Park News October 8,2008

Blue Ridge Parkway

During the week from September 28th to October 1st, rangers made several significant drug cases in the park:

• September 23rd – Based on intelligence gathered by a Forest Service special agent, a joint surveillance operation was undertaken at a marijuana patch on Forest Service lands adjacent to the park. During the surveillance, three people were seen entering the site, which contained 3,800 plants. The three began harvesting them and were allowed to finish, depart, meet a pickup vehicle on the parkway, and load 450 pounds of marijuana buds into it. They were then arrested. One was found to be armed with a handgun. The joint investigation included the Forest Service, DEA, McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, and Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.


• September 28th – While participating in Operating Farthing, a traffic safety enforcement program, ranger Bruce Gagnon saw a vehicle whose driver was exceeding the speed limit and recognized him from a prior contact. Although Gagnon was at first unable to catch up with him, he later found the unoccupied vehicle at the scene of an accident on a parkway exit ramp. Gagnon worked with officers from two other agencies to find and interview the occupants and determined that they were in possession of controlled substances and had otherwise violated the law. A buy/bust operation was successfully conducted on park lands and another two quarter-ounce bags of cocaine were seized. Federal and state charges are pending. The joint investigation involved the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office, Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office, Galax PD, and the North Carolina Highway Patrol.


• October 1st – Park employees found a marijuana patch on park lands in July and a cooperative investigation was begun with the Virginia State Police. Remote surveillance was begun and pictures were taken of the growers working the 48-plant patch. The investigation is still underway and involves the Virginia State Police, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, and Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.

 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

On the evening of September 27th, rangers Chad Marin and Annie Leone were on foot patrol of the picnic area of Stinson Beach when they came upon a large group of juveniles in possession of alcoholic beverages. While interviewing them, one of the juveniles became particularly defensive, loud and uncooperative and squared off with Marin. Marin attempted to place him in handcuffs and in doing so a struggle ensued and both went to the ground. Ranger Mike Hardin and Leone helped Marin gain control of the juvenile, who continued to resist and struggle with Marin and Hardin. Leone concluded that he was not going to stop fighting and announced that she was going to use her taser on him. When she did so, the juvenile stopped struggling and the rangers were able to handcuff him. He continued to be uncooperative, but was placed in an ambulance and taken to Marin General to have the barbs removed. While at the hospital, he finally provided the rangers with correct information about his parents and grandparents. His grandfather told Leone that this was the second time that an officer had used a taser on his grandson.

 

Grand Teton National Park

The park hosted the annual Federal Reserve Bank symposium from August 21st to August 23rd. The symposium is sponsored by the Kansas City branch of the Federal Reserve and has been occurring for many years. This year the event drew a wider audience due to current economic developments worldwide. There were more than 200 participants from the international banking community and live media feeds eight hours a day from five networks.  Park rangers and public affairs and business personnel provided support and assisted the Grand Teton Lodge Company and security details from several banking institutions during the event.

 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Ranger John Goodwin was on patrol of the Navy Memorial on the morning of October 4th when he came upon numerous items dumped near the portable restrooms in the parking lot. Goodwin checked them and found that they included four overhead portable light fixtures, flexible duct hoses, planter boxes, several pounds of vermiculite, and several large black plastic bags containing marijuana leaves and stems. Park Police identification technician Rob Whalen and supervisory ranger Ron Heeren joined Goodwin in the parking lot and took photos of the scene. The marijuana was taken to Park Police headquarters to be weighed. The total wet weight came to 8.2 pounds. It was later taken to an evidence warehouse to be dried and reweighed. The criminal investigations branch was notified and is leading the investigation.

 

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

Wrangell-St.Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks and Preserves are currently recruiting for a GS-11/12 district ranger. The person selected for this position, which is located in Yakutat, will manage a wide spectrum of park operations for both parks, including 5,000,000 acres in Wrangell-St.Elias and 75,000 acres in Glacier Bay. Operations are diverse and include managing district staff involved in challenging visitor and resource protection programs, resources management, subsistence, search and rescue, backcountry management, visitor services, and interpretation.  The area is characterized by spectacular mountain vistas, long empty beaches, dense coastal forests, and abundant fish and wildlife. Government housing is available. The parks have issued a merit promotion announcement that closes on October 15th and can be found on USA Jobs at the link below.  For further information, contact Tom Betts, acting chief ranger at Wrangell-St.Elias, at 907-822-7210, or Randy Larson, chief ranger at Glacier Bay, at 907-697-2621.



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Everglades National Park

Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks  are seeking several permanent, full-time GL-0025-9 protection rangers. An announcement is posted on USA Jobs and closes on October 21st. It is for non-status candidates. Two positions are located at Dry Tortugas and three in Everglades – one at Flamingo, one in the Gulf Coast District in Everglades City, and one at the main entrance in the Pine Island District. The announcement number is AT213280 and can be obtained by clicking on the link below.  For more information, please contact chief ranger Bonnie Foist at 305-242-7739.



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Catoctin Mountain Park

Catoctin Mountain Park has a detail opportunity for a GS-0025-5 interpretive park ranger.  It will begin on November 1st and run into next January. Housing is available. 

The person selected will be responsible for resource education, front line information services, and coordination with other NPS offices.  In this capacity, duties will include answering telephone inquiries, responding to information requests, providing permit services, and performing other duties as assigned.  The primary duty location is at the visitor center.  For further information, contact Sally Griffin at 301-663-9399.  If you are interested in this detail, please send the park a resume and current SF-50. 

Catoctin Mountain Park is one of 391 units administered by the National Park Service.  It is located three miles west of Thurmont, Maryland in Frederick County and consists of 5,810 acres.   The park was originally created as a Recreational Demonstration Area in 1936, as a result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation.  Today, the park provides many recreational uses such as hiking, horse back riding, camping, cross country skiing and picnicking and contains one of the best catch and release trout streams in the state.