Park News July 31,2008

Blue Ridge Parkway/Shenandoah NP

While investigating an assault case that occurred on the parkway on July 22nd, ranger Jeremy Sears discovered a stolen vehicle at the Humpback Rocks trailhead. Investigation into the stolen vehicle yielded a description of a suspect and indications that he might be hiking on the Appalachian Trail (AT). When the description of the suspect was broadcast, it matched that of an AT hiker who Shenandoah rangers had recently contacted.  An extensive search of the Appalachian Trail was undertaken by Shenandoah rangers, while others checked Skyline Drive. Rangers Chad Coles and Patrick Seeley contacted a man who matched the description on the driver and found that he had items with him that connected him to the stolen vehicle. The man, identified as James D. Conley, was then interviewed by Shenandoah rangers and special agent Tim Alley. He admitted to stealing the car in Virginia Beach and was arrested on outstanding warrants and held for Virginia Beach PD. Effective investigation and close cooperation between Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah rangers made this apprehension possible.

 

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

A visitor camping at the Forest Service’s Upper Scorpion campground, located near the park, contacted park staff late on the evening of Friday, July 25th, and reported that shots had been fired in the area. The visitor said that a van had gone past the campground to the parking areas for the cliff dwellings and the West Fork trail into the Gila Wilderness and that a number of gunshots had been heard shortly thereafter. Since no Forest Service LE personnel were on duty that evening, a Grant County deputy was eventually dispatched to investigate. The deputy arrived about 90 minutes later and found no vehicle matching the description there or in nearby campgrounds and trailheads. A check early Saturday morning revealed no damage to any buildings or vehicles parked at the trailhead, but park staff recovered about 15 spent .22 caliber casings scattered around the parking areas. Interviews with other visitors indicated that persons in the vehicle also fired from the vehicle while it was driving in a least two other locations between the park visitor center and the cliff dwellings, though again no damage was observed.

 

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The NPS Ranger Honor Guard is recruiting for up to two positions on the team. Applications are being sought from commissioned personnel with a commitment to excellence. Applicants should read the Honor Guard SOP prior to submitting an application. SOPs, applications, and more information are available on the Honor Guard website, available by clicking on the link below. The deadline for applications is August 20th.



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Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park has issued a vacancy announcement for a GS-0810-12 civil engineer to work in its facilities management division. It is open under both competitive and merit promotion procedures. The announcement number is OLYM-08-37 and the USAJOBS control number is 1296411. Contact Reed Robinson (360-565-3150) if you have questions about the position or click on "More Information" below for a link to the announcement and application instructions.


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