Poachers-Patrols-Parking

Poachers-Patrols-Parking

Fourth of July at CHRI

Greetings! My name is Connor Caruso from cohort 7. This summer I have the opportunity to go on an internship in the US Virgin Islands. For the next four weeks, I will be spending time with various divisions at Christiansted National Historic Site (CHRI) in St. Croix.

Poachers

In addition to fourth of July celebrations, this week was full of poaching investigations, boat patrols, and parking violations. A few weeks back, I wrote about a large scale land crab poaching operation taking place at Salt River Bay National Historic Park Ecological Preserve (SARI). While patrolling a section of back country trail with Ranger Laurencin, we discovered a number of wooden traps used to capture land crabs. Since then, I have been working with the law enforcement division at CHRI to investigate the operation and begin building a case. The investigation started with regular patrols of the area to determine the scope of the operation. After multiple patrols, we discovered close to thirty crab traps that were set on a regular basis. In the following weeks, I patrolled the area with Ranger Clarke to document the locations of the crab traps and begin the initial process of building an case to catch the poacher(s). This initial step in the investigation focused on determining the scale of the operation and taking photographs to document the types of traps used.

Land Crab Trap-SARI

To follow the investigation from the start, click here.

After documenting the traps and surveilling the area during multiple patrols, Ranger Clarke and I decided to set up a trial camera to (hopefully) capture the identity of the poacher(s). After programming the trail camera, Ranger Clare and I secured it to a tree which faces one of the trails frequented by the poacher(s). Once the trail camera was securely attached to the tree, we decided it needed a bit more camouflage in order to blend into the surroundings and avoid detection. 

Trail Camera-SARI

Trail Camera-Camouflaged 

While the investigation is ongoing, I have learned a lot about the process of starting an investigation and how to build a case. Although it is often easy to get discouraged by activities that damage natural resources when there is no clear suspect, the process of building a case and gathering evidence helps ensure justice is served and the resources entrusted to the park service are available for future generations to enjoy. I look forward to continuing the investigation in the weeks to come and hopefully putting an end to land crab poaching at SARI.

Patrols

In addition to patrolling SARI this week, law enforcement officers at CHRI teamed up with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) for Operation Dry Water. Operation Dry Water (ODW) is a year-round boating under the influence awareness and enforcement campaign. The mission of ODW is to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related accidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water.

On Sunday, Ranger Clarke and I patrolled Buck Island Reef National Monument with the USCG and DPNR. The coordinated effort focused on checking boats for safety equipment and increasing recreational boater awareness around the national monument. Over the course of the day, fifteen vessels were stopped in order to check for safety equipment. Ranger Clarke and I personally stopped eight of the fifteen vessels. With Ranger Clarke at the helm, I conducted all of the safety checks on the vessels we stopped. I enjoyed talking with the visitors and making sure they had all the necessary safety equipment on board.

USCG Boat-Operation Dry Water

Parking

During the course of the week, I assisted Ranger Clarke with multiple parking violations. Although the park has a free parking lot open from 8:30AM- 4:30PM everyday, cars are often parked in "no parking zones" or remain in the lot past closure. This week, I had a lot of practice writing warning stickers and filling out towing forms. When you are visiting a park, be sure to read the signs carefully and know the rules!

Warning Stickers Placed on Vehicles

Ranger Clarke Towing a Vehicle 

In the coming week, I will be working with the law enforcement division on some early morning and late evening patrols around Buck Island. Through these patrols, we hope to curtail poaching around the protected reef to ensure the resources remain intact. Check back next week to see what I have been up to!

ProRanger Caruso