Park News August 7,2008

Olympic National Park

The memorial service for park firefighter Andrew Palmer was held on Monday, August 4th, at McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington. Andy, 18, was fatally injured in a tree falling accident on July 25th on the Eagle Fire, part of the Iron Complex on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

The service began with a procession of approximately 500 uniformed personnel representing 54 city, county, state and federal agencies, followed by the reverberation of drums and bagpipes filling the pavilion. This young firefighter, recent high school graduate and football player touched the lives of many as evidenced by the 1300 mourners filling the pavilion.

Director Mary Bomar gave the opening eulogy, expressing sorrow and offering support from all 20,000 men and women of the National Park Service. She also asked mourners to remember chief Daniel Packer of Pierce County, Washington, who lost his life on July 26th on the Panther Fire. Karen Gustin, Olympic National Park superintendent, spoke of Andy's love of wildlands, enthusiasm for his job and concern for the environment. Mike Gregoire read from a condolence letter written by Christine Gregoire, the governor of Washington. Members of Andy's football team, his coach, and family friends shared memories and music, expressed their great sadness over Andy's loss, and celebrated his life.  Speaker after speaker spoke of Andy's great kindness; at 240 pounds, 6 feet 5 inches Andy was referred to as "a gentle giant". Christian DuBois, a friend and  team mate of Andy's, said that "being outdoors is what Andy was meant to do. Andy had no regrets about taking this job, and neither should we."

After the NPS honor guard removed the colors, Pacific West regional director Jon Jarvis presented Andy's parents with the American flag. Andy's fire crew then presented a bronze firefighter statue from the Fallen Firefighters Foundation. A team of two honor guards from the California Department of Forestry presented the flag that was flying at half mast over the capitol building in Sacramento at the direction of Governor Schwarzenegger. Olympic National Park fire management officer Larry Nickey presented the family with Andy's hardhat.

The service ended to the haunting sound of bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace".

The NPS and USFS honor guards and the Seattle Firefighters Bagpipes and Drums participated in the service. Prior to the service, approximately 50 fire engines representing city, county and federal fire service agencies participated in a procession to the fort, passing under the American flag hanging from the ladders of Port Townsend and Sequim, Washington, ladder trucks. Uniformed personnel lined the approach to the pavilion during the arrival of family and friends. Following the service, uniformed personnel stood in an arc outside the pavilion, around the Olympic National Park fire crew, until formally dismissed by Jim Barnes of the NPS honor guard.

On the back of the program for the service, the Palmer family wrote: "Andy had an unerring sense of right and wrong since childhood. He will always be remembered as one who held himself to the highest principles of truth, fairness, justice and kindness. He was loyal, honest and trustworthy - loved by all that knew him. He will be missed but we will all be better for having known him. Andy would ask those who survive him to conduct their lives with integrity and compassion for a better world."

A scholarship fund has been created in Andy’s memory to be shared by the Port Angeles and Port Townsend High Schools.  Donations may be made to the Port Townsend High School Scholarship Foundation, 538 Calhoun Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368.  Donations may also be made in Andy's name to the National Wildland Firefighter Foundation http://wffoundation.org/.

At the request of Olympic National Park, the Western incident management team, led by Denny Ziemann, IC, worked closely with the Palmer family, family liaisons and park staff on plans for the memorial service.



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Mammoth Cave National Park

Park maintenance division employee Kenneth G. Adams, 51, died while on-duty in the park on Tuesday, August 5th, of an apparent heart attack. Adams was last seen walking back towards the ferry operator’s building at Houchins Ferry by a fellow employee at approximately 6 p.m. on Tuesday.  He was found deceased later that evening in the same building after he failed to return home at the end of his work shift. Adams had a total of 29 years of federal government service, including 17 years with the National Park Service.  Adams began his Park Service career at Jean Lafitte National Historic Park & Preserve in 1990 as a maintenance worker, then moved to Padre Island National Seashore in 1991 as a motor vehicle operator. Adams had been employed at Mammoth Cave National Park as a ferryman and small craft operator since 1994 and was a respected member of the Mammoth Cave “family”. Survivors include his wife Debbie, and four sons - Brandon, Curtis, and Cody, all of Horse Cave, Kentucky, and Kenneth, Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Winn Funeral Home in Horse Cave. Visitation will be on Friday, August 8th, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CDT and on Saturday after 9:00 a.m. until the funeral at 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home, with a private burial. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to his wife, Deborah, and their sons at 103 Bunnell Avenue, Horse Cave, KY  42749.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, Kentucky Chapter; 2908 Brownsboro Road, Suite 100; Louisville, KY  40206-3506.

 

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

On the morning of July 30th, members of the park’s turtle patrol discovered all-terrain vehicle  tracks inside the posted bird closure located approximately two miles south of Ramp 23. After entering the closure, the ATV’s operator had driven high on the beach through a least tern nesting area. The driver then continued through the closure, exited the area, made two doughnuts, and headed back north through the closed area. There were no signs of ATV tracks south of this, so it is thought that the ATV entered the closure heading south and then returned north. Staff followed the ATV tracks north and noted that the tracks left the beach over a dune near Sea Haven Drive in Rodanthe. NPS bird resource management staff were called in to survey the nest site and discovered that a least tern egg had been crushed by the illegal ATV.  The egg was located high on the beach approximately 100 meters inside and south of the posted closure boundary. The April 30th consent decree on shorebird and sea turtle protection requires the Service to automatically expand a resource protection area when deliberate acts occur that disturb or harasses wildlife or vandalize fencing, nests, or plants. The buffer has therefore been expanded 100 meters to the north. The incident involved multiple federal criminal violations of NPS regulations, including illegal vehicle use, entering a closed area, and the destruction of the egg. Each violation carries a potential penalty of a fine of up to $5,000 and six months imprisonment.  In addition, the destruction of a migratory bird nest/egg is a criminal offense under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 USC § 707(a)(Section 6(a)), which carries a potential penalty of a fine of up to $15,000 and six months imprisonment, plus seizure and forfeiture of all equipment, vehicles, and other means of transportation used when engaged in the violation. "Egregious violations such as this one that result in the automatic expansion of the resource protection areas represent a small percentage of the total number of closure violations that have been occurring,” said superintendent Mike Murray.  “For the most part, our law enforcement staff has been successful in apprehending violators in resource closures, although the staff clearly cannot be everywhere at once or in any particular place all the time. In the month of July alone, rangers have apprehended over 30 violators in resources closures.  Our hope in publicizing these most serious violations is that members of the public who have any information about the violation or other criminal activity on seashore beaches will come forward and assist us in solving the case.” No suspects have been identified in this case, though several leads are being pursued. Anyone with information about this violation or illegal ATV use in the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo area, or any other illegal activity occurring on the seashore, is asked to call the Dare County Crime Line at 1-800-745-2746, 24 hours a day.

 

New River Gorge National River

On July 19th, rangers received numerous complaints of disorderly conduct in the park’s Army Camp campground. The nature of the complaints ranged from nudity and cursing to the brandishing and firing of a small caliber handgun. Rangers contacted Scott Baumann of Pasco County, Florida, and learned from him that he was a registered violent sex offender (felony conviction) and was in possession of a stun gun. Permission was given for the rangers to retrieve the stun gun from Baumann’s vehicle and also to search the rest of his camp for additional weapons. Rangers recovered several edged weapons along with a North American Arms five-shot, .22 magnum “mini revolver.” Investigation revealed that Baumann has been in West Virginia since May of this year without registering as a sex offender, and that he was a frequent visitor to campgrounds, parks, and other recreation areas where children were present. Baumann is currently in jail awaiting trial for being a felon in possession of a firearm and numerous misdemeanor charges. Investigating rangers are working with the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorneys Office on the possible inclusion federal sex offender charges under “Adams Law” (the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006).

 

Prince William Forest Park

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office contacted the park around 6 p.m. on August 3rd and advised that they were looking for a felon known to frequent the park who was wanted for abduction and forced captivity of a woman and her minor child in addition to several active felony warrants. The man had told friends that he was not going to be taken by police and that he would kill as many officers as possible before taking his own life. He was reported to have two semi-automatic pistols in his possession. About an hour after receiving this call, an on-duty ranger saw the man park his vehicle in the visitor center parking lot and get out. The chief ranger and three off-duty rangers responded along with a dozen Prince William County PD officers. The man returned to his car a short time later and attempted to leave the park. A roadblock had been established by rangers and officers at the park’s entrance station, though, and two rangers were posted to block his escape. The man stopped his car 30 yards away from the roadblock, but remained inside and refused to comply with officers’ orders. A county canine unit was brought forward. After a short while, the man obeyed officers’ commands, exited the vehicle, and was taken into custody without further incident. He said that he had considered resisting, but decided otherwise. A loaded semi-automatic pistol and several large knives and a sword were discovered in his possession. He had consumed a pint of liquor prior to his arrest, as well as other intoxicants. The investigation is ongoing.

 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Park dispatch received a call reporting a possible cardiac arrest along the coastline in the Muir Beach area of the park on the evening of August 4th. Rangers responded along with emergency crews from Marin County and found a man in his late 40s in a rugged area about a mile south of Muir Beach. He was unresponsive and bleeding from the head and could not be revived. A loaded handgun was found under his leg. Due to the onset of darkness and rough terrain, rescuers carried him out to the parking lot to a waiting ambulance. The man’s car was located in the parking lot. The investigation is being conducted by the Marin County coroner’s office and the Criminal Investigations Branch of U.S. Park Police, but all indications are that the death was a suicide.

 

Eastern National

A celebration of the life of Chesley Moroz, past president of Eastern National, who died last week, will be held on August 11th at 2 p.m. at The Heritage Conservancy, located at 85 Old Dublin Pike in Doylestown, PA 18901. Please bring your favorite memories. A reception will be held in the main hall following the service.

In lieu of flowers, Chesley requested that donations be made to the Employee and Alumni Association of the National Park Service, or the Chesley Moroz Disaster Relief Fund, both c/o Eastern National, 470 Maryland Drive, Suite 1, Fort Washington, PA 19034.

The Moroz family is grateful for the support they have received during this difficult time.  They have requested that any cards or correspondence be sent to their home, at 36 Belair Road, Warminster, PA 18974.

 

Grand Canyon National Park

Kent Mecham is retiring after 35 years of service to the National Park Service. 

Kent has been the structural fire chief at Grand Canyon National Park for the past 18 years.  Before the Grand Canyon, Kent worked at Death Valley and Leman Caves, now Great Basin National Park. 

Kent has worked as a park ranger and as a structural fire specialist for the NPS.  He has received numerous awards, including the National Park Service Exemplary Act Award for saving a hiker’s life in Death Valley in the middle of the summer.  He also has commendations and awards for his fire investigations, one which helped to apprehend a serial arsonist at the Grand Canyon. 

Kent will retire to his home in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains with his wife, Nancy Muleady-Mecham.  Nancy, also a park ranger, will continue to work as an adjunct professor of biology and a registered nurse.  Kent already has plans to docent at local historical museums and continue his pursuit of knowledge in structural fire and history.

 

Intermountain Region

Intermountain Region is recruiting for two human resource officers.  One position will be filled in the Northern Rockies Servicing Human Resources Office, located at Yellowstone National Park, and the other position will be filled in the Colorado Plateau Servicing Human Resources Office, located in Flagstaff, Arizona. For a copy of the announcement with details on duties, click on the link below.


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