Park News July 18,2008

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

A hiker contacted park dispatch on Monday afternoon to report that she’d been assaulted by a man on the Oakwood Valley trail. She said that she’d seen him earlier on the trail, that he’d grabbed her from behind and dragged her into the brush, and that she’d fought him off and called for help. Rangers, Park Police officers and Marin County deputies responded and set up a containment area. Supervisory ranger Kurt Veeck drove his patrol car along a fire road close to the main trail and spotted the man, identified as 21-year-old Sergey V. Ilyushin. Veeck detained him until ranger Annie Leone could arrive on scene with the woman. She positively identified Ilyushin as her attacker. Iluyshin was placed under arrest and taken to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office substation, where he was interviewed by Leone and a Marin County detective. After a two-and-half-hour interview, Iluyshin confessed to the assault with the intent to commit rape. Bail has been set at $2,000,000. Additional charges are also pending. The incident is being jointly investigated by Golden Gate rangers and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

 

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

On July 16th, a park guest who had just descended from the monument’s face slipped on lose pine needles and rocks and tumbled a short distance, breaking her leg in two places. Rangers, other park employees and members of the park’s technical rope team responded. The woman was stabilized and taken down the mountain without incident. She was part of a group being lead by an employee that was descending down the mountain after visiting the top of the sculpture. After being successfully rescued from Mount Rushmore, she was transported by ambulance to the Rapid City Regional Hospital, where she was released pending surgery in Denver.

 

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park has issued an announcement for a GL-0025-9 protection ranger. The announcement closes on Wednesday, July 23rd. The announcement number is CAVE-08-64MP(A). A copy can be obtained by clicking on “More Information” below.



 More Information...

 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is actively recruiting for a GL-0025-9 protection ranger with a Level I commission interested in a lateral reassignment. 

This is a permanent, full-time, 6c covered position. Primary duties include the full range of law enforcement in an area of concurrent jurisdiction – resource protection, wilderness management, emergency medical services, structural and wildland fire, search and rescue and visitor services.  Collateral duties might include such activities as SAR, EMS coordinator, structural fire coordinator, fees, special use permits, etc. The person in this position will serve as one of four permanent GL-9 protection rangers working on the Pine Springs side of the park.

Guadalupe Mountains NP is located in West Texas, 55 miles south of Carlsbad, New Mexico, and 110 miles northeast of El Paso, Texas. This is a remote park with the nearest community, Dell City, 45 miles to the southwest. It has bus service for school grades K-12.  The climate is a semiarid, with warm summers, mild winters, abundant sunshine, low relative humidity and approximately 21 inches of rainfall per year. Grocery and department stores, hospitals, doctors, dentists, churches, banks, motels, restaurants and recreational facilities are found in Carlsbad and El Paso.

This is a required occupancy position, with government housing in Pine Springs, Texas.

Rising more than 3,000 feet above the Chihuahuan Desert, the park contains the three highest points in Texas – upwards of 8,700 feet.  Authorized by Congress in 1966 to preserve “an area possessing outstanding geological values together with scenic and other natural values of great significance”, the park contains three internationally significant geological stratotypes and is one of the world’s finest examples of ancient marine fossil reef.  (Stratotypes are outstanding examples of exposed rock that represent a certain period of geological time.) Primary public facilities consist of more than 80 miles of trails, ten (10) back country-wilderness, campgrounds, two front country campgrounds, two public horse corrals with accompanying camp sites, picnic areas, a visitor center, maintenance and housing area complex and six miles of state highway.  Visitation for the park is approximately 186,000 annually. 

Interested candidates should contact acting chief ranger B J  Ratlief at 915-828-3251 x109. To apply, send an OF-612 federal application or equivalent resume, along with a copy of your most recent performance appraisal and a current SF-50, t Human Resources Office, Re: GUMO 9-LE, 3225 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM 88220.

Applications should be received by close of business on August 8th.

 

Denali National Park & Preserve

The CommCenter (dispatch office) at Denali National Park is a full-service law enforcement and emergency services dispatch center. During the summer season, the CommCenter operates from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. It is a busy and complex operation. In addition to servicing Denali, the center provides automated flight following (AFF) and other services to other NPS units in Alaska.

Normally, five employees work in the office. Recent and unexpected resignations and a transfer have dropped the staffing level to two. This presents an acute staffing shortage in a critically important operational program at the worst possible time of the year.

Denali is seeking a full-performance NPS dispatcher for a four- to six-week detail to the CommCenter. Exact time length of the detail is negotiable. The park will pay all salary, travel, and per diem costs. In addition, backfill is authorized for the home unit. This detail represents a great career development opportunity for a qualified employee and a chance to see and experience a crown jewel national park in Alaska.

Qualified employees, with supervisory approval, should contact CommCenter supervisor Sean Fielding at 907-683-9555 or chief ranger Pete Armington at 907-683-9521.