Park News August 13,2008

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

On the evening of Monday, August 11th, eight-year-old Evan Pala, of Boca Raton, Florida, was playing along LeConte Creek about 300 yards up Rainbow Falls Trail from the trailhead when he was reportedly attacked twice by an 86-pound bear. The boy suffered non-life-threatening cuts, scratches and puncture wounds. His father, John Pala, was able to drive off the animal with sticks and rocks, but sustained some minor injuries himself. The Palas were treated at Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Facility in Sevierville and released later in the evening. Rangers arrived on scene within minutes of the incident and came upon a bear that matched the size given by John Pala. The bear was shot and killed, then taken to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for a necropsy which will help to determine if it was carrying rabies or if there were any other health abnormalities that may have prompted the attack.  Rabies, however, is extremely rare in wild bears and has never been documented in a park bear. Park wildlife biologists advise that there’s been no bear activity reported at this location recently, though bears are active throughout the park, as they typically are during this time of the year. While several backcountry campsites are currently closed and bear warning signs posted because of known bear activity, park wildlife personnel have had fewer human-bear conflicts than usual reported so far this year. The bear that was shot did not have an ear tag or tattoo, indicating that it had not been previously captured. This was the first serious bear-human incident since a 2000 attack which resulted in the tragic death of a local woman who was attacked by a 113-pound female bear and a yearling cub. Visitor injuries by bears are uncommon in the Smokies, and, when they have occurred, have typically been minor bites or scratches resulting from a bear trying to obtain human food. Park biologists have documented seven minor human injuries over the past ten years, mainly involving bears trying to get at human food and injuring a visitor in the process.  The Rainbow Falls Trail remained closed overnight to allow rangers to investigate and document the incident in the daylight.

 

Grand Teton National Park

A 55-year-old man from Helena, Montana, took a fatal fall while traversing the ridge between the South Teton and Cloudveil Dome with three companions on the afternoon of Saturday, August 9th. Chris Pazder slipped on snow while crossing the south side of Gilkey Tower (elevation 12,320 feet) and tumbled about 800 feet over steep rock before landing on a ledge on the north side of Avalanche Canyon. He was carrying an ice axe at the time of the slide, but was unable to self arrest. Rangers were notified of the accident at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, when Pazder’s companions placed a cell phone call to the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center to report the accident. Rangers immediately organized a rescue operation and requested the assistance of an interagency contract helicopter for air support. The helicopter flew to Lupine Meadows, picked up several rangers, and undertook an aerial reconnaissance flight. Pazder was located from the air, and rangers were able to verify that he had died in the fall. A ranger who was on routine mountain patrol in Garnet Canyon was diverted from his backcountry route to the accident scene. He reached the three members of Pazder’s party just before 5:00 p.m. and assisted them with the descent to their camp in the South Fork of Garnet Canyon. They were able to hike out of Garnet Canyon on Sunday morning. Because of an incoming thunderstorm and the time of day, rangers decided to wait until Sunday to attempt to recover Pazder’s body. Rangers began their ground-based recovery operation on Sunday morning by flying six rangers to a landing zone near Lake Taminah in Avalanche Canyon. The rescue personnel had to ascend 200 feet of technical terrain to the ledge where Pazder came to rest. The recovery operation was completed by early Sunday evening.

 

Valley Forge National Historical Park

The U.S. Attorney's Office has announced the indictment of five alleged identity thieves who targeting visitors to the park. Charged were Daniel Duncan, 28, Devin Williams, 29, Ulonda Lewis, 28, and Sakisa Shelton, 32, all of Philadelphia, and Karen Battle, 34, of Wyncote. The indictment, issued last Thursday, alleges that from July to November 2006, the defendants stole credit cards from park visitors by breaking into cars and stealing wallets. They then immediately used the cards at nearby stores. To maximize their take, they sometimes split up so different cards could be used in adjacent or nearby stores at the same time. The five are accused of fraudulently charging and attempting to charge a total of more than $28,000. "The assistance received from the police departments in Upper Merion, Tredyffrin Township, Abington, and Philadelphia was invaluable in bringing this case," said Mike Caldwell, the park’s superintendent. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment for each count of credit card fraud, and a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft.

 

Grand Teton National Park

An injured climber was evacuated by helicopter from the Grand Teton on the afternoon of Thursday, August 7th. Merry Carny, 46, of Salt Lake City, Utah, sustained multiple broken bones after landing hard during a rappel from a cliff near the Upper Saddle of the Grand Teton. Carny and her husband had successfully reached the summit and were on their way down when the accident occurred; neither climber was wearing a helmet at the time. The Carnys climbed Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton on Thursday morning and reached the summit at 12:30 p.m. They were descending the standard rappel near the Upper Saddle when Merry was unable to maintain friction on her climbing rope and ultimately slid about 50 feet before coming to an abrupt stop on the slope below the rappel route. She landed on her feet, but fell backward after the abrupt landing. Carny received injuries to her leg, side and back, and was unable to continue climbing. The Carnys used their cell phone to report their situation;  however, because of their location on the Grand Teton, the call was received by the Driggs, Idaho, sheriff’s office. The Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received notice of the accident at 1:30 p.m. and park rangers immediately summoned an interagency contract helicopter to assist with the rescue effort. Three park rangers were transported by the contract helicopter to the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton, and one of those rangers was then inserted into the accident site via short-haul. Two more rangers were flown by helicopter to the Lower Saddle along with necessary rescue equipment, and another ranger was also inserted by short-haul into the accident site. Carny was given emergency medical care by the rangers and placed into a rescue litter for evacuation. She was then flown out at 4:45 p.m. – with a ranger accompanying her – directly to the Jenny Lake rescue cache located on the valley floor. A park ambulance transported her to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson for further treatment of her injuries. The remaining ranger accompanied her husband as he continued his descent from the Upper Saddle. Upon reaching the Lower Saddle, he too was flown by helicopter to the rescue cache to expedite a reunion with his wife at the hospital.

 

Pinnacles National Monument

Dates: 08/11/2008 - 08/22/2008

Pinnacles National Monument is accepting resumes or applications for qualified candidates seeking a non-competitive lateral reassignment to a GL-0025-9 protection ranger position. This position is permanent full time and requires a Level 1 commission. The duty station is located on the west side of the park. Housing (a manufactured home) is available on the west side of the park near Soledad. A dual-career opportunity may exist. 

Pinnacles rangers provide law enforcement and investigative services along with EMS, search and rescue, technical rescue, and wildland fire.  Many leadership opportunities exist including; operational risk management, firearms instructor, taser instructor, detac instructor, and development in supervision.  The Westside incorporates designated wilderness and the position requires a high degree of backcountry and wilderness monitoring. Spanish speaking applicants are encouraged to apply.

Pinnacles National Monument, in California’s Central Coast region, consists of approximately 26,000 acres, over 16,000 acres of which are designated wilderness. The park includes over 32 miles of trails. Elevations range from 1000 to 3000 feet and temperature extremes range from below 15 degrees in winter to over 110 degrees in summer. . While administrative duties are performed in an office setting, the balance of duties are discharged throughout the park, with exposure to the climate prevailing at the time, including extremes of temperature and moisture.  Nearest communities for shopping, doctors, hospitals, etc. are Hollister (32 miles, population 34,400), King City (28 miles, population 11,000), Gilroy (65 miles, population 41,400), Salinas (60 miles, population 151,000), and Monterey (90 miles, population 30,000), and San Jose (90 miles).  Housing is available on the West side of the park near Soledad.

If interested, please submit your resume or an application notating #PINN-08-01, a most recent SF-50 and performance appraisal, all postmarked by August 22nd, to Maria Davila, Human Resource Specialist, Pacific West Regional Office, 1111 Jackson St., Suite 700, Oakland  CA  94607.  For additional information regarding this position, please contact Dana Sullivan.-Operations Supervisor at 831-389-4486 ext. 237 or Lori Frusetta, Human Resources at ext. 227.