The Morning Report

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Recent Editions  

INCIDENTS



Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Two Killed In Head-On Collision

On the morning of Monday, December 22nd, the park was notified of a fire stemming from a vehicle collision on the George Parks Highway at Milepost 236. Rangers arriving on scene found two vehicles fully in flames and blocking all traffic. 

The head-on collision involved an SUV and pickup truck travelling in opposite directions.  The drivers and sole occupants of the each of the vehicles perished in the collision and fire. 

A multi-agency response was needed to extinguish the fires, investigate the accident scene, extricate the drivers, and reopen the highway.  Assisting agencies included McKinley Village Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-Valley Fire and Rescue,  Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Department of Transportation, Wasilla Police Department, Anchorage Police Department and Dispatch, NPS Alaska Regional Communication Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks Police and Fire Dispatch, and South Central Alaska Public Safety Dispatch. 

An investigation into the accident is underway.

[Submitted by J. Dan Abbe, Backcountry District Ranger & Wilderness Coordinator]


NEWS AND NOTES



Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV)
Fifth Anniversary Of Canal Quarters Program Celebrated

The C&O Canal Trust celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Canal Quarters program this November with a series of open houses that were attended by over 600 people.

The program consists of six historic lockhouses that have been restored and furnished with period objects and that interpret six different time periods relevant to C&O Canal history between the 1830s and the 1950s. Each lockhouse is open for overnight guests. 

The Canal Quarters program was first conceived in 2007 by both the park and the C&O Canal Trust. With 26 historic lockhouse structures standing in the park, the two groups were brainstorming ways to creatively utilize the buildings so they wouldn’t fall victim to the elements, mischief makers, or neglect.

The idea of preserving the structures and opening them for overnight stays solved multiple problems facing the group. Not only was it a way to rehabilitate the lockhouses, it also created a distinctive opportunity to provide immersive interpretation about the canal to visitors. For the newly-formed C&O Canal Trust, it was also a way to both increase its public profile and to establish a revenue stream.

In November 2009, the three lockhouses opened to the public and accepted their first reservation. By the end of 2011, three more lockhouses had joined the Canal Quarters roster, bringing the total to six.

The six lockhouse have hosted almost 9,500 people from 37 states in their five-year history, and their popularity grows each year. Some lockhouses are reserved three to four months in advance, demonstrating their vast appeal to guests who enjoy stepping back in time through this unique program. Volunteer quartermasters, who oversee teach property and make sure that guests leave the area in good condition for the next guests, are essential to the program’s success.

The Canal Quarters program has also won a variety of awards recognizing both the preservation and the interpretive aspects of the program:

  • 2014 Chairman’s Award for Achievement in Historic Preservation from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
  • 2012 Maryland Preservation Award for Outstanding Stewardship of Historic Properties by a Government Agency
  • 2011 Appleman-Judd Award from the National Park Service for Excellence in Cultural Resource Stewardship

People interested in learning more about the Canal Quarters program or reserving a stay in a lockhouse can visit this site: http://www.canaltrust.org/Quarters .

[Submitted by Heidi Glatfelter, C&O Canal Trust ]


Yosemite National Park (CA)
Leadership Academy Students Complete Third Week Of Program

Yosemite National Park hosted the third session of the Yosemite Leadership Academy during the week of December 1st. The weeklong training session was the third of the four modules which comprise the leadership academy curriculum. 

Members of this class, which includes over 35 members of the park’s middle management, are learning how to expand their capacity to lead people, lead change, focus on core leadership skills, and enhance overall strategic performance. There will be one more session, set for March, prior to the completion of the program. 

The Yosemite Leadership Academy is based on the core competencies of the Senior Executive Service. It is designed to build and empower leaders in the multiple dimensions that are now required for success in public sector employment. The four major emphasis areas are personal leadership, leading people, leading organizations, and leading for results. 

The third week of the program specifically focused on leading organizations, with special emphasis on an introduction to systems thinking.  Emphasis areas included distinguishing conventional from systems thinking, learning and applying basic systems thinking language and tools, embedding systems thinking in a framework for achieving sustainable breakthrough change, and developing students’ ability to address a chronic, complex problem within the organization.  

The program was designed by Pamela Wilhelms, an internationally recognized organizational coach and consultant and co-founder of Sol Sustainability Consortium. The content for the Yosemite course was organized with the input from Yosemite's executive leadership team. This leadership initiative is a component of Yosemite's 2020 strategic vision to improve workforce development.  

[Submitted by Kari Cobb, Public Affairs Officer ]


Historical Documentation Programs
2015 Historic American Landscapes Survey Challenge Announced

The sixth annual Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) Challenge is now underway. Submissions are solicited that document modernist landscapes unique to different regions of the country.

During the mid-20th century, landscape architects responded to the regional environment using design as an agent of social change, creating human scale space, modern forms, and sculptural compositions which were intended to be experienced rather than simply viewed.

The designs of renowned modernist landscape architects like Church, Eckbo, Kiley, Halprin, and Rose face developmental threats despite growing national awareness.The lesser known works of many other regional designers must be documented to encourage their preservation.

Robert E. Marvin, fondly referred to as the father of Southern landscape architecture, designed landscapes that celebrated the unique regionalism of the South Carolina low country, and Guy Greene, a pioneer in desert landscape architecture in Tucson, founded the University of Arizona’s landscape architecture program. Which modernist landscape architect shaped your region?

Many modern landscapes remain in all 50 states, but they may be unnoticed, their significance unappreciated. People from every state are hereby challenged to complete at least one HALS short format history to document these rapidly vanishing and often overlooked resources. Preservation Through Documentation!

The submission deadline is July 31st.

[Submitted by Chris Stevens, chris_stevens@nps.gov, 202-354-2146]

 More Information...
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV)
Ranger Martin Gallery Is Retiring

Martin Gallery, law enforcement lead ranger at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, will retire on January 3rd after 38 years of government service, all but two of them with the NPS. The other two were in the Army.

Due to complications with enhanced law enforcement coverage in his positions, Martin has worked in law enforcement to the age of 70 and is the eldest commissioned park ranger with the National Park Service.  This is amazing since he suffered near fatal gunshot wounds in Vietnam in 1968 and spent the following seven years in major surgeries and rehabilitation from these wounds.

Martin started his career with the park in 1978 as a park technician with the Visitor Services Division and then went to FLETC in 1979 and started his law enforcement career. 

In 2004, as a result of his excellence in park ranger duties, Martin was selected for the Harry Yount award for the National Capital Region. He has held several positions in the park, including the Western Maryland District Ranger positon, but his most noted position was as a canine handler. 

In 2006, Martin created a canine program in the park and acquired a black Labrador retriever named “Samson” that he trained as an explosives detection dog.  Martin and Samson became a team that was requested and used by numerous parks within National Capital Region and also special events outside the region. 

The pair also established effective relationships with adjacent law enforcement agencies and responded to incidents in the surrounding communities.  This past March, at the age of eight, Samson succumbed to leukemia, leaving Martin without his constant partner. 

Obviously by the length of his service, he has enjoyed his time working for the National Park Service and plans in his retirement to continue working in some manner of canine program with his new young German shepherd, named “Chance.”

A retirement party in his honor will be held at the National Conservation Center Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, on January 15th.  Anyone interested in attending should contact Todd Stanton (Todd_Stanton@nps.gov).

[Submitted by Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger]


Fort Frederica National Monument (GA)
Superintendent Mary Beth Wester To Retire

Mary Beth Wester, superintendent of Fort Frederica National Monument, will retire from the National Park Service on December 31st.  She is a 30-year NPS veteran.

“Mary Beth has been an excellent steward of Fort Frederica and a great public servant,” said Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin.  “In addition to her work in parks, she was also an important contributor to many incident management teams, including the Hurricane Katrina Response and the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.  We are grateful for her many years of service.”

Mary Beth began her career in 1985 as a park technician at New River Gorge National River in West Virginia.  She served from 1993 to 1998 at Canyonlands National Park in Utah as a supervisory park ranger, and from 1998 to 2001 as the director of visitor services at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (The Arch) in St. Louis. 

From 2001 to 2007, Mary Beth served as the Midwest Region recruitment coordinator.  In 2007, she was selected as superintendent of Fort Frederica National Monument.

Mary Beth served as a special event staff member for the December 7th USS Arizona Commemoration and Survivors Reunion at the 60th (2001) and 65th (2006) commemorations.  

As a member of the Eastern Incident Management Team from 2005 to 2014, Mary Beth was involved in many significant events, including the responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Irene.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to work for this incredible agency over the last 30 years,” she says.  “I have met many people, visited wonderful areas, worked at incredible, precious sites, helped a few visitors and staff along the way and made a great many friends across the U.S. and abroad.  I believe the success of this agency is in the hands of all employees as well as area stakeholders.  They must keep the NPS mission always present in their mind, even with the day-to-day challenges of park operations.  It is not an easy task, but the reward is well worth the effort.”

Mary Beth plans to “hang out” with her husband, Randy Wester, who retired two years ago, and their crew of dogs and cats, and pursue their interests of scuba diving, kayaking, motorcycling, and gardening. 

The Westers plan to stay in Brunswick, Georgia. You can reach Mary Beth or Randy at westerm@bellsouth.net.

[Submitted by Bill Reynolds, Southeast Regional Office]


Chickasaw National Recreation Area (OK)
Rosalind Sorrell Will Retire This Friday

Rosalind Sorrell has announced that she will be retiring on January 2nd after more than 32 years with the National Park Service.

“I’m excited, nervous, anxious, scared, and thrilled all at once!” she says.

Her office has been at Chickasaw National Recreation Area for her entire career, but she said that “it's never been boring.”

Rosalind started as a GS-3 superintendent's secretary. In 1994, she became a purchasing agent and then a contract specialist in 1997.  She became an Intermountain Region employee with the Santa Fe Major Acquisition Buying Office in 2008.

Rosalind has been doing procurement for parks from Montana to Texas these last few years, and loved working with all the different people in the parks.

Rosalind has been fortunate to have had the opportunity for other collateral duties as well. She helped with the opening dedications of Oklahoma City National Memorial and Washita Battlefield. She also served as a collateral duty wildland firefighter on an engine and hand crew for about 15 years before she switched to overhead in incident management finance.

This position has taken Rosalind to wildfires in 18 states, hurricanes in three states (including Hurricane Sandy in New York), floods in California and Colorado, the Columbia Space Shuttle recovery in Texas, and the World Trade Center terrorist attack in New York.  She also instructed a few incident management system courses across the U.S.

 “I have a wonderful supervisor and great peers,” she says, “I am going to miss them so much!  I'm saying this all to explain how hard it is for me to retire. I mean, why give this up, right? The time has come as I don't have enough hours in the day to continue to do this plus help my husband operate our zipline and cabin business in Davis, Oklahoma.”

Rosalind plans to continue work in the incident management / fire world as an A.D. casual hire. She will still be a part of it for a while and she plans to continue to teach incident management courses. She already has two lined up for April and May. 

“I'm very apprehensive, but I think I have this figured out so I will be happy with my choice,” she says. “Please look me up when you come through the great state of Oklahoma.”

“My personal email is rsorrell007@yahoo.com and my personal cell is 405-238-0750.

It has been an honor and a privilege working with y'all. Prayers are appreciated that I can make this transition without driving my husband crazy.”

[Submitted by Heather Hamilton]


Ozark National Scenic Riverways (MO)
Richard Shockley To Retire This Week

Richard Shockley will be retiring at the end of December after 14 years working at Ozark National Scenic Riverways as an engineering equipment operator. 

Richard has worked at the Shawnee Shop maintenance facility and been primarily responsible for maintaining roads and trails throughout the park.  In that role, he has been an expert operator of heavy machinery and equipment. He has also assisted with a variety of other projects and tasks. His skills as a sawyer and equipment operator have made him a critical member of emergency response teams that have been tasked with removing dangerous trees throughout the park. 

Prior to being employed at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Richard held several different positions in the local area, where he honed the skills that later benefitted the National Park Service.  He served in the U.S. Army until 1970, when he began an 18-year career with the Summersville Missouri School District as a bus driver and mechanic. 

In 1988, Richard began working for Kirkman Farms as a machinery operator and farm assistant.  He began working seasonally at Ozark National Scenic Riverways in 2000 and was hired into a permanent, full-time position in 2006. 

Richard has lived in the Summersville, Missouri, area his entire life and has been married to his wife Vicki for 42 years.  They have raised three children and are enjoying watching their four grandchildren grow.  Richard loves hunting and being outdoors.  He plans to spend some of his much-deserved free time relaxing and cutting firewood. 

A retirement celebration that included family, community members and coworkers was held in Richard’s honor on December 16th at Shawnee Shop.  His last day “in the driver’s seat” will be December 31st.  His friends and coworkers throughout the park will miss Richard’s spirit of teamwork, mischievous smile, and cheerful whistling. 

[Submitted by Dena Matteson, Public Information Officer]


CAREER OPPORTUNITIES



Death Valley National Park (CA)
GS-0025-11 Supervisory Protection Ranger

Death Valley National Park is seeking candidates interested in working at the park as a supervisory protection ranger.  This is a permanent fulltime position that requires a Type I NPS law enforcement commission and is designated as a required occupant. 

Death Valley's Division of Visitor and Resource Protection is an active and complex program. Rangers respond to over 400 all-risk incidents every year. The person in this position is responsible for supervising the full spectrum of ranger duties, including law enforcement, structural and wildland fire, EMS, and SAR in a large area which is dominated by wilderness.  Applicants must possess National Registry EMT basic certification or higher. Structural fire certification/training is desirable.

The ranger staff makes up an important part of the Death Valley community. Roughly 100 park employees live in three communities within the park: Cow Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Grapevine. These close-knit communities serve as de facto families, groups of people who frequently come together to swim, play volleyball, eat dinner or simply enjoy each other’s company after hours.

Recreational opportunities abound in the largest national park in the lower forty-eight states—backpacking, hiking, biking (road and mountain), and four-wheeling are just a few of the choices. And while summer temperatures in the valley often exceed 120 degrees trips into the mountains within the park or to the eastern Sierras (about two hours away) provide significantly cooler environments.

Sun, solitude, quiet, and the darkest night skies draw many people to the area but when residents need a break from the rural life they head for groceries, shopping and entertainment in various communities in the surrounding area. The closer communities are Pahrump, NV (1 hour), Ridgecrest, CA (1.5 hour), Lone Pine, CA (2 hours), Las Vegas, NV (2.5 hours) or Bishop, CA (3 hours.) Basic commodities and dining opportunities can be had in park at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells.

If you are interested and have additional questions, please contact Chief Ranger Karen McKinlay-Jones at (760) 786-3245 or Karen_McKinlay-jones@nps.gov .

Interested individuals should submit the following:

  • A detailed resume
  • Most recent performance appraisal
  • A current SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 needed to confirm time-in-grade  and eligibility if different/not current)
  • NPS Law Enforcement Commission
  • EMS Certification/s/, Structural Fire Certification, Red Card

Email documents to Cathy_Tittnich@nps.gov  no later than Friday, January 30th.

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (WA)
GS-0025-11 Supervisory Protection Ranger (Lateral)

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is seeking applicants interested in a non-competitive lateral reassignment to a permanent supervisory protection ranger position.

The area of consideration is limited to individuals eligible for lateral reassignment. The salary is based on the rest-of-the-US pay locality area and ranges from $57,982 to $75,376 per year. It closes on January 9th.

This position is located at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and is duty stationed in Kettle Falls, Washington. Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities in a diverse natural setting on lake of over 130 mile in length, with over 300 miles of publicly owned shoreline, all of which is available for public use. Kettle Falls (population 1,600) and Colville, WA (population 4,700), about 8 miles away, have a variety of stores, restaurants, gas stations, motels, churches, schools (K-12), community college, and a hospital.  Additional services are available in the surrounding areas within a 50-90 mile radius (Spokane, WA is approximately 80 miles with a population of 300,000).  The summers normally sunny and pleasant with daytime temperatures ranging from the 70’s to the 90’s and low humidity.  Winter temperatures range between 10 to 30 degrees with the possibility of sub-zero temperatures.  Government housing is not available, but housing to rent or purchase is available in the local area. Outdoor recreational opportunities abound: boating, fishing, hiking, climbing, birding, canoeing and kayaking, and biking among others. For more information, please visit http://nps.gov/laro

The person selected will serve as North District Ranger, a supervisory law enforcement commissioned park ranger responsible for performing and supervising law enforcement duties including detection, investigation, apprehension, and prosecution under provisions of applicable laws, rules and regulations. Specific actions include the enforcement of regulations, protection of park resources, investigation of illegal activities and accident/incident investigation as it relates to the North District of the park which experiences heavy year round visitation.

Management of the district requires a multi-disciplined approach to effectively protect park resources, protect visitors, conduct resource restoration projects, work with concessions, and maintain and establish positive local public relations to which the duties are primarily related. This is a busy, active and dynamic district of the park which will require strategic work planning, motivation, and superior technical and interpersonal skills for success. The incumbent will be expected to train and direct others performing boating, search and rescue, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and health and safety inspections.

For more information regarding the position, please contact Bill Archard, Acting Chief Ranger, at 509-754-7885.

Requirements:

  • Possession of a Level 1 NPS Law Enforcement Commission
  • Possession of substantial documented experience in a primary law enforcement position in the Federal government or outside the Federal government.
  • Possession of substantial documented experience supervising and managing a visitor and resource protection program in a national park.
  • Current National Registry EMT certification (preferred but not required)
  • Physical fitness testing and training requirements for law enforcement duty
  • Pre-employment and random drug testing

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the person selected is from outside the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses under federal travel regulations.

Applicants must submit the following:

  • Current resume/application
  • A copy of their Level I Law Enforcement Commission
  • EMS certification
  • Most recent performance appraisal. If not available, state the reason in a letter attached to resume/application.
  • Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action which clearly lists tenure code, pay plan, occupational series, grade and step.

Applications must be emailed or postmarked no later than January 9th.

Email (from your secure government email address) your documents to NPS NWSHRO Staffing NWSHRO_Staffing@nps.gov  with “LARO Spvy Park Ranger (P) Lateral” in the subject line. For questions regarding the application process, contact Linda O’Sullivan, NWSHRO Staffing Lead at 360-565-3030.

Cultural Resources
Travel Itinerary Series Administrator (Detail)

The Cultural Resources, Stewardship and Science Office of Education, Outreach and Training is seeking a qualified cultural resources professional with experience in heritage tourism, historic preservation and education to coordinate and carry out duties to administer the National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series and perform other heritage education services.    

This announcement is open to NPS employees in the Washington DC commuting area who wish to be considered for a detail opportunity NTE 120 days. Salary will be paid by benefitting account at current salary rate. Closes January 9th.

Major duties include developing content, editing, completing, updating, and programming travel itineraries in the online series and other content for the itinerary series website; managing and maintaining the  Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series website; communicating via social media; promoting and disseminating information about the  travel itinerary series  and other NPS cultural resources related programs; responding to public requests; and carrying out research, writing, speaking, and coordination with the historic preservation, tourism,  and education communities and other individuals nationwide; as well as additional oversight and program administration duties. The incumbent will also do work to assist with other heritage education activities.

Candidates should have the ability to:

  • Manage, maintain, and expand the NPS Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series and its website.
  • Develop content, edit, complete, update, and program travel itineraries in the online series and other content for the itinerary series website.
  • Analyze, evaluate and use pertinent source materials such as National Register registration files, historical documents, websites,  and other materials related to historic places and their associated history and tourism related information to develop travel itineraries and other heritage education related products.
  • Promote and disseminate information about the travel itinerary series and other NPS and partner cultural resources and related programs, and to respond knowledgably and articulately in writing and orally to public requests.
  • Make partnerships and provide guidance to partners in the development of travel itineraries and to administer cooperative agreements and contracts.
  • Effectively interact with and carry out research, writing, speaking, and coordination with the historic preservation, tourism, and education communities and others nationwide.
  • Use various software programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, and other text, image, and web editing programs.
  • Code and edit HTML, JavaScript, Flash, and CSS to design and program content for websites for heritage education and tourism on NPS.gov.
  • Write, design, and produce and disseminate communications and outreach materials and information about the itinerary series and other heritage education and related topics via websites and social media.

To apply, send a letter of interest that states the strengths you bring to the position and professional development you hope to gain from the detail; written consent from your supervisor; and a resume or description of the relevant expertise and skills possessed by the applicant (see above) electronically to Barbara Little, at barbara_little@nps.gov by January 9th.  Do not include Social Security Numbers or birth dates on resumes.  Please contact Carol Shull (carol_shull@nps.gov) or Barbara Little with questions about the detail opportunity.