Ranging along...

It has been a long time since I posted anything; last time was a quick blurb between fire assignments on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests (OWF), and I forgot to mention that when the Washington State Trooper learned that I was a retired Ranger/Special Agent he immediately asked: “Do you know Mike Butler?” (retired SA from Olympic National Park). My face & eyes grew wide and I told him that I did: we where from the same hometown, I was Burbank HS class of ’65 and he was crosstown rival Burroughs HS class of  same year; we partnered up at the Grand Canyon during the search for escaped convict Daniel Horning, and saw each other at Susan Morton’s memorial service in Tucson. Sometimes, it is indeed a small world.

My second trip to OWF was for the Little Bridge fire & Carlton Complex near Twisp (WA). Hundreds of structures had been damaged or lost due to fire and then flooding; my last day there we were waiting for the locusts to arrive… Near Twisp is the Sun Mountain Lodge, a well known X-country skiing (winter) and mountain bike (summer) destination. I worked with the structural protection group (led by Billy Morris from Peoria, AZ FD) and noted in my log assessment that due to the continuous fuels going uphill to the resort, that if a major run occurred “I think we can save the tennis courts…”

In late September, Meme & I again journeyed out to the Pacific Beach/La Jolla area: we love the balcony of the Pacific Terrace rooms overlooking the boardwalk, cliffs, beach, ocean, etc.  The seafood is good (love fish tacos), and it is enjoyable to visit Meme’s brother Mark and step-brother Charlie that live nearby.  

Oct. & Nov. had a share of other activities: SiteWatch, tennis referee, yoga classes, and some short trips: Ranger Rendezvous in CO (where I was interviewed for the NPS Oral History Archive), mom’s/Uncle Bruce’s b-day bash in AZ, & SiteWatch intro training in Silver City, NM, but by far the large amount of effort and time was preparation for a 20-hour Heritage Resource Investigations training course that my LLC provided for federal & state law enforcement officers & archaeologists the 1^st week of December. It “ate my brain” for the 7-weeks we had before having the course, but it was worth it… good group of folks, and I’m better for having worked a few days with them…

Walkin' the Chiwaukum...

In mid-July I was dispatched to the Chiwaukum Creek incident (fire) in central Washington on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests (OWF). The fire had blown-up overnight driven by strong winds and was headed down canyon and the Wenatchee River towards the town of Leavenworth. “Safety Dude” (me) was flown I to join a large army of mobilizing forces. When I left home I had no idea how literal that would be (see below).            

Before I even left home I let my family & some friends know where I’d be headed and my “Uncle Bruce” (Bruce Newlin) emailed to say he’d pitched at Wenatchee in ’55 & ’56 (but, that there probably was no one around any longer that cared… I later found someone). When I checked in at the Incident Command Post I learned that other fires had recently been sparked and I would be flying up to Kelly Mountain to a “spike camp” near a helispot. Eight Smokejumpers (out of Redmond, OR) and an Initial Attack (IA) crew were fighting this fire. One of the bigger challenges was the 1800 vertical feet from the head-to-toe of the fire. 

Another was that light rain was forecasted. When I finally flew in (the next day due to winds & weather) I found that the Umatilla Type II IA Crew had experienced a rough night in the drizzle. They’d been flown up with line-gear only: no tents, bags, etc. They adapted, adjusted, and overcame the situation making some shelters out of limbs & branches from the tress cleared by the Jumpers when constructing the helispot (on the edge of a cliff above an alpine lake). Good job Umatilla!

           

When we flew off, due to a stronger and moister system, I found that my next assignment was going to be working with the Washington National Guard (NG). They had 100 of their wildland fire trained soldiers (from 1^st Squadron of 303^rd Cavalry) ready & willing to help. Most fire crews are 20-person: due to lack-of-experience a decision was made to have each NG crew 10-person, with an experienced Crew Supervisor, and each two crews a Strike Team Leader. The five Strike Teams had a Division Supervisor.

204 from 07-27-14

To say the overhead was greatly experienced is a gross understatement: one of the Crew Sups retired from the Forest Service as a GS-15 (about as high as you can get before Senior Executive Service kicks-in) and the Division was from the Redding Smokejumpers (USDA Forest Service). Safety Dude was humbled. The NG had one day of on-the-ground training with their new fireline leaders before being deployed with typical assignments: gridding & mop-up, holding-the-line for firing operations. They did superb. It was interesting that the operational Division the NG worked under were A#1, and the Branch Director over many divisions was a very experienced fire-fellow by the name of George Custer.

           

One weird (what-are-the-chances) moment I had was an incident on Hwy. 2. As I was proceeding up canyon from ICP to assignment, a sheriff’s unit was proceeding down canyon from trying to locate an abusive resident at our request. At that time, and unknown to us, a crew on a different Branch of the fire, was building a contingency line high up on a 45-60 degree slope (way high up above Hwy.2). As they were bucking up a downed log, a round rolled into another that they’d already bucked and dislodged it: this 18" round rolled downhill gaining speed and at approximately 25-30 MPH crossed the road in front of me.

I jammed on my brakes, but it crashed into the front driver side wheel (bending-the-rim) and exploding it back into the rear panel of my pickup truck. No one was hurt and both vehicles were driven away (the S.O. unit needed to put on their spare tire): I’d had my hazard lights on, but the log round hadn’t seemed to have cared or noticed (geesh). Close call, a very close call for the Deputy & me.

            Tomorrow, I’m headed back for another safety assignment on the OWF...

Star Trek and Plundering the Ancients…

There has been a lot of news recently about the link between the looting of our heritage resources and criminal enterprises (see links below). This of course, is nothing new to the many of us that have been involved (sometimes putting life-n-limb in “Harm’s Way”) with the protection of our patrimony.  The collectors driving the illegal black market may think they are involved in a victimless crime: that is delusional, self-serving… well, seems like rationalization to me. So, to help with the recovery and repatriation I think we should standup and be counted by tweeting on Twitter at: #bringbackourartifacts (on 2^nd thought, based on what continues in Nigeria, this may not be the-way-to-go for positive results).

In about 3-months (October 7^th) Lucinda Schroeder’s next book (Plunder of the Ancients) is due to be released. Some might recall Cindy’s first work, Hunt for Justice: it chronicled her undercover operations with wayward big game hunting guides in Alaska (she did some nice work throughout her career with US Fish & Wildlife Service). I’m looking forward to reading her memories regarding a couple of our multi-agency covert ops (East/West & “Operation Cooperation”), that looked into the trafficking of ancient ethnographic art and the darker side: the backroom illegal trade in cultural & sacred objects. The latter of these operations became fairly well-known locally as it involved individuals supplying & trafficking sensitive objects.  

Ya know, when I’m asked which ARPA Task Force* or National Park Service (NPS) Resources Protection Unit operation was the most successful, I often have to think about it for awhile. Of course, I’m inclined to think of the Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) case that started as an illegal feather trading investigation and ended up as the first NAGPRA jury trial and conviction that was appealed up through the 10th Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court (conviction stood). However, I truly believe that we reached-out and spread-the-word to by far the most people with a simple letter (or two):  Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) is an example of how long journeys start with small-steps.

It began in the latter part of 1992, while watching an episode of Star Trek: TNG (possibly Season 6 episode 7’s “Rascals”).  Our son, Justin, was nine at the time and it was our custom to pop some corn and watch a new episode on the Saturday’s that I was at home (unfortunately, not that often as I recall). In previous seasons and episodes, Captain Jean Luc Picard’s character had been shown to have a strong interest in archaeology, even delivering a keynote address at a scientific conference on the subject. At the beginning of this story’s hour Capt. Picard was showing-off some artifacts he had “acquired” from a cave while on shore leave. That didn’t “sit-right” with this Deputy ARPA Task Force Coordinator. It prompted a letter (on Task Force letterhead) asking for some behavioral changes by the illustrious captain of the Starship Enterprise. Due to the results I’m sure that others where also watching & writing...

Capt. Picard (right) and his mentor,
archaeologist Galen.

Within a short while there was an episode where Capt. Picard mentioned the desire to protect our heritage resources (artifacts). It prompted another letter: this one on NPS letterhead and signed by our Regional Director (John E. Cook) that more-or-less said: way-to-go Enterprise. This was followed by multiple installments where Jean Luc took an active role in tracking down intergalactic black market artifact smugglers, and helping to assist & answer archaeological research questions that we haven't evolved to even think of to ask in the late 20th Century. In fact, the writers brought up his youthful passion for the science of archaeology to the point that he once had to decide between that academic endeavor or a career with Star Fleet (certainly struck a chord with me: historian/archeologist turned NPS Ranger/Special Agent). The stories continued to unfold in very positive directions, and it was rumored that Star Trek: TNG was eventually recognized by the Society for American Archaeology with a special award. I’ve been unable to corroborate that.

One thing I do believe is true: we have Gene Roddenberry# and his creative heirs to thank for seeing a great opportunity to educate “the next generation” and following through with it. Yep, education, that's-the-ticket...           

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140613-looting-antiquities-archaeology-cambodia-trafficking-culture/

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/how-terrorists-tap-black-market-fueled-stolen-antiquities-n137016

 

Artifact Show - Santa Fe, New Mexico

*- The Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) Task Force was an interagency effort based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the early 1990’s. Agencies initially involved were the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and USDA Forest Service. Its’ members eventually expanded and included efforts also with a variety of other agencies from the Departments of Interior, Justice, and Treasury.

#- As a matter of full disclosure, my spouse’s (Meme) family has a Roddenberry connection: her maternal family was O’Hara and lived in El Paso, Texas. In the 1920’s the Roddenberry & O’Hara families moved from El Paso to Los Angeles at the same time. Her Aunt Dorothy was the same age as Gene and they went to L.A. Franklin High School together.

Community based Heritage Resource Protection programs

About a year before I retired from the National Park Service, to take a position as an archaeologist with the State of New Mexico, I attended an INTERPOL/UNESCO conference on stolen art & artifacts in Mexico City. It had international appeal and was attended by authorities from all over the Americas and the globe. In retrospect, I was humbled in that I was allowed to speak on behalf of the United Stated of America (yep, the kid-from-the-kennels in Burbank & Malibu had done OK).

I continue to give a THANK YOU to all the heritage protectors and warriors out there safeguarding our patrimony. Your efforts are greatly appreciated (even if not widely acknowledged). I recently tried to pay a visit on-line to the archived CRM bulletin that the National Park Service had published about “Looting a Global Crisis” at http://crm.cr.nps.gov/issue.cfm?volume=25&number=02  (NOTE: new location just brought to my attention: http://npshistory.com/newsletters/crm/crm-v25n2.pdf (muchas gracias a Kevin Doyle)

Unfortunately, the "old" link appeared to be no longer operating: que lastima! It had some good articles. At first-blush, this could be seen as analogous to the condition of cultural resource protection efforts worldwide, as our precious non-renewable cultural materials are being ripped from their contextual womb, with the plunder feeding the black market for illegal art and antiquity. Happy to see it is still available...

           Much has changed since the publication of this theme CRM edition. Some good, and some not-so-good for our world’s heritage. Some of the positive developments include international organizations, like: “Saving Antiquities For Everyone” (SAFE)

One article I was hoping to revisit was the one about local groups in western Sweden that were helping fight-the-good-fight against looters (I still call them “lewd-ers") and the growth of many community based heritage resource protection programs: local site stewards.

I’m most familiar with the New Mexico SiteWatch steward program; as the former State Coordinator, I helped it grow. Based on the model-program developed in Arizona, it is a confederation of local volunteers that provide additional eyes-and-ears for land managers and owners. Most of the work is on Federal or State/County lands, but some is on private property. Always with the written authority and permission of the land manager/owner (who are often overstretched & overworked). 

http://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/programs/sitewatch.html

Our stewards visit archaeological & historic sites, reporting back to their agency resource contact the present status and condition of the area: they “FIND IT-RECORD IT-REPORT IT”. They are not police officers, but as resource monitors-stewards we are trained to operate with safety as our key component. Sometimes we arrive in an area to find a cultural crime or activity in progress. In these cases, we need to know what-to-do: withdraw and contact our law enforcement authorities immediately.  It is an unfortunate fact that there is often a nexus between present-day looting here and meth-amphetamine use with drug trafficking (it is a very destructive cycle: diggers destroy the scientific potential of sites to obtain objects to trade for more drugs…). The benefits of local site stewards are multiple: as the saying goes “all preservation is local” and with community buy-in there is a stronger vested interest; protection of real and potential heritage tourism is also a major factor that should not be discounted (who is going to pay to travel to see a pillaged landscape of holes?); and it is simply “the right thing to do” (pass along to our future generations what our ancestors have provided for us). 

A few years back there was an email from a metal detector “hobbyist” who enjoyed going onto public lands in his quest to find (plunder really) heritage resources from historic sites and districts. He was bemoaning the fact that he was being displaced from public places (with antiquities & cultural properties protected by law) because there were “too damn many site stewards” out there now.  In actuality, he should have thanked them for preventing him from continuing to commit serial felonies (violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, etc.). To this, I give a tip-of-the-sombrero to ALL the volunteers out there protecting our patrimony, like those involved with these programs.

Arizona Site Stewards

http://www.pr.state.az.us/partnerships/shpo/sitestew.html

NW New Mexico Site Stewards/SiteWatch NW Chapter

http://www.nmsitestewards.com

Santa Fe National Forest Site Stewards

http://www.sfnfsitestewards.org/

Site Steward Foundation

(Providing help & support to site steward organizations in New Mexico)

http://sitestewardfoundation.org

Of course there are many other local programs out there. I salute them ALL. Some of the common elements include: local surveillance (sometimes with electronic equipment), coordination with law enforcement, education-Education-EDUCATION (public out-reach is critical). Keep-up the good works amigos, y gracias por todos… 

http://www.savingantiquities.org/topic/looting-and-the-trade/

… A Very Merry Ho-Ho-Ho to You-N-Yours…

Another snowy day here in Santa Fe: Peace on earth, good will towards person-kind, and other worthwhile goals to strive for, makes for annual reflection: We had one of those years you hear about where it was pretty much steady-as-she-goes & without much happening. Oh, we both had our teeth cleaned twice & the house didn’t burn down (yet). So, now you have it: News from Ranch Encantado

Snow falling on the Jacuzzi, in many ways, could be a fitting metaphor for our lives; sitting in hot water surrounded by climate change. Water is such a basic part of all our lives and a principal component of this home: Meme continues stewardship over the State’s water resources, we’ve recently “worn out” our 3^rd Hot Springs top & 4^th water bed mattress, and for our 35^th anniversary we went-n-splashed and made bubbles in the Florida Keys.

Conch Key Resort, FL

We didn’t have any really exotic destinations with our travels this year. Oh, I forgot Palmdale (during my Dodgers & Burbank HS sojourn). Got to visit Kirk & Lynne Harris in Agua Dulce, and with Meme’s step-mom Arlene Medici and part of her 3 generations of super family. Meme’s solo excursions took her climbing near Pagosa Springs (CO) & to the Canyonlands of southeast Utah for a “Climb Like A Girl” adventure. Some of our other journeys included Gilbert, AZ to visit my Mom, sisters & families. In early June, joined there by several cousins and my Auntie Ginny (Virginia) from Ventura. We also shared experiences with Meme’s sister Pat at their cousin Pete’s (& Nancy’s) place in Hayden Lake, Idaho: fun-on-the-waters. Another water-based trip was annual pilgrimage to Pacific Beach/La Jolla area where we paid homage to our sunset ocean.

Sunset/Pacific Beach, CA

Justin continues as a “second year” law student at UNM, having spent the summer term studying Int’l Law in Spain (“where the rain falls mainly…”). While he was abroad, I had a very active fire season: 7 fires on 4 dispatches, as a Safety Officer. It was a tragic year with the loss of too many men & women trying to protect us, like Sandoval County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. (and former NPS Ranger) Robert Baron. I’d also been on the same fire incident as Granite Mountain (Interagency Hotshot Crew) on Granite Mountain (Prescott, AZ) a week before their deaths at Yarnell Hill. When told, I went into immediate denial: “we just don’t lose whole crews.” Unfortunately, this time we did. Our hopes are with all our public safety personnel: you aren’t forgotten.

Lucy & Meme @ Monster Wall

This year Lucy started to really fill-out her punch card for the frequent vet visit program: twice for ripped nails, a rattlesnake bite/envenomation (against the outside our front-yard wall), and a recent teeth cleaning (for her 5^th birthday). Of course that doesn’t count the time this Autumn when I took her for a run via my bike-ride: never had a problem before… this time she went 90-degrees starboard behind the bike descending a hill: I ended up on gravel road with her looking at me seemingly saying: “Whachya doin’ down here?” She was fine; I ended up later that day at urgent care (two-broken ribs).

Meme on a lead climb
East Fork Jemez River

… and Meme continues climbing, jogging, tennis, yoga, working and taking care of Phil (me) & Lucy = she’s very busy (and is going to make some holiday goodies now). I continue with tennis officiating, SiteWatch steward activities, “etc. Etc., ETC.” (yes yoga too, but I’m much more… remedial much of the time). Ya know, we sure are blessed… and hope you are too this year & next.