Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Sgt. Dostie, Death Valley National Park and the Freedom of Information Act

Hi Guys,

I was up at the Barker Ranch today with a crew filming for the History Channel. It was 114 degrees out!

The Park Service had an armed ranger and the administrative assistant to the superintendent listening to every word I said. I wish I had taken a picture! They have a new rule written especially for me. No dog is allowed off of an established road. They let me walk from the parking area in 25 feet the front gate and we were turned around because we were off the road and in the front yard! That's it! What do you think they are afraid of? It was very interesting that the Park Superintendent sent her Administrative assistant to watch over us. Needless to say the last thing they wanted on film was Buster alerting on all the sites. I have never heard of a dog rule like this in a National Park. We could walk around the front yard and to the sites but Buster was not allowed to.

The Administrative Assistant is also the Death Valley National Park FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) officer. I filed a complaint on the Superintendent, Sarah Craighead, over a year and a half ago, that she is ignoring and covering up that there are several murder victims buried in the park she manages. There was a lot of interoffice emails and emails between the chief ranger and the sheriff. I have filed several FOIA requests and I have close to 3,000 pages of Emails and other documents. The administrative assistant to the Superintendent, Cheryl Chipman, redacted everything that I want! You can imagine how fair that is when I filed a complaint against her boss who writes her evaluations and decides on promotions.

I have appealed the redactions to the park service who rules on the park service. Guess how that turned out? After much research and talking to experts, I found out FOIA is a big joke. The only way you get what you want is to go to federal court and sue them. The vast majority of the time, the judge will rule in your favor. I simply cannot afford to hire an lawyer to put the case on in federal court. I am looking for a smart law student to put the case on with me, pro bono. The case would be in Sacramento.

I offered Cheryl Chipman two cold bottles of water to tell me what she redacted. She laughed and thought that was pretty funny. They got me good. But in reality, they are doing a great dis-service to the families of the missing. They very much enjoy exercising their power and showing who is in charge.

When I was there with you guys, if you posted pictures of Buster on the sites, I bet I would have been charged since they would have the evidence.

Also, myself and two Ph.D's, a Forensic Anthropologist and a former high ranking Archeologist who worked for the US Forest Service, now retired, applied for a permit from the Park Service to conduct scientific forensic excavations of the two burial sites on Park Service land. Park Superintendent Sarah Craighead refused to grant us a permit.

On a side note, they fixed Golar Wash so you can drive right up now. You can't even tell where the waterfall was located. We think it was the Myers family who fixed the road, not sure though. That part of the road is on BLM land.

Paul





15 comments:

Suze said...

Who tipped them off that Sgt Dostie & the History Channel film crew would be up there that day? And why would the Park Service run interference like that if they felt there was nothing to cover up? Obviously he isn't going to dig without a permit, so why the over-the-top effort to prevent Buster from 'finding' for the film crew?

Did the cameramen film them preventing Dostie & co. from doing what they went up there for this week? I'd LOVE to see that on TV. That might ratchet up the pressure!

Matt said...

If we have an attorney in the Sac area who would like to help, email me and I'll be happy to put you in touch with Paul.

Anonymous said...

Wow the Feds don't want to cooperate with a former law enforcement officer trying to solve a murder?? Couyon, what are they trying to hide, doesnt make sense. Ya think they would take any oppurtunity to slam Manson again.

bobot420 said...

OMG, I am so disgusted with the way things work in our society. What are they trying to cover up. I say FUCK-IT, lets go there in the middle of the night and do a 13 foot dig on an area Sgt. Dostie is most sure of. Then what if we do find Murdered victims, I would assume I would be arrested. Which is a shame, So I will play dumb and say the hole was there when I got there. I think Sgt. Dostie wants someone to just go out there and do it, he cant say that exactly, but he did just tell me the road was fixed, and thats all that was stoping me. ;)

Patty is Dead said...

Just dig the damned hole, people! Maybe we should all write to the superintendant and copy CNN?

orwhut said...

It's a pity the Park Service didn't pay as much attention to Barker Ranch a while back. They might have been around to put out the fire.

bobot420 said...

If this is a new law about Pets then they need to put it out there for the public to know the law. Im sure Sgt. Dostie checked to make sure it really was a law, but on the website http://www.nps.gov/deva/parkmgmt/rules-and-regulations.htm#pets under the pets these are the rules but it doesnt say the animals need to be within 25ft of the road. It says:
• A maximum limit of 4 pets are allowed per campsite.
• Pets are not allowed in wilderness areas and on any trail unless otherwise indicated.
• Pets are not allowed in public buildings, except for service animals.
• Pets must be restrained on a leash which shall not exceed six feet in length, or otherwise physically confined at all times.
• Pets must not be left unattended and tied to an object. Pets left unattended in a vehicle, especially in heat conditions, is prohibited by state and federal law.
• Pets must not be allowed to make noise that is unreasonable or that frightens wildlife.
• Pets running-at-large may be impounded, and the owner may be charged reasonable fees for kennel or boarding costs.
• Pet feces in campgrounds, campsites, residential areas, lawns, walkways, access roads, and around public buildings must be disposed in a trash bin by the person responsible for the pet.

Patty is Dead said...

Hey whut, word on the street is that it may have been park employees who accidentally burned the ranch down with their camp stove. We have the ATFE report somewheres on the blog: check it out!

Also, I'm interested that someone has re-graded the road. It was a real bitch and a half to get up the waterfall last time. I will have to post hilarious pics of Liz covering her eyes while Mr. Patty negotiated his way up. Maybe for her birthday...evil laugh

Al said...

I just got back from the Smokie Mountains which is also a national park. Their pet policy is about the same, pets weren't allowed on some trails and not at all in some areas. I have no idea why this is, but there is definitely something going on up there where you are.

orwhut said...

Panamint Patty,
It's mighty peculiar that for a long time, people seemed to come and go as they pleased around the place and now the park service gets all bent out of shape over a bisexual sniffer dog.
I'd love to see the pix of Liz.

eviliz said...

Panamint Patty said...
Hey whut, word on the street is that it may have been park employees who accidentally burned the ranch down with their camp stove. We have the ATFE report somewheres on the blog: check it out!

I will have to post hilarious pics of Liz covering her eyes while Mr. Patty negotiated his way up. Maybe for her birthday...evil laugh

No you don't have to.

eviliz said...

It gave me bad flash backs of when my daughter was learning to drive. lol

Patty is Dead said...

Ps: before we tag Buster with the bisexual label, maybe we need to ask him if he identifies as such. We must be sensitive to the voices of our queer canine comrades. Maybe he's transsexual? Paul? Anyone?

orwhut said...

Or, we could get counseling for Apollo who had his manhood compromised right there infront of witnesses . Think of the victim.

eviliz said...

orwhut said...
Or, we could get counseling for Apollo who had his manhood compromised right there infront of witnesses . Think of the victim.

LMAO