Park News August 4,2008

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site

A 2007 seasonal park guide, Cassi Dee Rensch, was killed near her home in New Town, North Dakota, on Wednesday, July 30th. Cassi was driving her father’s pickup to Minot to move things from her apartment when a large truck sideswiped her pickup and overturned in the ditch on top of Cassi’s pickup. The truck driver was injured. Cassi had worked many annual Northern Plains Indian Culture Fests at Knife River Indian Villages NHS with her grandmother before becoming a park guide. She worked as a park guide only one season at Knife River, but had made many friends.  She worked with deep pride and enthusiasm in presenting interpretive programs and planting and maintaining the interpretive native corn, squash, bean and sunflower garden. It flourished under her care, as did all the projects she participated in.  Cassi was a major presenter in the 2007 Lifeways event.  She had also participated in the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Corps II programs in the Tent of Many Voices as an invited guest.  Cassi maintained a board in the employee break room where she shared her native Hidatsa language. Cassi’s memory and spirit will live on at Knife River Indian Villages NHS. Her memorial service will be held today at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in New Town, North Dakota.  Donations may be made to North Dakota Make-a-Wish Foundation or the New Town Fire Department. Cards may be sent to her parents:  Doug and Sonja Rensch, 3967 87th Avenue NW, New Town, N. D. 58563 and her grandparents Kent and Marilyn Hudson, P. O. Box 514, Parshall, N. D. 58770.

 

Grand Canyon National Park

On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 29th, park dispatch received a report via satellite phone from rafters on a private river trip advising that one of their boats, an 18-foot cataraft,  was stranded on the rock garden at Crystal Rapid, located just past river mile 98 and about 11 miles downriver from Phantom Ranch. This is the same location where a 36-foot commercial raft became stuck a week ago. Due to the late hour, rescue operations could not be begin immediately, but were instead arranged for the following morning. On Wednesday, park personnel and equipment were flown via helicopter to a landing zone near the rapid. After preparations were made, the raft was rigged for removal using rock anchors and ropes. These were placed in the middle of the river via the park’s inflatable rescue boat, which is kept response-ready at the south rim of the canyon. Due to high water and the complete submersion of the raft, rescue crews spent the night on the beach and launched again at 5 a.m. to take advantage of lower water.  The raft was freed at about 8:30 a.m. and the rafters resumed their trip downriver to reunite with the rest of their group.  No injuries were reported. During the entire incident, the operations chief position was filled by Dean Ross, branch chief for emergency services in the Washington Office.

 

Rock Creek Park

Ranger Ken Ferebee was tracking a box turtle outfitted with a radio transmitter on July 14th when it lead him to a small marijuana field that appeared to be actively tended. The field was in Rock Creek Park near the Maryland State line. Ferebee notified the Park Police. Officer Jeffrey Bloch and investigator David Hurley set up surveillance on the area. Bloch spent several hours in the woods watching the field from a concealed location. Bloch and Hurley subsequently saw a man caring for the approximately 10 marijuana plants in the field. They investigated, identified him, and applied for a warrant for his arrest. On July 30th, members of the Park Police Narcotics and Vice Unit, the Central District Crime Patrol Unit and Rock Creek Station arrested 19-year-old Isiah Johnson. Based on this information, detectives from the Montgomery County Police Narcotics Unit secured a search warrant for Johnson’s residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Johnson awaits extradition to the District of Columbia on the charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. The turtle has now been affectionately named by the Park Police as Officer Mary Jane Hempfield.

 

Environmental Quality Division

Jacob Hoogland, chief of environmental quality in the Washington Office, retired on August 1st after over 30 years with the National Park Service.

Jake started his career working as a seasonal interpreter at Mesa Verde National Park from 1975 to 1977.  After graduating from law school in 1977, Jake worked briefly as a VISTA volunteer with Colorado Rural Legal Services, then accepted a permanent seasonal job with the Bureau of Reclamation at Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area.  It was there that he learned to extol the virtues of hydroelectric power generation while taking visitors on a “dam tour.”  Jake gratefully returned to Mesa Verde in 1978, eventually accepting a permanent position on the interpretive staff with a focus on environmental education.

Leaving Mesa Verde in 1979, Jake moved to a position in the Legislative Compliance Division at the Denver Service Center.  Later Jake moved to the Western Team at DSC and spent several years working on 106 and NEPA compliance for a variety of planning, design and construction projects in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and Western Regions. 

In 1988 Jake accepted the position as chief of the environmental quality division in Washington D.C. Except for a two year period when he served as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, he held the division chief position under a variety of directors and through different organizations and reorganizations.  During his time as division chief, the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) program was developed and implemented; a program on environmental response, damage assessment and restoration instituted; a program developed implementing the provisions of the National Park Resources Protection Act (also known as 19jj); and increased funding was obtained (thanks to the magic of Bruce Shaeffer) for court ordered environmental impact statements and related documents. 

“I’ve been honored to work with the people of the National Park Service and the resources of the National Park System,” he said upon retiring.  “I’m always reminded of the words of Howard Chapman when he retired.  He reflected back to two of the great former directors of the NPS.  Chapman said: ‘The National Park Service must stay true to the admonishments of Horace Albright to protect the parks, to retain their values, to assure that it is the quality of the visit and not the quantity that counts.  We must remember Newton Drury’s warning that if we whittle away at the parks those whittlings are cumulative, the end result will be mediocrity, and greatness will be gone.’”

Jake, his wife Ruth Ann Storey and their son Noah will remain in the Washington, D.C. area.  After a brief vacation Jake plans to work pursue other options as a consultant in the private sector, improve his practice of Pilates, and stay active in National Park issues. 

 

Risk Management Division

Wayne A. Johnson has accepted the position as the National Park Service’s medical standards program manager.  This position is within the Risk Management Division under the Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection.  Wayne entered on duty on July 20th following his recent retirement from the United States Park Police.   

Prior to joining the Park Police, Wayne worked for the Library of Congress, and while there, he earned a degree from the University of the District of Columbia in business administration.  He began his career with the Park Police in August, 1985, and after graduating from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, he became a patrol officer. 

In June 1994, Wayne was selected to become an identification technician, then in 1997 was selected as a Criminal Investigations Branch investigator.  He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in October 1998, and in 2002 was reassigned to the Police and Fire Clinic in Washington, DC, as the medical liaison to the U.S. Park Police.    

Please join us in welcoming Wayne Johnson to our staff. 

 

Washington Office

The Director of the National Park Service is seeking two fellows for the Bevinetto Congressional Fellowship program, a two-year training and development program. This is an exciting opportunity to find out first-hand how Congress operates. Applicants must be willing to carry out an intensive schedule of work in this “once-in-a lifetime” opportunity. The announcement closes on August 28th. For a copy of the announcement, including a detailed job description and application procedures, please click on “More Information” below.



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Washington Office

The Operations Division in the Washington Office is seeking a specialist to perform  recruitment and placement human resource duties. The announcement closes on August 14th. For a copy, including a detailed job description and application procedures, please click on “More Information” below.



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Intermountain Region

Dates: 07/31/2008 - 08/22/2008

Tumacacori National Historical Park is recruiting for either a temporary detail and/or a lateral transfer to a permanent, full-time GS-025-9 park ranger position and would like to fill the position as soon as possible.

About the detail:

• This is a temporary opportunity not-to-exceed 120 days.


• The detail may be divided between various eligible candidates.


• Salary, travel, lodging and per diem will be paid by the park.

About the lateral transfer:

• This is a permanent, full-time opportunity.


• All expenses related to permanent change of station will be covered by the park.

The park is seeking candidates with experience in education and outreach programs.  Fluency in Spanish is desired by not required.  In addition to interpretive and visitor center duties, the person selected will work closely with local area schools, conducting both on-site and off-site programs.

Tumacacori NHP is located in the Santa Cruz Valley of southern Arizona, 45 miles south of Tucson, Arizona and 19 miles north of Nogales, Arizona.  Government housing is not available.  All services are within 15 to 30 minutes of the park.  Tumacacori NHP was established in 1908.  Although small in area (356+ acres), the park preserves and protects a diversity of resources, including the ruins of three Spanish Colonial missions, a one-mile stretch of the Santa Cruz River and riparian area, and a section of the Juan Bautista de Anza Historical Trail.

Interested persons should submit the following items:

• OF-612, Optional Application for Federal Employment, or resume


• Copy of your latest SF-50 that indicates your current title, series, grade and step


• Copy of your most recent performance appraisal

Please be certain to indicate which opportunity (either temporary detail or permanent lateral transfer) you are applying for. Mail your application packet to:  Don Garate, Tumacacori NHP, P.O. Box 8067, Tumacacori, AZ 85640.  Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 22nd.

For more information, contact Don Garate, chief of interpretation, (520) 398-2341, ext. 75 or don_garate@nps.gov

 

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Dates: 07/01/2008 - 08/05/2008

The Branch of Fire and Aviation has an opening for a GS-11/12 fire management specialist (wildland fire equipment/facilities). The announcement closes on August 6th. For a copy of the announcement with a full description of duties, please click on "More Information" below.





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