RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date: Tuesday, November 6, 1990

INCIDENTS

90-399 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Plane Crash

At 11 a.m. on November 3rd, a park visitor reported that he had heard a
small, low-flying aircraft crash near South River Falls about a half-hour
earlier while he was hiking in that area. Park personnel responded and set
up a command post at the South River picnic area. Rescue teams attempted to
locate the site of the crash; Pegasus, the University of Virginia Medical
Center helicopter, joined in the effort. Just before noon, the crew of the
Pegasus located the crash site and began directing ground rescue teams to
the location. Minutes later, the three occupants of the aircraft, pilot
J.P., 44, and passengers T.B., 37, and T.B.'s three-year-old
son, walked into the command post at South River. They were evaluated and
treated for minor injuries, but did not require hospitalization. The
accident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The cause of the accident is unknown at this time. The plane was a single-
engine 1979 Cessna 172. (Telefax from Greg Stiles, ACR, SHEN, 11/5).

90-400 - Muir Woods (California) - Assault on Ranger with Deadly Weapon

On November 1st at 2 p.m., a ranger made a routine traffic stop on a vehicle
in the main parking lot. As a second ranger arrived on the scene, the
driver of the vehicle, 28-year-old T.S.P. of Richmond, California,
got back into his vehicle and fled from the lot. The rangers pursued him in
a patrol vehicle. A third ranger attempted to halt T.S.P. by partially
blocking the roadway ahead of him, but T.S.P. was able to avoid the
roadblock. T.S.P. entered a one-way street, then made a U-turn, struck a
fence and a tree, and attempted to return down the street. The pursuing
rangers had blocked the end of the road with their vehicle and gotten out
with their weapons drawn. T.S.P. accelerated toward them and attempted to
run them down, but both rangers were able to jump out of the way. The
pursuit continued until T.S.P. came upon road construction and was forced
to stop. He then got out of his vehicle and fled into a wooded area. One
of the rangers chased T.S.P. on foot, but was unable to apprehend him.
Assisting Mill Valley police units soon captured him. Preliminary
investigation revealed that T.S.P. had $3,000 in outstanding traffic
warrants against him. As a result of this incident, two felony and eight
traffic counts have been lodged against him. T.S.P. is currently
incarcerated in Marin County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing. (Gil
Soper, GR, MDWO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 11/5).

90-401 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Poaching Arrests

At 5:15 a.m. on November 4th, rangers David Bauer and Donald Harvey stopped
a 1981 Toyota hatchback in the Elkwallow picnic area. The driver, W.B.,
34, of Front Royal, Virginia, had a maglight-style flashlight between
his knees; the passenger, D.H., also of Front Royal, had a .22
caliber rifle between his knees. Following further investigation, the
rangers arrested W.B. and charged him with illegal hunting in the park,
possession of a firearm, and driving on a suspended license. Routine checks
revealed that W.B. is a convicted felon with a long history of convictions
for violent crimes. Further charges against him may be lodged. D.H.
may not be competent to stand trial. The firearm, vehicle and related items
have been seized as evidence. Their disposition will depend upon the
results of the trial. (Telefax from Greg Stiles, ACR, SHEN, 11/5).

90-402 - Yosemite (California) - Drug Arrests

On the morning of October 25th, a team of five rangers arrested two
concessions employees in the park for possession and delivery of controlled
substances. The pair were charged under 36 CFR 2.35. One of the two
admitted to the offense while being questioned, pled guilty upon
arraignment, and received a $1,000 fine and two years probation; the other
will be prosecuted. The arrests stemmed from an investigation which was
initiated after information was received from a confidential informant.
Rangers observed and recorded four buys during the investigation. (Roger
Rudolph, CR, YOSE, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 11/5).

90-403 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Suicide

A park maintenance employee discovered an unattended vehicle on West Rim
Drive with a prominently displayed suicide note on the dashboard on the
morning of October 26th. Rangers subsequently located the body of a 33-
year-old male on a ledge about 100 feet from the vehicle. He had died
several hours earlier from what appears to have been a self-inflicted
gunshot wound from an assault rifle. The victim was at the edge of a 500-
foot cliff and had secured the rifle to the railing with a nylon rope. He
was also found to be armed with a loaded .22 caliber pistol. Investigation
revealed that the victim intended to fall over the edge, but that he did not
want the assault rifle to be damaged. It was also apparent that he had
spent some time at the scene setting up the suicide. A worn set of soft
body armor was found in his vehicle. The body was recovered by rangers and
the Coconino County technical rescue team. An investigation is underway.
(Dispatch, GRCA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 11/5).

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Biscayne (Florida) - The park has been working with the Florida Fisheries
(commission to phase out (commercial sponge fishing within the park. The park
has become concerned over the recent in the take, which has jumped from
4,000 to 16,000 pounds per year. An acceptable take level of 4,000 pounds
per year has been established for the park. Local fishing groups may
protest this action. (Susan Savage, Wildlife and Vegetation, WASOj.

STAFF STATUS

- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.

- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Martin at FLETC (11/6-11/7);
  entire staff at staff retreat at Wolf Trap (11/8-11/9).

- Branch of Fire: Botti at FIREPRO review in SHEN, NERI, FRSP and APCO
  (11/3-11/7); Gale at Frijole Fire review in GUMD (11/6-11/8); Norum
  consulting with SEKI on research and prescribed fire prescriptions
  (11/5-11/9); Rutter, Brown and Wise at FFS training in Seattle
  (11/5-11/8).


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