Park News July 14,2008

Grand Teton National Park

On the Fourth of July, Tom Wilkinson, 24, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, tumbled approximately 150 feet and suffered a severe ankle injury while descending a snowfield on the Middle Teton. Wilkinson and his climbing partner, Christopher Leath, 24, of Wilson, Wyoming, were descending the South Couloir route – a rarely climbed couloir between the Southwest and Ellingwood couloirs – when the accident occurred. Wilkinson tumbled over several rock bands, injured his ankle when he hit a rock, and came to a stop above a cliff. Leath placed an emergency cell phone call, which was transferred to park rangers at 12:30 p.m. Rangers began coordinating a rescue operation and requested the assistance of an interagency contract helicopter. Because the two climbers were unable to describe their exact position on the mountain, an initial reconnaissance flight was required to locate them. During this flight, rangers and the pilot determined that winds were too strong to allow for the insertion of rescue personnel to the climbers’ location. Instead, six rangers and a helitack crew member were flown to a landing zone in the Garnet Canyon Meadows, then climbed to the injured man’s location. Two rangers reached the climbers at 3:45 p.m., and another helicopter flight was then launched to determine if weather conditions had stabilized enough so that the pilot could perform a shorthaul evacuation. Since they proved to be acceptable, the helicopter lifted Wilkinson and an attending ranger from the mountain and transported him to a waiting ambulance. Wilkinson was wearing crampons and a helmet at the time of the fall; he was also carrying an ice axe.

 

Grand Teton National Park

A 39-year-old man who admitted to breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s cabin, assaulting her and intentionally damaging her truck has been sentenced to more than two years in prison. Anthony Canovas, who was an employee at Triangle X Ranch, a park concession operation, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to malicious mischief, a felony, and simple assault and trespass, both misdemeanors. The incident occurred in 2006, when Canovas was an employee at the ranch. Although the precipitating incidents occurred the night before the park was contacted, investigating rangers were able to piece together the string of circumstances from interviews with witnesses, the victim and Canovas. Rangers were also able to secure evidence of criminal behavior that contributed to the guilty pleas.  The primary investigating ranger, Jay Shields, now at Blue Ridge Parkway, acted on information received during follow-up interviews to determine that Canovas had deliberately severed the brake lines of his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle and was able to prevent a potential motor vehicle accident. Shields’ investigation resulted in the conviction. Canovas was sentenced to two years and one month for malicious mischief and to six months for simple assault, with the sentences to be served concurrently.  Canovas also will serve three years of supervised probation once released and was ordered to pay $2,346 in restitution for the damage to his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle.

 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

On the evening of July 9th, several beachgoers reported finding a body at the water’s edge at the northern end of Stinson Beach. Supervisory ranger Aline Forbes was monitoring Marin County Sheriff’s Office radio traffic at the time; she notified the park communications office, then headed to the beach. Protection rangers and volunteer firefighters from the Stinson Beach Fire Department also responded and secured the area until the Marin County coroner and a Park Police detective arrived on scene. The body appeared to have been in the water for some time. Determination of the cause of death and the victim’s identification are pending.

 

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Dates: 07/07/2008 - 08/04/2008

This position is within the Fire Management Program Center for the National Park Service at the National Interagency Fire Center, working for the national fire use specialist but duty stationed at the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center (NIPFTC) in Tallahassee, Florida, with day-to-day supervision by the NIPFTC center director half of the time and under the supervision of the NPS fire science and ecology program lead, the supervisor of record, the other half of the time.

The person selected will serve as the National Park Service lead and focal point for operations and coordination at NIPFTC. She/he will provide leadership for the coordination, planning, development, execution and evaluation of all implementation activities associated with field operations at NIFPTC. Primary responsibilities include:
 
developing and maintaining procedures for preparing fuel treatment proposals for future field seasons;

providing logistical and operational supervision for burn teams through field coordinators;

tracking weather patterns and prescribed burn opportunities for burn teams;

implementing program monitoring for NIPFTC;

coordinating team rotation among hosts/cooperators, assuring effective allocation, diversity and complexity of assignments for burn teams;

providing site­ specific guidance for the application of fire and non-fire treatments to accomplish objectives;

establishing and maintaining coordination with hosts and responding to host needs - identifying these needs, working to resolve issues, forwarding difficult issues to center director; and

facilitating, coordinating, and instructing at prescribed fire courses and workshops.



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Shad Sitz has been selected for a one-year detail position as the national helicopter program manager for the National Park Service. Prior to his selection, he was the national aviation training specialist for the Department of the Interior's aviation management office.

Shad’s duties will include assisting in the implementation of the national aviation safety program; providing operational assistance to the regions and parks for their aviation activities and applications; coordinating training, seminars and workshops for standardization, exchange of information and improved procedures; providing the field direct support and technical expertise; and coordinating the management between the field and other program managers for all aviation activities.

Shad grew up in an aviation family in eastern Oregon and earned an associate’s degree in wildland fire science from Treasure Valley Community College. He then attended the University of Idaho, where he studied fire ecology and recreation. Pursuing his passion for aviation safety, he completed his aviation safety master’s certificate from the University of Southern California in 2003.

Shad began his fire and aviation management career with BLM's Burns District as an engine crewmember in 1991. Since then, most of his experience has been in helicopter and fixed wing operations. As the national aviation training specialist, Shad developed many new online aviation training modules, gave aviation safety presentations, and provided water ditching and survival, hover step, short haul and training.

Shad’s other aviation experience includes serving as a helicopter operation specialist on accident investigations, helicopter technical specialist, heibase manager, air support group supervisor on numerous fires. In addition, he has assisted the EPA, the. Park Police, U.S Postal Inspectors, the Los Angeles Police Department, the New York Port Authority and fire departments, community colleges and universities with aviation operation advice and expertise.

Shad enjoys flying with his father, piloting powered parachutes, traveling, scuba diving, skiing, watching Oregon football games, and spending time with his family. When not in Boise or at a National Park Service unit, he may be found with his wife, and two daughters at the family ranch in eastern Oregon flying, traveling, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and helping out with the day-to-day ranch operations.

Shad can be reached at his office at 208-387-5227, via cell at 208-949-8265, or through email at shad_sitz@nps.gov.

For more information about the National Park Service’s Aviation Program, go to http://www.nps.gov/fire/fire/fir_aviation.cfm.



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NPS Alumni

A celebration of the life on long-time NPS ranger Bob Haines has been set for Saturday, August 16th.

Bob, who worked at Rocky Mountain National Park for 24 years, passed away on Monday, May 12th, at his home in Estes Park. For a copy of the obituary that appeared in InsideNPS, click on “More Information” below.

Join family and friends for a celebration of his life on Saturday, August 16th, at 10 a.m. in the outdoor amphitheater of the Moraine Park Visitor Center and& Museum at Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado. 

Please RSVP to Teddie Haines at P.O. Box 427, Estes Park, CO 80517 (or 970-586-2575 or theo.marinus@juno.com ).



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