RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                       MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date: Thursday, November 1, 1990

INCIDENTS

90-393 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - Follow-up on Search in Progress

Search teams continued to look for J.K., 38, of Seattle, on Tuesday,
but couldn't get above 7,500 feet because of poor weather. Searchers and
dogs were able to cover the area from the Nisqually River to Box Canyon, but
found no trace of him. Poor visibility precluded the use of aircraft. The
tentative plan for yesterday's operations called for the deployment of four
teams of three searchers each. The weather forecast was for "considerable
accumulations" of snow down to the mountain's 3,000-foot level. (CompuServe
report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 10/31).

90-394 - Big South Fork (Tennessee) - Successful Search

Early on the afternoon of Sunday, October 28th, R.A., 31, of
Maryville, Tennessee, was bow-hunting in the park with friends (hunting is
permitted in Big South Fork) when he became lost. Rangers were notified at
8 p.m., and initiated a hasty search two hours later. Since R.A. was not
wearing a jacket and the temperature that night was in the 20's, there was a
high degree of concern for his welfare. Several more rangers joined the
searchers at 2 a.m. on the 29th. At daylight, they were joined by more
searchers from the park and from the Daniel Boone National Forest, a search
dog unit, and a contract helicopter. Just before 6 p.m., a ranger contacted
R.A. on a park road. He was hungry and tired, but in reasonably good
condition. R.A. said that he had spent the afternoon of the 28th
unsuccessfully trying to find his way out of the forest, then had laid down
by a river and slept all night. Shortly after he awoke, he came upon a
park-owned cabin, started a fire and warmed himself up. Instead of waiting
there to be found, he again struck out cross-country and had walked about 11
miles by late afternoon. He was about to bed down for a second night when
he heard the ranger's car and contacted him. (Jerry Flood, DR, BISO, via
telephone report from Steve Smith, RAD/SERO, 11/1).

90-395 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - MVA with Fatality

R.P., around 19 years old, was killed when the vehicle he was
riding in hit a rock at a high rate of speed and burned just before 8 a.m.
on the morning of October 30th. Two other passengers and the driver were
hospitalized. Preliminary investigation indicates that alcohol may have
been a contributing factor in the accident. (Blanche Purcell, BLRI, via
telefaxed report from Marcella Gibson, RAD/SERO, 10/30).

90-396 - Lincoln Hone (Illinois) - Demonstration

On October 27th, a demonstration and press conference was held in the park
as part of a nationwide movement called "Tax Payers'/Action Day." A group
of about 35 people who called themselves the "Angry Tax Payers of Sangamon
County," assembled in front of the Shutt House, which is leased to 20th
District Congressman Richard Durbin. They demonstrated for an hour,
protesting "government waste, high taxes, and out of control spending on the
Federal level." There were no incidents. (Kathy DeHart, LTHO, via
CompuServe message from RAD/MWRO, 10/31).

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Cape Canaveral (Florida) - The outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) in
southern and central Florida continues. One (confirmed SLE fatality has been
reported from Brevard County. The southern part of the park is in this
county, but the NPS doesn't own or manage the lands. The park and region
are consulting with the Center for Disease Control (CDC). CDC has not yet
recommended that any action be taken in the park as no confirmed SLE cases
have occurred in Volusia County, where the NPS portion of the park is
located. The necessary pesticide proposals have been submitted to DOI for
approval in case CDC recommends spraying. Fish and Wildlife has also been
consulted concerning the potential effects of spraying on the five
threatened and endangered species found in the park and on an insect species
proposed for listing. FWS has said that a biological assessment will not be
needed for the six species. (Susan Savage, Wildlife and Vegetation, WASO)

OFFICE NOTES

1) The following was distilled from a memorandum sent from WASO personnel to
all regional and park personnel officers on October 30th: According to the
October 30, 1990, Washington Post, it is now official that federal workers
have until November 30th to retire and qualify for the lump-sum pension
option. After that date, the benefit will be eliminated for five years for
most employees. The new rules go into effect as part of the budget
reconciliation act. Without the act, the lump-sum benefit would have
disappeared this month. During the five-year benefit suspension, the lump
sum still will be offered to workers who lose their jobs because of no-
fault involuntary separations, such as reductions-in-force or job
abolishment. Under the new rules, the 50/50 lump-sum payments will be made
12 months apart, which will prevent most people from getting two payments in
one calendar or tax year. Before the change, retirees got their first lump.
sum payment anywhere from a few weeks to several months after retiring and
the second payment one year from the date of retirement. Under the new
rules, retirees will get their second payment one year after the first
payment. See your servicing personnel office for more information. [Mario
Fraire, Chief, Personnel, WASO]

STAFF STATUS

- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.

- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey 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