RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date:  Friday, June 30, 1989

INCIDENTS

89-160 - Cape Cod - Beach Closure and Potential Civil Disobedience

The park is bringing in two seven-person special event teams this weekend in
anticipation of civil disobedience threatened by off-road vehicle (ORV)
groups who have been angered by a recent beach closure due to nesting piping
plovers, an endangered species. The plovers typically nest in seashore
areas along the mid-part of the outer arm of the Cape, but about 14 pairs of
birds - considered the most significant population of piping plovers in the
state - nested this year at a number of spots between High Head and Herring
Cove, the stretch of beach around the hook of the Cape which is largely open
to ORV's. Because of these nests and the fact that sections of the beach
had not yet recovered from winter conditions and were impassible, the park
closed most of the beach from Race Point Beach to High Head but left open
most of the area from Race Point Beach to Herring Cove - an area renowned
for its excellent fishing in June and July. The park met with ORV groups to
explain the closures; although the groups professed displeasure with the
action, they agreed to go along with it. Earlier this week, however, park
staffers discovered that the plover eggs had hatched and that the chicks,
who are notably unpredictable in their movement, were active around a number
of nest sites. After lengthy discussion with park researchers and
authorities from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (who administer the
Atlantic Coast Piping Plover Recovery Plan), a decision was made on Tuesday
to close all but 1.7 miles of the remaining section of beach. Several
members of the ORV groups then threatened to enter closed areas, drive
through nesting areas, and even burn park structures. One stated that
rangers "would not be able to get enough help" to make all the necessary
arrests over the weekend. On Tuesday night, rangers arrested three men for
driving through a posted tern nesting area and nearly overrunning a plover
nest with chicks. The park has now brought in two special event teams - one
from the US Park Police, the other from North Atlantic Region - and has
assigned at least eight park rangers directly to this operation, which is
aimed at protecting both the plovers and park structures. Because the
plover are endangered species, the Fish and Wildlife Service is sending four
or five special agents to the park. An update on developments will appear
in the July 3rd morning report. (Telephone reports from Tony Bonano, CR,
CACO and Dale Dickerhoff, Regional Law Enforcement Specialist, NARO).

89-161 - Indiana Dunes - Drowning

Early on the afternoon of the 28th, J.H., 20, of Plainfield,
Illinois, was swimming with friends just west of the lifeguard stand at West
Beach and outside of the guarded beach area. J.H. disappeared, and a
search for him was begun by his friends. During this search, one of the
members of J.H.'s party had difficulty due to a rip current and had to be
rescued by a lifeguard. At this time, lifeguards learned of J.H.'s
disappearance and initiated their own search. J.H. was soon found and
resuscitation efforts were begun on him. J.H. was transported to Gary
Methodist Hospital and was dead on arrival. Rip current advisories had been
posted since 11 a.m. that morning and lifeguards had advised people on the
beach of the rip current conditions. (Dick Littlefield, CR, INDU, via
CompuServe report from John Townsend, RAD/MWRO).

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION (Planning Level II)

a) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

* No significant fires reported.

b) OTHER AGENCY

* Ortega Fire - Cleveland NF (California) - 8,200 acres:

A Type I team (Boggs) has been assigned to the fire. Six
mobile homes, five structures and miscellaneous small
outbuildings have been lost over the last two days.
Hazardous materials and/or explosives were ignited by the
fire and lead to a series of explosions. Estimated
containment: 6/30.

* Sanfran Fire - Angeles NF (California) - 2,250 acres:

No new information on the fire. Estimated containment: 6/30.

* Corcoran Fire - Grand Junction District, BLM (Colorado).600 acres:

The fire is burning in rough terrain and heavy fuels; spotting
is hampering control efforts. No estimate of containment.

* Moberly Fire - Arapaho-Roosevelt NF (Colorado) - 100 acres:

The fire is burning in grass, juniper, ponderosa pine and douglas
fir in steep, rocky terrain. Estimated containment: 6/30.

* Motor Fire - Tonto NF (Arizona) - 150 acres:

The fire burned through private land and damaged some small
structures. It has been contained.

* Kina Cove Fire - Tongass NF (Alaska) - 550 acres:

The fire has been contained.

2) FIRE ACTIVITY - 102 fires for 9,488 acres in last 24 hours.

3) ANALYSIS - Widespread fire activity continues throughout the Great Basin,
southwest and California. Several fires have escaped initial attack.
Requests for airtankers continue to come in from the Great Basin and Rocky
Mountain areas. Red flag warnings and watches for gusty winds over 40 mph
have been posted for Nevada, Utah and northwest Arizona.

4) PROGNOSIS - Extreme conditions and holdover fires are expected to occur
as a result of significant fire activity throughout the southwest, southern
California, Great Basin and Rocky Mountain areas. Threats of human-caused
fires will increase with the onset of the long holiday weekend.

(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 6/30/89).

OFFICE NOTES

1) NPS-9 has now been completed and is being reviewed internally. Once the
final corrections are made in mid-July, it will be going to the printer.

2) Regional fire coordinators: None of the fire management specialists in
Boise will be in the office on Monday. If you need to report a fire, you
can call Rick Gale at home.

STAFF STATUS

Farabee on aviation program evaluation in Western Region, Kreis on lieu day.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: FTS 343-4874/6039 or 202-343-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 343-5977 or 202-343-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER