RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                       MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date: Monday, October 29, 1990

INCIDENTS

90-388 - Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) - Bridge Damaged

Very high winds blowing along the North Carolina coast around 2 
a.m. on the 26th caused rough water which broke the anchor on a 
Corps of Engineer contract barge and pushed it into the Bonner 
Bridge at Oregon Inlet.  A 300-foot section of the bridge was 
severely damaged, isolating residents on Hatteras Island and 
visitors to the park and Pea Island NWR.  Ferries are currently 
being employed to bring visitors and their vehicles to the 
mainland.  Electrical and telephone lines to Hatteras Island 
which run across the bridge were broken, and the island is 
without either of those services.  It will take at least six 
months to repair the bridge.  (Telephone report from Bob Deskins, 
SERO, 10/26, and new reports, 10/27).

90-389 - Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) - Theft of Artifacts

Park personnel discovered the theft of two aboriginal sandals 
from a display case in the historic section of Mammoth Cave on 
the 22nd.  The sandals, which are estimated to be from 2,000 to 
5,000 years old, are woven from vegetable fiber and are 
considered unique because they represent some of the 
bestpreserved examples of cave artifacts in existence.  The 
glass on the display case was broken to provide access; no other 
items in the case were taken.  There is no evidence of forcible 
entry into the gated cave.  The black market value of the 
sandals is estimated to be over $2,000.  An investigation is 
underway.  (Phil Veluzat, CR, MACA, via telefaxed report from 
Bill Springer, RAD/SERO, 10/26).

90-390 - Everglades (Florida) - Multiple Rescues

On the afternoon of the 25th, two commercial fishing vessels - 
the Cascais and the Lady D - radioed mayday emergency messages 
after they began sinking in the Gulf of Mexico off the park's 
west boundary.  The unrelated incidents took place as a result 
of strong winds and high seas.  The Cascais, a 34-foot lobster 
boat, began taking on water and was in danger of sinking some 10 
miles offshore of Flamingo.  Rangers and Coast Guardsmen rushed 
to the vessel with emergency equipment and were able to keep it 
afloat until it could be towed to port.  The 46-foot trawler Lady 
D was not so lucky.  Despite the efforts of rangers, Coast 
Guardsmen and other boaters, the trawler sank in Indian Key Pass 
outside of Everglades City.  There were no injuries in either 
incident.  The Lady D was to be refloated late on Friday.  
(Telefaxed report from Mark Lewis, LES, Everglades, 10/26).

90-391 - Wind Cave (South Dakota) - Canine Team Rescue

On October 16th, the sheriff's office for Converse County in 
Douglas, Wyoming, requested assistance from the park in the 
search for a lost hunter in the Deer Creek Canyon area east of 
Casper, Wyoming.  Two rangers and a canine search unit from the 
park were sent to assist in the search.  Since the hunter was 67 
years old and in poor health and the weather was degenerating 
(temperatures dropped into the 20's on the second night of the 
search and three to five inches of snow fell), search efforts 
were propelled by a sense of urgency.  The rangers arrived at 6 
a.m. on the 17th and assisted the sheriff's department in 
organizing and planning the search and obtaining the needed 
resources.  The dog team entered the canyon at 8 a.m. and by 11 
a.m. had located several clues, including the hunter's rifle.  
At 2 p.m., the team found the man two miles from the point where 
he'd last been seen.  He was hypothermic, but awake and oriented.  
No helicopter with a long line or hoist capacity was available 
to lift him out, so a supply drop was made to the search team 
and both searchers and victim spent the night in the canyon.  
The party hiked out of the steep canyon the next day.  The 
hunter was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and 
observation.  It was determined that he had had a less than even 
chance of surviving at the time he was found.  (CompuServe 
message from WICA, 10/26).

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Everglades (Florida) - On the 21st, rangers Kevin FitzGerald and 
Garrett Moynihan rescued five endangered manatees which were 
stranded in the shallow waters surrounding a small island along 
the park's Gulf coast.  The large, seagoing mammals were 
apparently feeding on the grasses growing on the sea bed when 
the tide went out and stranded them.  Rangers covered the 
manatees with sheets to protect their skins from the sun and 
kept them wet until they were able to swim away with the rising 
tide late in the afternoon.

OFFICE NOTES

1) R&R is getting many calls from employees who are asking how 
they can go about purchasing the items that were displayed at 
the Rendezvous and which are part of a pending modification to 
the uniform contract.  These items are NOT available at present 
and won't be until spring.  R&R is also getting calls from parks 
that want to buy body armor from them.  The body armor 
procurement that went through R&R in September was a ONE TIME 
ONLY arrangement for 190 units.  Body armor is not and will not 
be available through the contract beyond that single procurement.  
Parks should continue to purchase body armor through GSA vendors. 
[Bill Halainen, RAD/WASO].

CALENDAR

Asterisk (*) indicates new entry; plus (+) indicates revised 
entry.  Brackets at end of entry indicate source of information:

* November 4 - 7  "Beyond 2000: Working together for the Future," 
Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel, Arlington, VA.  Training 
conference sponsored by the Interagency Committee on Women in 
Federal Law Enforcement.  Speakers will include Hon. Sandra Day 
O'Connor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and the 
directors of the Secret Service and FBI.  Workshops will 
emphasize professional development, diversity in the workplace 
and futureoriented law enforcement topics.  $125 registration 
fee.  For further information, contact Colleen Spicka in NCR at 
202-619-7020 or conference organizers at 202-535-5708.

November 5 - 9  Law Enforcement for Managers, FLETC, Glynco, GA.  
For application procedures, contact your regional training 
office.  [Carole Pfeifer, LEEDC/FLETC]

November 5 - 8  Intermediate Fish Health, Leetown, WV.  US Fish 
and Wildlife Service course.  $230 tuition.  Call Mike Coffey at 
FTS 343-8135 for further information.  [Mike Coffey, WASO]

November 5 - 9  Fish Genetics and Broodstock Management, 
Wellsboro, PA.  US Fish and Wildlife Service course.  $230 
tuition.  Call Mike Coffey at FTS 343-8135 for further 
information.  [Mike Coffey, WASO]

November 8 - 10  "The Spanish Missionary Heritage of the United 
States", Fountain Plaza Hotel, San Antonio, TX.  For 
registration information, please write to Quincentenary 
Committee, San Antonio Missions NHP, 2202 Roosevelt Avenue, San 
Antonio, TX 78210 or call either Racinda Meno or Dr. Art Gomez 
at 512-229-5701.

November 9 - 10  Fifth Annual Wilderness Emergencies Conference, 
Sedona, AZ.  Sponsored by Flagstaff Medical Center.  For more 
information, contact Sharon Harbeck, RN, PreHospital Care 
Coordinator, Flagstaff Medical Center, P.O. Box 1268, Flagstaff, 
AZ 86002 (602-779-3366, ext. 4185). [Flagstaff Medical Center]

* November 11 - 14  "Wildlife Conservation In Metropolitan 
Environments: A National Symposium on Urban Wildlife," Stouffer 
Five Seasons Hotel, Cedar Rapids, IA.  Sponsored by the National 
Institute for Urban Wildlife.  For further information, contact 
John Dennis (FTS 343-8128) or Gary Johnston (FTS 343-8115) in WASO.  
[Jen Coffey, RAD/WASO]

November 12 - 15  "Resource Technology 90: Second International 
Symposium on Advanced Technology in Natural Resource 
Management," Washington, D.C.  For more information, contact 
conference coordinator Janette Evans at 303-226-1688.  Harvey 
Fleet, NPS-GIS, DSC, is coordinating the "Parks and Protected 
Areas" segment of the session.  [Kathy Jope, RAD/MARO]

November 12 - 17  Sixth Conference on Research in the National 
Parks and Equivalent Reserves, Westin Paso Del Norte Hotel, El 
Paso, TX.  Sponsored by George Wright Society.  For further 
information, call the 1990 Conference Committee at 415-556-1866.  
[George Wright Forum].

November 13 - 16  "Agency and Interagency Response to Natural and 
Technological Disasters", Sixth Annual Environmental Roundtable, 
Interlaken Resort and Spa, Lake Geneva, WI.  Sponsored by MWRO, 
DOI's Office of Environmental Affairs (Chicago), USFS (Region 9) 
and EPA (Region 5).  For further information, contact John 
Townsend, FTS 864-3475.  [John Townsend, MWRO]

November 13 - 15  Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Newington, 
CT.  Sponsored by NASAR.  Call 703-352-1349 for further 
information. [NASAR]

November 27 - 30  Annual regional recreation fee and reservation 
system coordinator training, Department of Interior.  
Benefitting account pays travel and per diem.  Contact Wes Kreis, 
FTS 268-4205. [Wes Kreis, RAD/WASO]

November 30 - December 2  Managing the Search Function, 
Charleston, WV.  Sponsored by NASAR.  Call 703-352-1349 for 
further information.  [NASAR]

December 3 - 7  Fish Tracking Techniques, Panama City, FL.  US 
Fish and Wildlife Service course.  $230 tuition.  Call Mike 
Coffey at FTS 343-8135 for further information.  [Mike Coffey, 
WASO]

December 7 - 9  Managing the Search Function, Lincroft, NJ.  
Sponsored by NASAR.  Call 703-352-1349 for further information.  
[NASAR]

December 10 - 14  FMO Workshop, Stouffer Madison Hotel, Seattle, 
WA.  The session begins at 8 a.m. on Monday and concludes at 
noon on Friday.  All regional and park fulltime FMO's and 
regional and park fulltime clerks should attend.  For more 
information, contact Doug Erskine at the Branch of Fire 
(208-334-1055 or FTS 554-1055). [Rick Gale, FIRE]

December 10 - 14  Archeological Resource Protection, FLETC, 
Glynco, GA.  For application procedures, contact your regional 
training office.  [Carole Pfeifer, LEEDC/FLETC]

December 17 - 18  Karst Research Conference, Mammoth Cave NP, 
Kentucky.  The park's water quality monitoring program will be 
presented and discussed, and presentations on current karst 
research will be made by outside researchers.  For further 
information, contact Superintendent, Mammoth Cave NP, Mammoth 
Cave, Kentucky, ATTN: Division of Science and Resource 
Management (502-758-2251). [George Gregory, MACA]

* January 14 - 18  Critical Issues: Museum Security and Fire 
Protection, Washington, D.C.  This 40hour course is designed for 
regional and park curators and chiefs of ranger activities 
divisions.  It will include identification of security and fire 
threats, making assessments, operating procedures, sources of 
assistance, hardware systems and technical specifications and 
costs of museum security and fire protection.  Contactyour park 
or regional training officer for an application.  For further 
information, contact Dave Dahlen at Mather EDC (FTS 925-6215 or 
304-535-6215). [Dave Dahlen, Mather]

January 22  Helicopter Operation Specialist and Pilot Workshop, 
Anaheim, CA.  Tentative.  Sponsored by OAS.  Please contact 
Butch Farabee at FTS 268-4188 for further information. [Butch 
Farabee, RAD/WASO]

(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

Division Chief: No travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey at Grazing Lands Forum 
 in Harpers Ferry (10/30-10/31) and at range issues working group meeting
 (11/1); Henry at meetings in WRO and with aircraft overflight studies
 contractor (10/30-11/5).

Branch of Fire: Erskine and Gale at MAC group coordinator cadre meeting
 (10/29-11/2); Botti in FFS training in Reston and on FIREPRO review in
 MAR (10/29-11/7).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax:    FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
SEAdog:     1/650