RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           Ranger Activities Division Information Network

Day/Date:  Monday, March 16, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-79 - Big Thicket (Texas) - Flooding

Above average rainfall through the months of December, January and February
has led to significant flooding along the Upper and Lower Neches River units
of the park.  Residences in the Upper Neches River unit just below the
Steinhagen Reservoir Dam have been hit by serious flooding, and this area is
now being considered for designation as a disaster area.  Park rangers have
joined Army Corps of Engineers rangers, Texas Parks and Wildlife wardens and
Tyler County officials in patrolling and monitoring the area for river
hazards and possible looting.  Boating traffic is being limited to area
property owners.  Many residents have refused to leave their homes and
rangers may be asked to assist county deputies in evacuation efforts and
around-the-clock security patrols.  At present, the river is flowing at a
rate of 34,000 cubic feet per second.  Local disaster coordinators report
that the river will remain at this level as long as future rainfall remains
minimal.  Clear skies were predicted for the area through yesterday.  The
river is expected to remain at flood level until May.  [Patrick Perrotti,
Acting CR, BITH, via CompuServe message from Hallie Locklear, RAD/SWRO,
3/13]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Isle Royale (Michigan) - Status of Wolf Population

According to Dr. Rolf Peterson, who directs the park's annual wolf study,
Isle Royale's wolf population is holding its own.  The population remained
at 12 wolves this winter.  Two pups were born, but Peterson said he presumes
two adult animals on the island died.  The park's aging moose population
bodes well for the wolves, he said, by boosting their potential food supply. 
The number of old moose currently on Isle Royale should support about 30
wolves; if they respond to these conditions as they have in the past, they
should be able to gradually boost their numbers over the next two or three
years.  For that to happen, however, the three breeding pairs of wolves in
the park would have to reproduce successfully over the next few years,
Peterson said, and mortality among other members of the existing population
would have to be minimal.  Only one pair of wolves bred successfully during
the past year.  [United Press news report, 3/13]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) The request for proposal (RFP) for semi-automatic weapons will be issued
on or about March 23rd.  Proposals will be solicited from any and all
interested parties.  The proposals which are received will be evaluated by a
technical review panel, and an award will be made later this year.  The RFP
contains requirements and specifications which explicitly describe the
weapon which the Service is seeking.  One of those specifications calls for
the weapon to be a .40 caliber - the caliber selected by the semi-automatic
weapon evaluation task group which met here last year.  This recommendation
was formally approved by the Director in February.  The contracting officer
advises that any and all questions regarding this procurement MUST be
addressed to the Contract Operations Branch in WASO (FTS 523-5405).  This
procurement could be jeopardized if discussions are held with any party not
directly involved in the procurement process.  Although we have been
actively working on this procurement for some time, we have held off on
reporting on it to you until now because of contractual rules and
procedures.  [Dick Martin, RAD/WASO] 

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady at Rocky Mountain chief rangers' conference, Denver,
CO (3/16-3/18) and OPM 20-year retirement meeting, Washington, DC (3/19).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Marriott at Southwest border drug
conference, San Antonio, TX (3/17-3/24).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Farrel at meeting with Southern Area Fire
Equipment Research, Las Vegas, NV (3/18-3/21); Cook and Mattingly
instructing at Western Region office skills academy, Golden Gate, CA (3/18-3/28);
Norum on AL (3/15-3/20).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5572/5573 or 202-208-5572/5573

Telefax:    Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977

CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO-FIRE-WO

SEAdog:     Branch of R&VP - 1/650
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - 1/655