.

May 22 – May 23 – Disaster Preparedness for Cultural Resources: Preparing You For the Next Disaster, webinar, 9 a.m. – noon CDT. The webinar, sponsored by the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, will be held over two days with multiple presentations covering a wide range of topics, providing information on preparing your historic building, site, landscape, or cemetery for natural and manmade disasters. MayDay was designated by the Heritage Emergency Task Force as an initiative to protect collections from disasters. Archives, libraries, museums, and historic preservation organizations throughout the world during the month of May participate in events to increase knowledge about safeguarding these resources. For more information or to register, please contact Sarah Marie Jackson at sarah_m_jackson@nps.gov.

May 23 – FBMS Programming – FMSS Tracking Work Flow, webinar, 11:00 a.m. EDT. The course covers the work flow between FBMS/AFS4 programming and how it relates to FBMS’s total cost of ownership (TCFO) and the tracking of time within the FMSS to support both FBMS’s TCFO and facility managers’ reporting needs. The target audience for this webinar is administrative staff with programming responsibilities and facilities staff. To participate, students should sign up individually in DOI Learn and search using “fmss tracking” to bring up the course.  To limit the number of phone lines used in an area, please share a speaker phone line where possible.

May 28 – FBMS Programming – FMSS Tracking Work Flow, webinar, 11:00 a.m. EDT. The course covers the work flow between FBMS/AFS4 programming and how it relates to FBMS’s total cost of ownership (TCFO) and the tracking of time within the FMSS to support both FBMS’s TCFO and facility managers’ reporting needs. The target audience for this webinar is administrative staff with programming responsibilities and facilities staff. To participate, students should sign up individually in DOI Learn and search using “fmss tracking” to bring up the course.  To limit the number of phone lines used in an area, please share a speaker phone line where possible.

May 29 – Climate Change Leadership Series, webinar, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT. This is the FIRST in a series of six webinars offering feasible approaches to climate change issues and management responses that are relevant to parks. Open to superintendents and deputy superintendents only. For more information, go to http://nrintratest/climatechange/training.cfm.

May 30 – FBMS Programming – FMSS Tracking Work Flow, webinar, 3:00 p.m. EDT. The course covers the work flow between FBMS/AFS4 programming and how it relates to FBMS’s total cost of ownership (TCFO) and the tracking of time within the FMSS to support both FBMS’s TCFO and facility managers’ reporting needs. The target audience for this webinar is administrative staff with programming responsibilities and facilities staff. To participate, students should sign up individually in DOI Learn and search using “fmss tracking” to bring up the course.  To limit the number of phone lines used in an area, please share a speaker phone line where possible.

June 5 – June 6 – Challenge and Change in the Workplace, webinar, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. EDT. To register for this webinar, go to https://doilearn.webex.com, hit the “Upcoming” tab to locate the webinar and hit the “Register” link to the right of the webinar title. If you have any questions, please contact Ralph Marrantino at ralph_marrantino@nps.gov.

June 28 – Climate Change Leadership Series, webinar, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT. This is the SECOND in a series of six webinars offering feasible approaches to climate change issues and management responses that are relevant to parks. Open to superintendents and deputy superintendents only. For more information, go to http://nrintratest/climatechange/training.cfm.

July 30 – Climate Change Leadership Series, webinar, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT. This is the THIRD in a series of six webinars offering feasible approaches to climate change issues and management responses that are relevant to parks. Open to superintendents and deputy superintendents only. For more information, go to http://nrintratest/climatechange/training.cfm.

August 29 – Climate Change Leadership Series, webinar, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT. This is the FOURTH in a series of six webinars offering feasible approaches to climate change issues and management responses that are relevant to parks. Open to superintendents and deputy superintendents only. For more information, go to http://nrintratest/climatechange/training.cfm.

September 23 – Climate Change Leadership Series, webinar, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EDT. This is the FIFTH in a series of six webinars offering feasible approaches to climate change issues and management responses that are relevant to parks. Open to superintendents and deputy superintendents only. For more information, go to http://nrintratest/climatechange/training.cfm.

October 28 – Climate Change Leadership Series, webinar, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EST. This is the SIXTH in a series of six webinars offering feasible approaches to climate change issues and management responses that are relevant to parks. Open to superintendents and deputy superintendents only. For more information, go to http://nrintratest/climatechange/training.cfm.

Online Training

Management

Hiring Reform Course for Managers. To reinforce the importance of the President’s hiring reform initiative and the changes associated with it (e.g., increased manager involvement in the hiring process and inability to ask applicants narrative questions in the initial application process), a new course, The Manager’s Role in the Hiring Process, has been launched in DOI Learn  and is now available to all managers. This web-based training consists of three modules (overview, job analysis/assessment development, and applicant review/selection) that provide managers with basic information that will assist them in understanding their roles and responsibilities in the hiring process.  It emphasizes the importance of manager involvement, which includes active engagement in the assessment process and determining the skills needed for positions being filled. The training can be used as a supplement to the strategic conversations that HR specialists have with selecting officials. Servicing Human Resources Offices (SHROs) will continue to serve as consultants and advisors to managers in the more detailed areas of the hiring and recruitment process which the training doesn’t cover, such as the development of assessment tools, specialized experience statements, and recruitment considerations (e.g. diversity and inclusion and special hiring authorities.). Completion time for this course is one-and-a-half hours; although it is tailored for managers, human resources professionals and other professionals associated with the hiring process are encouraged to take it.  If you are looking for additional information regarding hiring reform, please refer to the hiring reform webpage. Both the course and the web page provide valuable information related to the hiring reform initiative.

Cultural Resources

Nationwide Programmatic Agreement Toolkit. To help guide NPS staff on implementing the NPS nationwide programmatic agreement, which governs Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the NPS has developed a “toolkit.” The toolkit is mandatory training that provides guidance to NPS superintendents and Section 106 coordinators, division chiefs, and facilities staff at region and park levels on using the programmatic agreement during Section 106 review. NPS employees may earn a certificate for their review of the toolkit through DOI Learn by taking a final assessment. Register for the course in DOI Learn, then review the contents of the toolkit website before returning to DOI Learn to complete a final assessment. The toolkit website is available online at: http://www.nps.gov/history/howto/PAToolkit/index.htm. For more information about the NPS nationwide programmatic agreement toolkit, please contact: Jeffrey Durbin, NPS Section 106 compliance program officer, at 202-354-1816 or Jeffrey_durbin@nps.gov

Managing Archeological Collections. Learn about caring for archeological collections and help to overcome the curation crisis. The course is designed to assist those who are interested in, or need to learn more about, preserving and managing archeological collections over the long term. Register for the course in DOI Learn, then review the contents of the course website before returning to DOI Learn to complete a final assessment. The course website is available online at: http://www.nps.gov/archeology/collections/index.htm. For more information, contact Teresa Moyer (202-354-2124, teresa_moyer@nps.gov).

Archeology for Interpreters. Through this training, interpreters and anyone with an interest and need to know – including law enforcement rangers, natural resource experts, and managers -- may gain basic knowledge about archeology. The course provides opportunities to learn about archeological methods and analysis and how to encourage concern for the preservation and protection of archeological resources. A park-based case study provides practice. Register for the course in DOI Learn, then review the contents of the course website before returning to DOI Learn to complete a final assessment. The course website is available online at: http://www.nps.gov/archeology/AforI/index.htm.  For more information, contact Teresa Moyer (202-354-2124, teresa_moyer@nps.gov).

Interpretation for Archeologists. Archeologists and other resource professionals can take this training to gain a firm foundation in and understanding of the purpose, philosophy, and techniques of interpretation. The course encourages archeologists to frame their work for the public and to work with interpreters to integrate archeological perspectives into interpretive products and tell compelling stories.  Register for the course in DOI Learn, then review the contents of the course website before returning to DOI Learn to complete a final assessment. The course website is available online at: http://www.nps.gov/archeology/IforA/index.htm.  For more information, contact Teresa Moyer (202-354-2124, teresa_moyer@nps.gov).

Study Tour of Archeological Interpretation. View interpretation with “fresh eyes” to evaluate choices and strategies for interpreting archeology in parks and historic sites. Download worksheets to assist in evaluating both onsite interpretation and virtual visits.  Register for the course in DOI Learn, then review the contents of the course website before returning to DOI Learn to complete a final assessment. The course website is available online at: http://www.nps.gov/archeology/studytour/index.htm.  For more information, contact Teresa Moyer (202-354-2124, teresa_moyer@nps.gov).

Assessment of Archeological Interpretation. Use the interpretive analysis model to evaluate the effectiveness of interpreting archeological resources on the basis of visitor experience at the levels of short-term outcomes, long-term outcomes, and audience feedback. Learn more about the National Park Service evaluation strategy. Register for the course in DOI Learn, then review the contents of the course website before returning to DOI Learn to complete a final assessment. The course website is available online at: http://www.nps.gov/archeology/aiassess/index.htm. For more information, contact Teresa Moyer (202-354-2124, teresa_moyer@nps.gov).

NPS Fundamentals

NPS Fundamentals I: NPS Mission and History. A cornerstone for your NPS career. Learn online at your own pace about the history of the NPS, how the NPS is organized, and how the NPS fits into the federal government. Completion of this course is a prerequisite for NPS Fundamentals II: Introduction to NPS Operations.  Cost: free. For more information, go to the NPS Fundamentals website: http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm . Contact: Judy Geniac, (Judy_Geniac@nps.gov, 928-638-7881).

NPS Fundamentals III: NPS Career Management and Retirement Planning. Look ahead in your NPS career and eventual retirement. Learn online at your own pace about career and retirement planning, including sessions on advancing in your chosen career path, financial planning, insurance, and making healthy lifestyle choices. Cost: free. For more information, go to the NPS Fundamentals website: http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm. Contact: Judy Geniac, (Judy_Geniac@nps.gov, 928-638-7881).

NPS Fundamentals IV: Managing Work Life in the NPS. What are the expected legal and ethical behaviors of NPS employees? Why should diversity matter to you? What can you do to ensure a safe work environment? Get these questions answered and more in this online course studying public ethics, diversity, and safety in the NPS. Cost: free. For more information, go to the NPS Fundamentals website: http://www.nps.gov/training/fund/index.htm.  Contact: Judy Geniac, (Judy_Geniac@nps.gov, 928-638-7881).

Wilderness

The Wilderness Act of 1964. Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Minimum Requirements Analysis. Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Wilderness Stewardship Planning Framework. Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Wilderness Visitor Use Management. A suite of three courses: Fundamentals, Strategies, and Monitoring Impacts and Uses.  Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Natural Resource Management in Wilderness. A suite of twelve courses: Fundamentals, Challenges in Natural Resource Restoration, Monitoring, Evaluating Proposals for Scientific Activity, Fish and Wildlife, Fish and Wildlife Inventory and Monitoring, Threatened and Endangered Species, Air Quality, Soil and Water, Vegetation, Soundscapes, and Night Sky.  Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Managing Cultural Resources in Wilderness.  A suite of three courses: Fundamentals, Inventory and Monitoring, and Evaluating Scientific Proposals.  Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Managing Paleontological Resources in Wilderness.  A suite of three courses: Fundamentals, Inventory and Monitoring, and Evaluating Scientific Proposals.  Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Deciding to Keep Wilderness Wild: Four Cornerstones for Wilderness Managers. Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center/Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.  Click on this link for course information.  Contact: Tim Devine, 406-243-4612, tim_devine@nps.gov with any questions.

Retirement

Firefighter/Law Enforcement Officer Retirement Training for Human Resource Specialists, Managers and Supervisors. This course is designed to provide firefighter and law enforcement officer retirement training for human resources specialists, managers and supervisors. Cost: Free. For more information, see DOI Learn website: http://www.doi.gov/doilearn. Registration: DOI Learn Help Desk 1-866-466-1998 or email at doilearn@geolearning.com. FLERT Contact: William (Alan) Sizemore, Alan_Sizemore@ios.doi.gov 208-334-1556.

FERS Retirement Training for Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers. This course is designed to provide firefighters and law enforcement officers with information on FERS special retirement provisions so that they can manage their careers in such a way that they maximize their benefits. Special retirement provisions apply to employees occupying these positions and they have specific responsibilities that are critical to know about and act upon throughout their careers if they expect to qualify for special retirement. Cost: Free. For more information, see DOI Learn website: http://www.doi.gov/doilearn. Registration: DOI Learn Help Desk 1-866-466-1998 or email at doilearn@geolearning.com. FLERT Contact: William (Alan) Sizemore, Alan_Sizemore@ios.doi.gov 208-334-1556.

Supervision

New Supervisor Development Program. This new training and development program, which was begun last year, is designed specifically for first-time supervisors within the 12 month probationary period of their initial appointment. The New Supervisor Development Program (NSDP) is a blended learning program that is delivered both online and in residential (three day) sessions across the country in collaboration with Bureau of Land Management, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The online modules (completely free of cost) are available on DOILearn as preliminary work, and include the basics of in knowledge and skills for a first-time supervisor. Completion of these modules is followed by a three day Supervisory Skills Workshop (SSW) that provides synthesis and skills practice. The NSDP satisfies the initial 40-hour new supervisory training required by OPM (5CFR 412.202). There will be no cost to parks and regions in FY 2012 – all costs (tuition and travel) are being funded by WASO Learning and Development. Registrations for the SSW are managed via regional employee development officers by slot allocation.  For more information, please contact Katrina Roberts, NSDP Training Manager, 202-354-1487, or Brigitte Keels, 202-354-1406, or your regional employee development officer. This program is expected to continue in FY 2013, but funding has yet to be determined. Additional information can be found at: http://www.nps.gov/training/ - click on the link under “Featured Links:New!”



PARKS AND PEOPLE


Gettysburg National Military Park (PA)
GS-0025-13 Supervisory Interpretive Ranger

Gettysburg has issued an announcement for a supervisory interpretive ranger.

Click on the link below for a copy of the announcement with full details on duties, area information, and procedures for applying.

The closing date has been extended to May 24th.
 More Information...


Rocky Mountain National Park (CO)
GS-1601-11 Facility Management System Specialist (Lateral)

Rocky Mountain National Park is currently recruiting for qualified applicants interested in a lateral reassignment to a position as a facility management system specialist.

This is a permanent, fulltime, subject to furlough position. Government housing may be available in the park; housing assignments are made through a bid process. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses may be paid if the person for the position is from outside the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses under the current Federal Travel Regulations, but there will be no guaranteed home sale.

This position is in the park’s facility management division and is a network hub position which will be providing service to other parks within the region. The person in this position provides technical support for all activities involved in asset management work associated with the Facility Management Software System (FMSS), the Facility Condition Assessment System (FCAS), and the Cost Estimating Software System (CESS). She/he will oversee the work  and train lower-graded facility service assistants or other administrative support staff who perform other network FMSS support duties. 

Rocky Mountain National Park embraces 415 square miles of pristine, uninhabited mountains and is one of the most spectacular yet easily accessible high mountain areas in North America.  The park encompasses glacier-sculptured valleys, rugged gorges, alpine lakes and vast areas of alpine tundra.  Elevations range from 7,800 feet at park headquarters to 14,259 feet at the summit of Longs Peak.

This position is duty-stationed on the east side of the park.  The nearest community is Estes Park, which is approximately two miles from the park headquarters.  Estes Park includes a school (grades K-12), post office, grocery stores, restaurants, medical centers, shops, etc.  Within an hour’s drive are Fort Collins and Boulder and an hour and a half away is Denver.

To be considered, you must submit the following: 

  • A current resume/ application
  • A copy of your current or latest performance appraisal.
  • A copy of your current or latest SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting permanent competitive civil service status and grade.

Applications/resumes may be mailed, faxed or emailed directly to Rocky Mountain National Park  and must be received in the Human Resources Office by the close of business (4:30 p.m. MDT) on Friday, May 31st 

Mail applications to Rocky Mountain National Park, Human Resources Office, Attention:  Boyd Moody, 1000 Highway 36, Estes Park, CO 80517, or fax them to 970-586-1284 or email them to Boyd_Moody@nps.gov.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the hiring official directly for more information regarding this position: Kirsten Hardin, Kirsten_Hardin@nps.gov, 970-586-1388.



Cultural Resources
Recipients Of NPS Archeology Awards Announced

The John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in National Park Service Archeology Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of its project and career achievement awards. 

Project Award

The Project Award goes to Darlene Hassler-Godwin and Justin Ebersole for their outstanding work at Harpers Ferry National Armory.  Their project, entitled “Archeological Investigation of the Armory Street, Harpers Ferry Armory, (46JF518) Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV 2011-2012,” is commended for the high level of dedication and innovation of the individuals nominated for this honor.  

In addition to traditional field excavation, mapping, and lab processing and analysis, special attention was given to soil, ceramic and lithic analyses in order to gain a better understanding of the natural environment and climate during prehistoric periods represented by this site. Pollen analysis on soil samples, and starch and protein extractions on ceramic and lithic samples, confirm the presence of maize that was processed in the AD 900 ceramic vessels.

In addition to the identification of maize, one projectile point tested positive for protein residue. The oldest found in this excavation, this large, short-stemmed rhyolite point dates to the Late Archaic (c. 2,500–1,200 B.C.)  Analysts concluded from the proteins that the point was used on a member of the Perciformes (perch) order.  This represents the first archeology project in Harpers Ferry designed to explore prehistoric deposits, and the first time protein analysis has been performed on lithic materials.  

Another interesting outcome of this multi-faceted project was the historic component, which included tailrace tunnel mapping.  This exploration revealed some fascinating construction features – the tunnel is not simply a single shaft, as depicted on historic maps, but comprised of two sections forming a “Y.”  The tunnels were constructed as a series of arched vaults that document the complex evolution of the tailrace system.

Other discoveries include use of brick in transitional or curved areas of the vault and in other locations corresponding directly with armory shops.  Darlene Hassler-Godwin and Justin Ebersole, and their student assistant, demonstrated the highest level of personal interest and exceptional research skills during this project. 

Career Achievement Award

The Career Achievement Award goes to Chris Finley (now retired) at Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area for his outstanding stewardship of the cultural history and values of Bighorn Canyon. 

Native peoples, mountain men, ranchers and homesteaders have all left their mark at the park, and no one is better at interpreting and protecting cultural remains than Chris.  He is curious and endlessly knowledgeable, and most importantly loves to share what he knows with visitors, staff and students.  

As an adopted member of the Crow tribe, Chris has been a tireless advocate for promoting partnerships and collaboration between American Indian groups and the park.  His devotion and passion for his work, particularly in documenting stone circles familiarly known as 'tipi rings,' are a source of pride and joviality to the Crow Nation and they have given Chris the affectionate nickname of "Lord of the Rings." 

Congratulations to Chris for his outstanding dedication to the cultural resources of Bighorn Canyon, and his vision of bringing Native American students closer to their own heritage through archeological investigations and stewardship practices.

*****

National Park Service archeologists created the Cotter Award to honor the long and distinguished career and pioneering contributions of Dr. John L. Cotter to professional archeology in the National Park System.  This unofficial award was established to inspire student and professional archeologists to continue Dr. Cotter’s model of excellence in scientific archeology.  The award recognizes the accomplishments of NPS staff or a partnership researcher in the execution of a specific project within a unit or units of the National Park System. 

For further information please contact Pei-Lin Yu, Cultural Specialist, Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Ph 406-243-2660 or peilin_yu@nps.gov.
[Submitted by David N. Fuerst]


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NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:

http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id=8728&lv=2&pgid=3504

All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.