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Show Park Employees Face Illegal Drug Charge BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK Three seasonal employees at Bryce Canyon National Park were arrested Friday following a systematic search of several government housing quarters and private vehicles and subsequent issuing of warrants for the arrest of the three. Park Superintendent Bob Benton commended his own permanent law enforcement staff at the park as well as local officers from the Garfield county sheriff's office for their efficiency in handling the investigation and arrest. Benton had received information from a confidential source that several seasonal employees at Bryce were in possession of and using marijuana. He had the ranger division at the park contact Mosier who asked the county attorney to issue the necessary search warrants. Park rangers, assisted by Mosier and his deputies, conducted a thorough search for several hours on the evening of July 23 of the living quarters and vehicles identified in the warrants. They recovered approximately six ounces of marijuana. Following the discovery, the county attorney was again contacted and charges of possession were brought against the three individuals who were subsequently arrested Friday evening, James Briceland, Susan Stutz, and Kathern Wright. The three were afterwards released upon posting bail of $200 each. Mosier noted that none of the individuals charged or implicated in the search were permanent park employees but were seasonal hires. He added that out of the seven employees implicated from the drug raid, four had been terminated by the National Park Service with the other three who were not cited due to lack of evidence being placed on probation with the Park Service at this time. Benton expressed his personal disaster for the illegal use of drugs as well as the National Park policy of extremely high standards for its employees. In pointing out the standards set by the National Park Service for its employees, Benton expressed his praise for the coordination between agencies involved In this particular incident. |