RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           CC: RAD Information Net

Day/date:  Monday, March 27, 1989

INCIDENTS

89-56 - Big Bend - Shooting Incident

Late on the afternoon of the 22nd, three college students rafting on the Rio
Grande in San Vicente Canyon were fired upon from the Mexican side of the
river. The three jumped into the water; as they swam toward shore, more
shots were fired at them. The shots continued after they took cover in
river cane on the park side of the river, and the rafters soon heard the
sound of someone crossing the river and scrambling toward higher ground
above them. Since one of the rafters carried a .38 revolver and another had
a .45, they returned fire. At that point, the shooting stopped. During the
course of the incident, about 35 rounds were fired - more than 30 by the
assailants and four by the rafters. The three rafters were able to get down
to Rio Grande Village by dawn on the 23rd. Two park rangers and a Mexican
officer immediately headed to the scene of the incident, the park closed
about 20 miles of river (from Mariscal Canyon to below San Vicente) and the
Border Patrol put an aircraft in the air over the area. The rangers and
Mexican officer arrived at the scene late in the day on the 23rd, and were
able to follow tracks to a goat herder's camp in Mexico. They found the
students' raft and gear hidden in rocks near the camp, but could not locate
the two young, temporary caretakers of the camp, one of whom owns a .22
caliber rifle. Both appear to have fled into Mexico and are under
suspicion. No motive for the shooting is apparent. The Coahuila Judicial
del Estado has assumed jurisdiction of the case, and the rafters have filed
a complaint with the Coahuila state police. The governor of the State of
Coahuila has sent four state police officers to the scene, and the chief
ranger from Big Bend was to have met with them on Friday. The river remains
closed. The press is showing a high degree of interest in the incident.
(Initial report from BIBE through Bill Tanner, RAD/SWRO; follow-up report by
Charlie Peterson, BIBE, to RAD/SWRO and RAD/WASO).

FIRE ACTIVITY

No new fires have been reported over the past few days. Snow in the
southwest has decreased the fire danger in the western half of the region.
Emergency presuppression crews and engines at Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe
Mountains have been released. Two engines remain at Lake Meredith, and two
crews will remain at Big Bend doing hazard reduction work through March
27th. Rain has fallen in much of the southeast, but the fire danger remains
very high in south Florida. Numerous arson-caused fires have been reported
on state lands adjacent to Big Cypress. (Judi Zuckert, BFM, Boise).

FIELD NOTES

On the afternoon of March 25th, Bill ranger James Huff was pulling off a
county road in southern Arizona when he was hit in the face, shoulder and
arm by a shotgun round fired at him through the open window of his vehicle.
Huff was able to get clear of the scene and call for help. Assistance
arrived, and Huff was medevaced to the Tucson Medical Center emergency room,
where he was treated and later released. No motive for the shooting was
apparent, and an investigation was begun immediately. We will advise you of
further developments as soon as we have more information on the incident.
(Walt Johnson, Chief of LE, BLM; Don Ducote, Tucson Field Office, Phoenix
District, BLM).

CALENDAR

Asterisks indicate new or revised entries:

March 28 - 29* - National Capital Region Chief Rangers' and Resource
Management Specialists1 Conference, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

April 3 - 7 - Southwest Region Resource Management Workshop, San Antonio,
Texas. Sponsored by SWRO , but open to all. Contact Deborah Pfenninger,
SWR-ONR, FTS 476-6412 or 505-988-6412.

April 3 - 7 - Midwest Region Chief Rangers' Conference, Pipestone NM,
Minnesota. Contact John Townsend, MWRO, for further information.

April 4 - 6 - "Interpretation in Urban Areas", workshop, Lowell Hilton,
Lowell, Massachusetts- Sponsored by the NPS and local organizations. The
objectives are "to examine the nature and expectations of urban audiences,
techniques necessary to reach these audiences and the particular concerns of
employees in urban areas." For further information, call 617-565-8860. The
registration deadline is February 17th.

April 24 - 28 - Regional Chief Rangers' Training Session, El Paso, Texas.
Training session focusing on law enforcement (particularly drug interdiction
and enforcement) and resource protection issues. Contact Tom Thompson,
MWRO, or Reed Jarvis, PNRO.

May 2 - 4 - Mid-Atlantic Region Chief Rangers' Conference, Oglebay, West
Virginia. Contact Chris Andress, FTS 597-5348.

May 7 - 9 - Northeastern Fish and Wildlife Conference, Ellenville, New York.
Contact Frank Panck, Department of Environmental Conservation, State
university of New York, Building 40, Stony Brook, New York 11790.

May 8 - 12* - Resource Threats Workshop, Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado. The
workshop will focus on the National Environmental Policy Act, but will
include other legislation that can be used to influence federal, federally-
licensed or private undertakings that potentially impact NPS resources.
Contact Frank Buono, Albright (602-638-2691) or Jake Hoogland, Environmental
Compliance, WASO (FTS 343-2163).

May 8 - 12 - North Atlantic Region Chief Rangers' Conference, Cape Cod NS,
Massachusetts.

May 8 - 12 - "Practical Approaches to Riparian Resource Management",
educational workshop, Billings Plaza Holiday Inn, Billings, Montana.
Jointly sponsored by several Federal and state land management agencies.
For further information, contact Andrea Darling at 406-652-5197.

May 18 - 20 - "High-Intensity Fire in Wildlands: Management Challenges and
Options", conference, Ramada Inn North, Tallahassee, Florida. For further
information, contact Tall Timbers Research Stations, Route 1, Box 678,
Tallahassee, FL 32312 (904-893-4153).

May 23 - 26 - "Fire Policy and Strategies in Wilderness and Parks, Past and
Future", symposium, Bozeman, Montana. Sponsored by the NPS and USFS.
Contact Paul Weingart (403-586-8625) or Jim Saveland (912-744-0252).

May 31 - June 5 - WASO/Regional Chiefs of Interpretation Workshop,
Yellowstone, Wyoming. Tentative. Topics will include Servicewide
interpretation and education and Yellowstone fire interpretation for the
summer of 1989. Contact Mike Watson, Interpretation, WASO, for further
information.

June 19 - 22 - "Our National Grasslands", forum, Kirkwood Motor Inn,
Bismarck, North Dakota. Topics include review of historical and economic
importance of national grasslands. Keynote speaker will be Dale Robertson,
Chief, US Forest Service. Conference celebrates the 50th anniversary of
national grasslands. Contact Joe Sainas, Forest Service, 1824 N. 11th
Street, Bismark, NC 58501.

July 16 - 20 - "Futureview: The 1990's and Beyond", conference, Sheraton
Washington, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the World Future Society. Among
other topics, conferees will be discussing future biosphere trends and
issues. For further information, write the World Future Society, 4916 St.
Elmo Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814 (301-656-8274).

(Calendar appears in each Monday's morning report. If you know of a
conference, meeting or training session with Servicewide interest and
implications, please provide the specifics to Bill Halainen in Ranger
Activities).

STAFF STATUS

Dabney and Loach on AL.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
FTS 343-4874/4875 or 202-343-4874/4875