Park News July 1,2008

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

A uniformed park law enforcement ranger was treated and released from a St. Louis hospital last Sunday evening after being attacked by a man earlier that morning. The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. on June 29th when the ranger approached four men who were throwing barricades into the Mississippi River near First Street and Washington Avenue. One of the men attacked the ranger, who then attempted to subdue him with a taser. The ranger was able to handcuff one wrist before the man ran to his vehicle. The man, now in control of the vehicle, struck the ranger with the car and the ranger in response fired several rounds from his service weapon. The man then drove the vehicle about 10 blocks north of the park before being involved in a motor vehicle accident.  When city police arrived at the accident, they found the man trapped in the car with several gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died. An investigation is being conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department for the city of St. Louis, with cooperation from the National Park Service.

 

Grand Canyon National Park

Firefighter Michael MacDonald was tragically killed in a private medical helicopter collision while being transported from the Grand Canyon to a northern Arizona hospital for a medical condition not directly related to firefighting on Sunday, June 29th. Six people, including MacDonald, were killed in the collision of two medical helicopters near Flagstaff Medical Center. “Our condolences go out to the families and co-workers of those that were lost yesterday in this tragic incident,” stated Steve Martin, the park’s superintendent. “The fire community lost a young firefighter, the Flagstaff Medical Center, Guardian Air and Classic Lifeguard lost coworkers and friends, and the Blackfeet Nation, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon communities all suffered a great loss. We offer our deepest condolences to all who lost family, friends and co-workers yesterday. On behalf of community members, co-workers, family and friends, our thanks go out to all rescue and medical personnel who responded to the incident yesterday. We appreciate their heroic efforts to save the lives of others at the risk of their own.” MacDonald, 26, was a member of the Chief Mountain Hot Shots, an elite Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded Native American firefighting crew based on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana. The crew was assigned to the Walla Valley Fire on the North Rim. The Chief Mountain Hot Shot crew will be released from the incident today to travel home.

 

Glacier National Park

Evidence has recently been found of the location where a seasonal employee died after he disappeared on a day hike last November. On November 10, 2007, seasonal Clay Rubano, 46, failed to return from a day hike in the Wind River Range in Wyomings. Rubano worked as a backcountry permit writer in Many Glacier from 2001 to 2006 and remained on as an intermittent employee thereafter. He was working for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and was reported missing when he failed to report for work. Rubano’s spouse, Rachel Jenkins, worked as a bear ranger in Many Glacier for 12 seasons. An extended search was conducted, but failed to find any evidence of his whereabouts. On June 8th, physical evidence was found indicating that Rubano had died in Sinks Canyon. DNA tests are being conducted to confirm this. A team of searchers discovered the evidence approximately three-quarters of a mile east of Sheep Bridge, which is on the Middle Fork trail of the Popo Agie River. Initial indications point to Clay falling about 75 feet from a cliff off of the trail. The area in which the evidence was found was part of the original search area that was drawn up last November and had been searched with both people and dog teams. The area was obscured from the air and required luck and persistence from the ground searchers. The site had attracted two different dog teams last November, but did not reveal any clues at the time. The recent search was comprised of volunteers from a number of states and agencies. The team that discovered the evidence was made up of friends from Glacier, all either retired or on leave from the park. Charlie Logan, the incident commander of this recent search, shared his appreciation of the search efforts that the Fremont County Search and Rescue team made last November. Without their thorough and well-executed search efforts, the evidence would likely not have been discovered so early in this recent search. The Fremont County Coroner's Office is handling the investigation of the site. For a copy of the original report, click on the link below.

 

Zion National Park

On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25th, Michael Holcomb, 39, was attempting to complete the final rappel along the popular Subway canyoneering route in the Left Fork of North Creek – a route that involves several swims and short rappels. Instead of rappelling, though, as other members of his group had done, he chose to climb down a series of ledges, leaving him with a six- to eight-foot jump to reach the canyon floor. Holcomb injured his lower right leg when he landed on the uneven creek bottom. Members of Holcomb’s party hiked to the trailhead to seek assistance. Ranger Cody Cole, field training ranger Moses Rinck, and ranger Chris Scheid hiked into the canyon and met up with Holcomb around dark. The rangers spent the night in the canyon with Holcomb, who had been attempting to hobble downstream. On the morning of June 26th, Holcomb found that he was unable to bear any weight on his injured leg.  A short-haul helicopter rescue was organized utilizing the Grand Canyon’s short-haul team. The operation was complete by early afternoon. This was the third short-haul rescue of an injured hiker out of the Left Fork canyon in the past two months. Jumping, as opposed to using a rope to rappel, is one of the most common causes of preventable injuries in Zion’s backcountry. Plateau district ranger Ray O’Neil was the IC.

 

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

A new act of vandalism and trespass to posted shorebird protection areas occurred on Bodie Island Spit just north of Oregon Inlet on Sunday, June 22nd. Park staff discovered damaged fencing and off-road vehicle tire tracks within three resource protection areas south of Ramp 4 towards the inlet. The ranger who investigated the violation found one sign destroyed and numerous tire spin-out tracks in the sand, including zigzagging across the beach, “doughnut” tire marks, and evidence of sand thrown considerable distances from the tire tracks, which suggested that the vehicle was traveling at excessive speed. In accord with the court-ordered consent decree, the park automatically expanded the closure area by 50 meters. Should there be a subsequent violation, the buffer zone will be expanded by 100 meters; a third would cause it to be expanded by 500 meters.

 

National Mall & Memorial Parks

Lance Hatten has been selected as the new chief of visitor services for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. He began his new assignment on June 22nd and is responsible for managing programs related to visitor education, recreation and safety.

Hatten has worked for the NPS for 15  years. Prior to being selected as division chief, he served as deputy chief of visitor services at the park.

Hatten holds a masters in American history degree from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a bachelor of arts degree in history from Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana. He began his career at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, where he worked as an NPS interpreter and later as a protection ranger. Hatten was among the founding members of the Fort Mose Historical Society, a community support organization affiliated with the Florida State Park System. He has also worked at Fort Pulaski National Monument as chief of interpretation and resource management. While at Fort Pulaski, he led several initiatives that strengthened park relationships with community stakeholders.

Hatten moved to Washington, D.C., in 2000 when he accepted the position of site nanager of National Mall operations. At the National Mall & Memorial Parks, he has worked in a variety of positions, including strategic planner, deputy chief of administration, and deputy chief of visitor services. Hatten has served as the principle coordinator for the National Park Service Independence Day Celebration since 2001. He has also been instrumental in the development of interpretive media throughout National Mall & Memorial Parks.

Hatten has received several special recognitions during his National Park Service career, including the 2006 National Capital Region Harry Yount Award.

"Lance is a tremendous talent for the National Mall & Memorial Parks. His professionalism, enthusiasm and his desire to grow this interpretive program into the best in the NPS will serve him and the NPS well. We welcome him to the management team of the park and look forward to his leadership,” said superintendent Peggy O’Dell.

The National Mall & Memorial Parks consists of more than 1,000 acres of federal property, including the entire monumental core of Washington, D.C., and both East and West Potomac Parks.

 

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Barbara J. (BJ) Johnson has been selected as chief of Denver Service Center's planning division.

BJ has worked in the division as a branch chief since 2004. As branch chief, she supervised planning division staff responsible for dozens of general management plans, special resource studies, commercial services plans, wilderness studies, and national heritage area management plans.

In 2007, she served an eight-month detail as the WASO planning program manager, where she focused on nationwide park planning policy. BJ also managed the production of the new on-line park planning training program and the 2008 General Management Planning Dynamic Sourcebook.

BJ came to the NPS from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Over her 20 years at the FAA, BJ held a variety of district and division management positions. She was responsible for planning and NEPA compliance activities, as well as a $200 million dollar annual design and construction program. BJ has worked in the professional planning and NEPA compliance realms for nearly 25 years.

BJ holds a bachelor's degree in environmental conservation and environmental biology and a master's degree in environmental science, both from the University of Colorado.