RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date:  Friday, October 13, 1989

NOTICE: There will be no morning report on Monday, October 16th.

INCIDENTS

89-318 - Crater Lake (Oregon) - Multiple Poaching Arrests

On October 12th, federal charges were filed against eight men accused of
poaching deer inside the park. All eight were caught more than a mile
inside the park's boundaries. Four of the men were charged with felony
poaching, a charge that could bring a five-year prison term, a $20,000 fine
and forfeiture of any vehicles and weapons employed in the incident. The
remaining four men were charged with misdemeanor poaching. (Doug Raeburn,
CR, CRLA, via UPI news report).

FIRE SITUATION

The NPS wildland fire situation report for October 5th to the 11th follows:

- Fire Danger:

ARO  Low
MAR Low
MWR Low-High Extreme:   Scotts Bluff NE
NCR Low
MAR Low
PNR Low
RMR Low-High Extreme:   Bryce Canyon UT
SER Low-High
SWR Low-High Very High: Guadalupe Mountains TX
WRO Low-High Very High: Pinnacles CA

- Wildfires:

Region             Park                # Fires                 # Acres

Southeast        Everglades FL             2                       2.5
Southwest        Big Thicket TX            1                       0.1
Pacific NW       Mt Rainier WA             1                       0.7
Western          Sequoia-Kings Cany CA     2                       0.2
                 Yosemite CA               3                       7.2
                                         ----                     -----
Total                                      9                      10.7

- Prescribed Natural Fire:

No prescribed natural fires are being conducted pending revision
and approval of area fire management plans.

- Prescribed Burns:

Western          Sequoia-Kings Cany CA     2                      55.0

- National Situation:

Sequoia-Kings Canyon is within its management prescription for prescribed
burning and is conducting two burns. The larger of the two, named
Crystal, is expected to reach 750 acres during four days of burning. The
Arrowhead Interagency Hotshot Crew is working on the burns.

- Fire Occurrence, Year-To-Date:

Fire Type                   # Fires         # Acres

Wildfires                       690         175,300
Natural Outs                     83           2,104
Prescribed Natural Fires          0            ---
Prescribed Burns                101          46,830
False Alarms                     67            ---
Mutual Aid by NPS               157          45,148
Support Actions                 459            ---

(Report prepared by Judi Zuckert, BFM/Boise)

OTHER NEWS...

Ranger Activities in SWRO reports that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
has reversed the lower court's $7.5 million award in the Crider case. In
that case, which occurred in July of 1983, rangers at Padre Island had
stopped 18-year-old John Landry for speeding, then released him after citing
him for possession of a controlled substance, possession of alcohol by a
nunor, speeding and failure to carry liability insurance. Landry then left
the park, consumed substantial quantities of marijuana and alcohol, and hit
Randy Crider, who was on a motorcycle, head-on at a high rate of speed while
driving on a two-lane highway about 10 hours later. A judge later found the
rangers "negligent (in the) performance of their official law enforcement
duties" and awarded Crider $7.5 million in damages. (See the July/August,
1988, EXCHANGE for further details). In reducing the award amount to zero,
the Appeals Court stated that the lower court judge's decision was wrong
because the rangers did not have a duty to arrest under the circumstances.
The court also said that neither the rangers nor the government are liable
for injuries sustained to a third party after "an arrest is not made." We
are attempting to obtain a full copy of the court's ruling and will publish
it in an upcoming issue of EXCHANGE.

STAFF STATUS

Halainen on leave through October 17th.
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
SEAdog:     1/650 (Phone:343-6014; BAUD:2400)