RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                       MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date: Tuesday, December 18, 1990

INCIDENTS

90-437 - Lake Meredith (Texas) - Update on Search

Park personnel are still searching for L.B., 56, of Borger, Texas, who
was reported missing on the evening of December 4th. Land search efforts have
been discontinued, but a water search is still underway. The water search
consists of checking the lake shoreline by boat each morning and evening and
observing the shoreline from selected high points. Some sonar checks are also
being conducted; likely signatures are being investigated by dragging or by
divers. (Telefax from RAD/SWRO, 12/14).

90-440 - Olympic (Washington) - Discovery of Probable Homicide Victim

On the morning of December 1st, a visitor who stopped at an overlook just
north of the Kalaloch Campground noticed an Army-type mummy bag lying at the
bottom of the bluff. The visitor reported the discovery to ranger Neil Smith
at the Kalaloch Ranger Station. Smith went to the scene and discovered that
there was a body in the bag. The body was found within the Highway 101 right-
of-way, which the state has jurisdiction over, so Smith protected the scene
until a Jefferson County deputy arrived and the body was removed. A check was
then made of recent missing person reports, and it was soon determined that
the victim was R.R. of Hoquiam, Washington, who was reported missing by
her live-in boyfriend on Thanksgiving Day. An initial examination indicated
that she had received a severe head wound and may have been sexually
assaulted. Evidence indicates that the death occurred somewhere else, and
that R.R.'s body was later dropped off at the Kalaloch site. A search warrant
was served at the boyfriend's house; he is a prime suspect in the case.
(Howard Yanish, CR, OLYM, via telefax from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 12/17).

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

North Cascades (Washington) - Follow-up on Cougar Removal

The cougar which was removed from the town of Diablo returned after only four
days despite having been flown to a remote part of the park approximately 17
air miles away and across a river and a highway. The cougar killed a domestic
dog in the town and was subsequently treed and shot by a town resident with
permission from the Washington Department of Wildlife and with the concurrence
of the NPS. (CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 12/17).

Voyageurs (Minnesota) - Wolf Killings

On December 13th, park staff recovered the carcass of a park radio-collared
wolf that died of gunshot wounds. This is the sixth confirmed death of a park
radio-collared wolf by trap or gunshot since Voyageurs' wolf research project
began in the fall of 1987. Humans have also been implicated in the
disappearance of two other wolves. The incidents are not thought to be
directly related; rather, they are seen as reflections of local hunter
sentiment regarding wolves. All the incidents appear to have occurred outside
the park, usually during state hunting and trapping seasons. The park is
cooperating with state and U.S. Fish and Wildlife authorities in the
investigations. (Bruce McKeeman, VOYA, via CompuServe report from J.J.
McLaughlin, RAD/MWRO, 12/17).

OFFICE NOTES

1) NPS-51, the EMS guideline, went out for final printing on December 11th.
It should make it to the field by the middle of January.

2) Any park that would like an example of a good SAR plan (Grand Canyon's)
and its resource file should contact Butch Farabee here in Ranger Activities.
Each part is about 45 pages long. Butch can be reached at FTS 268-4188.

3) The U.S. attorney for Biloxi, Mississippi, is considering prosecution of
Dempsey Bruner and John Woolard on federal charges for the murder of ranger
Robert McGhee. They have also asked the attorney general to approve a request
for the death penalty.

4) A draft of NPS-57, the health and fitness guideline, has been sent out to
all ten regions and to 65 parks for review. The due date for the reply is
March 15, 1991.

STAFF STATUS

- Division Chief: Dabney at faculty meeting for national parks and
  wilderness fire management training course, Marana, AZ (12/17-12/21).

- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Kreis on AL (12/19-12/21);
  Coffey on AL (12/21); Halainen on SL (12/18).

- Branch of Fire: Norum and Erskine at faculty meeting for national parks
  and wilderness fire management training course, Marana, AZ (12/16-12/21);
  Farrel on review of structural fire program at SEKI (12/17-12/21).


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