RNSP Daily News Continued (U.S. National Park Service)

Regional and Deputy Directors Visiting RNSP

On Tuesday, March 8, the new NPS Regional Director Chris Lehnertz and Deputy Regional Director George Turnbull will be visiting RNSP to meet with park staff and tour the park. We will be hosting lunch for all RNSP employees at SOC at noon that day. All NPS and CDPR employees are encouraged to attend. Main dishes will be provided by La Hacienda. Bring a side dish, salad or dessert if you can but please don't let that keep you from coming for lunch and to meet Chris and George. There may be a very short program but the main purpose of the get together is just to provide an opportunity for Chris and George to interact with staff.

Chris is interested in meeting as many folks from both agencies as possible and has a great interest in learning more about our partnership here at RNSP.

Hope to see you there!

Steve Chaney & Jeff Bomke

 

Confrontational Visitors

All employees should check out Marshall Neeck's email about diplomacy with confrontational visitors within the Redwood National and State Park Area.

 

State Park Budget

Just to help you out a bit, regarding news calls about the budget, please refer all such news calls to Governor's Office or the Department of Finance. If someone insists on talking to someone at parks, refer to me and I will handle.

Thanks everyone,

Roy Stearns
Deputy Director for Communications
California State Parks
1416 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 94296

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Roads and Trails Continued

Newton B Drury Parkway is OPEN

Parkway Closure Procedures
We are concerned about icing, snow and high winds. Any weather conditions meeting the following require closure of the parkway:
a. Clear skies and freezing temperatures
b. Cold front with snow forecast for 1,000 ft. or below
c. Forecasted wind gusts of 50 M.P.H. or greater

Gold Bluffs Beach & Miners Ridge Campground Closures

This closure is part of the previously announced and ongoing effort by State Parks to reduce operating costs through partial closures, seasonal closures and service reductions. Given the reductions in the State Parks' budget passed last October, State Parks cannot provide an acceptable level of service to remote campground facilities without compromising the maintenance and operation of other, more heavily used sites. In this case, low winter use and an extremely wet winter season have made this campground more expensive to operate this season.

South Coastal Drive Closure

South Coastal drive remains closed to vehicle traffic due to weather related damage. Road is not passable for vehicle traffic. Road is closed on the north end by the entrance to Alder Camp and is open on the south end from the Parkway approximately 1 mile north to the Coastal Trail (Carruthers CoveTrail Head).

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Safety with Rita

WHAT IS THE SAFEST AMOUNT OF TIME TO KEEP LEFTOVERS IN THE REFRIGERATOR?

Bottom line: No more than five days, depending on the food.

Why? The fridge doesn't get rid of bacteria; it just slows it down. If stored food already has something growing in it (which oftentimes it does), the cool temperatures will slow the rate of bacteria growth, but the longer foods are kept, the more opportunity bacteria have to grow to a level that will make you sick.

This is not a one-size-fits-all rule, however; different foods spoil at different times, since some foods provide more suitable breeding grounds than others.

In general, bacteria love foods rich in protein, making meats and poultry more likely to be contaminated than bread or fruit. While it is safe to eat a four-day-old burger after you've re-cooked it to the proper temperature (165 degrees F [74 C]), you probably wouldn't want to--spoiled food smells bad and has lost its signature flavor.

Fridge Time for Leftovers

Raw Meat--1 to 2 days

Luncheon Meat--3 to 5 days (opened package)

Cooked Meat--3 to 4 days

Gravy and Meat Broth--1 to 2 days

Leftover Pizza--3 to 4 days

Cooked Fish and Shellfish--3 to 4 days

Words of Caution

Store foods that spoil quickly in the back of the fridge; it's coldest there. Never assume that foods stored in the freezer are automatically safe. Freezing stops the growth of bacteria, but it does not kill bacteria already present. Once the food is defrosted, any organisms living inside the food will begin to grow. So thawed food (especially meat and fish) should be cooked/eaten as quickly as unfrozen food.

Sources: Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Be Safe!

Rita Causby
Safety Specialist
Redwoods National and State Parks

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