Daily Report - Yosemite National Park
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Weather
Yosemite: TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT. HIGHS 69 TO 79 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...50 TO
60 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
.TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
EVENING...THEN PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT. LOWS 40 TO 50 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...29
TO 39 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
.WEDNESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT. HIGHS 73 TO 83 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...53
TO 63 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. LOWS 42 TO 52 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY... 32 TO 42
IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
.THURSDAY...SUNNY IN THE MORNING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS 77 TO
87 IN YOSEMITE VALLEY...58 TO 68 IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.

El Portal: Today...Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers early in the morning...
Then scattered thunderstorms in the late morning and afternoon. Chance of
precipitation 40 percent. Highs 64 to 74 at 5000 feet... 53 to 63 at 8000
feet.
Tonight...Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms in the evening...then
partly cloudy with a chance of showers after midnight. Chance of
precipitation 40 percent. Lows 43 to 53 at 5000 feet...32 to 42 at 8000
feet.
Wednesday...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the morning...then
slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 69 to 79 at 5000
feet...57 to 67 at 8000 feet.
Wednesday Night...Partly cloudy. Slight chance of thunderstorms in the
evening. Lows 45 to 55 at 5000 feet...35 to 45 at 8000 feet.
Thursday...Partly cloudy. Highs 74 to 84 at 5000 feet...62 to 72 at 8000
feet.

New Today
The public meeting for the YI Environmental Education Campus DEIS will be
on Wed. June 17th (4-8 pm) at Golden Gate National Rec. Area, Upper Fort
Mason, in Building 201 (Park Headquarters), in the 1st floor conference
room. (A. Roberts - 6/16/09)
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The Equal Opportunity Committee will be having it's monthly meeting on June
16th from 2-4PM in the windowless conference room at the El Portal
warehouse complex. If you are interested in helping establish a program
to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunity through
education, social events, and outreach, come join us. (L. Jackson -
6/16/09)
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Spring continues to hold fire season at bay, although eight fires are in
some form of burning (most are smoldering), The Smith, Harden and
Whitethorn fires will be hiked into tomorrow. These three fires now have
the greater potential for growth, The weather is predicted to warm slightly
by mid week and then cool again for the weekend.

Yosemite Fires – Update #11 – June 15, 2009
Yosemite National Park continues to experience thunderstorms, rain and some
snow which has slowed fire growth greatly. As expected, another fire has
been detected. No closures are associated with these fires, and smoke
production has been minimal. All of these fires are within the Park
Boundary, and all fires continue to be patrolled.

The protection of human life and property is the top priority for
Yosemite’s fire management staff, as well as the preservation of natural
and cultural resources, and the preservation and restoration of
fire-dependent ecosystems. Each fire is managed individually to achieve one
or more objectives in the safest, most efficient and cost-effective way
possible. Strategies employed to meet these objectives may include full
suppression, containment line building, use of natural barriers,
monitoring, and other management techniques or combination of techniques.

Wilderness Fire Zone:
Whitethorn (37 54.648 x 119 41.950; Tuolumne Co); this fire was detected
June 12; by crews hiking into the Harden fire. It is a 20’ x 20’ area and
one smoldering log. It is in the ’96 Ackerson perimeter. It is between
the Harden and Smith fires, and currently has low to moderate potential for
growth.

Harden (37 53.624 x 119 42.221; 7800’, Tuolumne Co); Found by Helicopter
551, and due to a lightning strike, probably on June 8. It is north of
White Wolf, west of Harden Lake and within the 1996 Ackerson fire
perimeter. It is burning in Red Fir and brush, with 90% of the perimeter
active. It does have moderate potential for growth.

Lehamite (37 47.385 x 119.34.212; 7400’, in Mariposa Co). Detected June 7.
It is .10 ac, smoldering in ground litter and brush, ½ mile northeast of
the Indian fire. A single tree was hit by lightning. It has potential for
growth.

Grouse Creek (37 41.445 x 119 41.017; 6500’, Mariposa Co.) The fire began
May 30, and due to cooler temperatures and continuing rain is nearly out:
one log has smoke in it. It is on hold at 30 ac.

Indian Creek (.1 ac, 37 46.449 x 119 35.150; 7400’, Mariposa Co) Started
May 30. It is burning approximately one mile north of the rim of the
Valley, in needle litter and down trees. Multiple fires have burned in
this area since the 1970s. It has low to moderate potential for spread.
Occasional smoke is visible.

Smith (37 55.142x119 45.428, 6400’, Tuolumne Co) Started May 30. It is
burning within the 1996 Ackerson fire perimeter. It has shown minimal
growth, remains at .25 ac, and the single strike tree continues to burn.

Mono (37⁰40’ 24.24” 119⁰45’ 19.45”, Mariposa Co), started May 18. One log
has smoke in it.

The Pit and Dark Hole are out.

Suppression Zone:
Cottonwood (37⁰54’13.68” 119⁰47’41.64”, Tuolumne Co), started May 18. As of
May 27, 2009 the Cottonwood Fire is controlled at 96 acres. This fire
continues to be patrolled, and minimal smoke remains visible within the
perimeter.
Park staff will monitor smoke on a consistent basis. However, smoky
conditions may exist within the park. Residents and visitors are advised to
take precautions to minimize smoke impacts to health. People with
respiratory problems should use caution when exerting themselves in smoky
areas.

For Additional Information: The park website, www.nps.gov/yose/fire; Fire
information: 209/372-0480; or email at: yose_fire_information@nps.gov. (G.
Wuchner - 6/16/09)
*************************************************
Yosemite News Release
June 15, 2009
For Immediate Release
Media Contacts:
Scott Gediman 209-372-0248
Kari Cobb 209-372-0529

Missing Employee Found Dead in Yosemite National Park
Christopher Hale, 23, of Gainesville, Florida was found dead today in
Yosemite National Park. Hale, who had been reported missing since
yesterday morning was found by Park Rangers at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. It
appears that Hale fell from an unnamed cliff face above Mirror Lake in
eastern Yosemite Valley. The exact cause of death and other details remain
under investigation.

Hale was an employee of DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, Inc., the park’s
primary concessionaire. He was in training in Yosemite Valley and was
slated to work at White Wolf. -NPS- (K. Cobb - 6/16/09)
*************************************************
Yosemite National Park - Safety, Health & Environmental Office - Training
Announcement
Date: Thursday and Friday June 18-19
Time: 8:00 – 16:30 16 hour
Location: Large break room, El Portal
Topics and intended audience: Operational Leadership for employees and
supervisors

Instructors: Roger Farmer, Safety Officer
Charles Cuvelier, Deputy Chief Operations

Operational Leadership identifies key risk factors that affect individual
and team performance. It has been specifically designed to provide the
National Park Service with a standardized approach that will assist
employees in assessing and managing risk throughout the organization.

Call Claudine Ronay at 379-1072 to register for training. (C. Ronay -
6/16/09)
*************************************************
For Rent: 2 Bedroom 2 Bath Mobile home. $600 a month plus $600 security
deposit. Washer/dryer hookups. Located near Carlton and Triangle.
Available July 1st. Call Laura. 209 204-4152. (Y. Radanovich - 6/16/09)

Happening Today/This Week (Check the Community News section for other
events)
Traffic control/possible delays in Tuolumne Meadows - Beginning Monday June
15th – Wednesday June 17th NPS Contractors will be performing sewerline
video inspection in Tuolumne Meadows. This may create intermittent traffic
delays. (K. Brown - 6/11/09)
*************************************************
Foresta Road Closure Tuesday 6/16 in front of the El Portal Maintenance
Complex
Tuesday June 16, 2009 from 0600 - 1500hrs the section of Foresta Road in
front of the El Portal Maintenance Complex will be closed for PG&E
Helicopter Operations. Please use Spur road during this time period. (A.
Rothell - 6/15/09)
*************************************************
PG&E Power Outage in EP - PG&E has scheduled a power outage for Tuesday
June 16, 2009, 8:00am -12:00 noon that will affect all of El Portal,
Foresta and Yosemite West. If you have additional questions call PG&E,
Heather Gonzales at (209) 726-5588. (P. Laymon - 6/11/09)
*************************************************
Trailer Court Power Outage: There will be a power outage on June 16, 2009
from 09:00 am to 4:00 pm affecting the El Portal Trailer Court and the
Middle Road. Notices will be posted prior to the outage. If you have any
concerns regarding the outage, please contact Josiah Brown in the High
Voltage Shop, 379-1236 (M. Christiansen - 6/10/09)
*************************************************
Yosemite National Park - Safety & Health Awareness Week - June 15 - 19,
2009
Schedule of Events:
Wednesday, June 17 Safety Stand-Down Day & Barry Hance Memorial Award
Safety Stand-Down all day - Call safety office for materials/activities
Barry Hance Award - Valley Auditorium 11am - 2pm

Thursday June 18 & Friday June 19 Large Breakroom El Portal - Operational
Leadership for Employees
08:00 - 16:30 both days
Call Claudine Ronay @ 379-1072 to RSVP, limited to 20 participants.

Thanks and I hope you all have a safe and healthy season. (R. Farmer -
6/3/09)
*************************************************
Supervisors of Volunteers Workshop REVISED DATE!
Thursday, June 18, 9-11 am
Does the VIP office have gifties I can give my volunteers? Are there
volunteers who can come do a two-day project for me? Can a volunteer have a
whole house to himself so his extended family can spend the summer with
him? Learn the answers to the mysteries of the volunteer program! All
current and future supervisors of volunteers are welcome for this two-hour
free workshop. We will cover the basics of volunteer supervising and
paperwork, and seek their feedback on how to improve our program. How can
you attend?
1) RSVP to yose_volunteers@nps.gov by COB June 17, then come to the El
Portal RMS conference room on Thursday, June 18, 9-11 am
2) Contact the volunteer office (yose_volunteers@nps.gov or 379-1850) to
schedule a session for your own division/branch/program.
3) Let the volunteer office (yose_volunteers@nps.gov or 379-1850) know that
you can't come, but want to attend in the future, so we can schedule more
sessions if there's demand. (H. Boothe - 6/5/09)
*************************************************
"Ask For It" Book Discussion June 18th - Please come join the Federal
Women's Program book discussion this June 18th in the RMS conference room
from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. led by Lusetta Nelson. This highly revelent book is
called Ask for it: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What
They Really Want. You are welcome to attend whether you have read the book
or not. The authors have done extensive research on women and negotiation
and one of their main conclusions is that "men initiate negotiations to
advance their own interests about four times as frequently as women do."
The book first gives us tools to recognize more opportunities for
negotiation, and encourages us to see that "you can ask for more things
than you think." The book then describes tools to ask for what we
want--whether it is a raise, a training, a challenging new assignment, a
modified workload, or more help around the house. (L. Nelson - 6/15/09)
*************************************************
Wednesday Art Night - The Ansel Adams Gallery and Yosemite Association Art
& Education Center - This week's Wednesday Art Night will feature the
talents of watercolor artist Tom Fong. Tom is known and celebrated for his
bold, spontaneous, and vibrant work. He is also in demand as a teacher, and
will be demonstrating his techniques during the reception. Join us
Wednesday, June 17 from 5:00 to 6:30 at The Ansel Adams Gallery for
refreshments, and lively discussions about art! (AnselAdams Gallery -
6/15/09)
*************************************************
Please join us on Friday, June 19 from 5:30 to 7 pm in the Yosemite Museum
Gallery for a reception to celebrate the opening of the Yosemite
Artists-in-Residence exhibit. This exhibit features the work of John
Barnett, Jane Culp, Tom Killion, Bruce Klein, Hearne Pardee, Bonnie
Peterson and Gina Werfel, artists who have been invited to live and work in
the park for up to one month. Refreshments will be served, and everyone is
welcome. This exhibit is presented by Yosemite Renaissance, and will be
open through November 8. (B. Beroza - 6/15/09)
*************************************************
SKYWARN Class Saturday, June 20 - Have you ever wondered what the clouds
overhead have inside them? National Weather Service meteorologist James
Brotherton will be teaching a 2 hour weather observation class on Saturday,
June 20, 2009 at Sierra Pines Church in Oakhurst. There is NO CHARGE for
the class and participants will learn about clouds, lightning and other
weather features. The session begins at 10:00 am sharp and will conclude at
noon.

Sierra Pines Church is located between Oakhurst and Ahwahnee at 40855 Covey
Court -- from Oakhurst, take Hwy 49 2.5 miles north (i.e. towards
Mariposa). Contact James Brotherton at 559-584-3725 for more information.
(J. Meyer - 6/15/09)
*************************************************
LAST CHANCE IN 2009 - WILDLAND FIRE REFRESHER COURSE
Date: June 24th 2009 Time: 0900 - 1700
Location: Cedar Lodge Conference Room, El Portal
Bring: Line gear (if you have it), be ready for practice fire shelter
deployments
Contact: Kelly Singer to sign up 209-375-9516,
Leave a message and you will be added to the list, you will not receive a
confirmation callback (A. Rothell - 6/10/09)

Announcements
The Property Management Office is again accepting property for disposition.
Please remember that a "Property Turn-in Sheet" (this is an updated
"Request for Survey" form) must be completed for every item turned in. If
you need a copy of this form, or have other questions regarding property
disposition, please call Don Ramsey @ 379-1024. If you have property you
are no longer using and do not need, we highly recommend that you turn it
in to the Property Office. Experience has shown that "stashed" property is
frequently forgotten and hard to find during inventory. Also, the park pays
an annual IT assessment for every computer and laptop; don't waste money by
keeping computer equipment you are not using. TURN IT IN!

Property management is once again accepting excess government property.
Property will be accepted by appointment only with Don Ramsey (379-1024)
Monday through Thursday. Between the hours of 08:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Hazardous material will not be accepted.
Property must be clean.
Property with an acquisition cost of less than $300.00 that is scrap (has
no value) will not be accepted. It should be recycled properly.
Informal property with an acquisition cost of greater than $300.00 must be
turned in.
All formal property must be turned in.
Formal property may not be cannibalized prior to turn in.
Property Turn-in Sheets must be filled out completely. (D. Ramsey/K.
Kolbeck - 6/15/09)

HR Corner
Yosemite National Park -- Current Vacancy Announcements
UPDATED: June 15, 2009
The following is a summary of current vacancy announcements at Yosemite
National Park. Most vacancy announcements will be posted on
http://www.usajobs.gov. This website is the Office of Personnel
Management's USAJOBS internet site. If you have any questions or cannot
find the announcement on USAJOBS, please call the Park’s Human Resources
Office at (209) 379-1805.
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
| PERMANENT – NATIONAL | | |
| PARK SERVICE CAREER OR | | |
| CAREER-CONDITIONAL | | |
| EMPLOYEES | | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
|SECRETARY (OA) | | |
|Vacancy Ann #: | | |
|YP264881 IK | | |
|Who May Apply: | | |
|Status Candidates | | |
|Pay Plan: | | |
|GS-0318-06/07 | | |
|Appointment Term: | | |
|Permanent | | |
|Job Status: | | |
|Full-Time | | |
|Opening Date: | | |
|2009-06-09 | | |
|Closing Date: | | |
|2009-06-22 | | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
| PERMANENT – DEPARTMENT | | |
| OF THE INTERIOR CAREER | | |
| OR CAREER-CONDITIONAL | | |
| EMPLOYEES | | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
|Park Ranger | | |
|(Protection/Security | | |
|Specialist) | | |
|Vacancy Ann #: | | |
|YP265726 IK | | |
|Who May Apply: | | |
|Status Candidates | | |
|Pay Plan: | | |
|GS-0025-11 | | |
|Appointment Term: | | |
|Permanent | | |
|Job Status: | | |
|Full-Time | | |
|Opening Date: | | |
|2009-06-11 | | |
|Closing Date: | | |
|2009-06-24 | | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
|PERMANENT -- STATUS NOT | | |
| REQUIRED – OPEN TO THE | | |
| PUBLIC | | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
|Design and Construction | | |
|Project Manager | | |
|Interdisciplinary | | |
|Vacancy Ann #: | | |
|YP264743 IK | | |
|Who May Apply: | | |
|Public | | |
|Pay Plan: | | |
|GS-XXXX-12/13 | | |
|Appointment Term: | | |
|Permanent | | |
|Job Status: | | |
|Full-Time | | |
|Opening Date: | | |
|2009-06-09 | | |
|Closing Date: | | |
|2009-06-22 | | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
| TERM -- STATUS NOT | | |
|REQUIRED -- OPEN TO THE | | |
| PUBLIC | | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|
|Trail Worker Supervisor |RESOURCE SPECIALIST | |
|Vacancy Ann #: |INTERDISCIPLINARY | |
|YP259452 RZ09 |Vacancy Ann #: | |
|Who May Apply: |YP264871 IK | |
|Public |Who May Apply: | |
|Pay Plan: |Public | |
|WS |Pay Plan: | |
|Appointment Term: Term|GS-XXXX-09/11 | |
|Job Status: |Appointment Term: Term | |
|Full-Time |Job Status: | |
|Opening Date: |Full-Time | |
|2009-05-29 |Opening Date: | |
|Closing Date: |2009-06-09 | |
|2009-06-22 |Closing Date: | |
| |2009-06-22 | |
|------------------------+------------------------+------------------------|

(H. Whitman - 6/15/09)

Community News
Community Safety Day Thank You:
On behalf of the Protection Division I want to thank the many people
throughout the park that participated in the biannual Community Safety Day.
Our mountain communities are very interdependent and rely on a host of
public service entities from local, state, nonprofit, and federal partners
to meet our needs. Twenty-one stations were supported by ten agencies
including; PHI Air Medical, Mariposa County Sheriff’s Department,
California Highway Patrol, Sonora Police Department, Tenet Health
Care-Yosemite Medical Clinic, Friends of YOSAR, Yosemite National Park,
Delaware North Park Services at Yosemite, Mariposa County Health, and
Mariposa Safe Families. Yosemite National Park participants included
Traffic Management, Wildlife/Resources Management, Wilderness, the Safety
Office, Structural Fire, Mounted Horse Patrol, Bicycle Patrol, YOSAR, the
Telecommunications Shop, and the Public Information Office. Park
partnerships are vital to our success and a special thanks to the Lions
Club, Yosemite Medical Clinic, and DNC for their involvement. (C. Cuvelier
- 6/15/09)

Acting Designation
David Thorpe will out of the office June 15, through June 26, 2009. Dan
Clingenpeel will be acting Branch Chief for Telecommunications June 15,
through June 20 he can be reached at 379-1260. Nancy Bissmeyer will be
acting Branch Chief June 21, through June 26, 2009 she can be reached at
379-1188. (P. Dutrey - 6/15/09)
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Jim Bacon (379-1375) will act as Chief of Planning Monday through Wednesday
this week. Questions - call Doyle Harrison (379-1110). (L. Dahl - 6/15/09)
*************************************************
Lora Hawksley will be acting Budget Officer from Monday 6/15 through Friday
6/19, she can be reached at 379-2231. (D. Jackson - 6/12/09)
______________________________