RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Thursday, May 7, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-154 - Denali (Alaska) - Follow-up on Bear Poaching

On May 1st, rangers J.D. Swed and Jim Phillips and regional law enforcement
officers Scott Taylor and Susan Morton executed a search warrant at the
residence of D.M.T., 50, in Wasilla, Alaska.  D.M.T. is the
prime suspect in the recent poaching incident in which snow machines were
used to chase and harass a bear into exhaustion prior to killing it and
collecting its marketable parts.  Incriminating evidence seized during the
warrant execution included blood-stained clothing, maps, weapons and
articles on gall bladders clipped from magazines and newspapers.  It was
learned that D.M.T. had been tipped off to the forthcoming search by the
landlord, and he may have removed or destroyed some items prior to the
actual execution of the warrant.  Ballistic tests on the weapons and other
forensic processes are scheduled.  The U.S. Attorney's office plans to
present the case to a grand jury within the next couple of weeks.  [J.D.
Swed, DENA, via telefax from C-C. Stroble, RAD/ARO, 5/6]

92-171 - Martin Luther King (Georgia) - Drug Seizure

Rangers recovered 20 "units" of crack cocaine valued at $400 from a historic
house on park property on the afternoon of May 5th.  No arrests were made,
but the park is working with a special Atlanta police unit in an attempt to
cut down on street dealing in that area of the park.  The cocaine was turned
over to city police.  [Johnny Sims, MALU, via telefax from Bill Springer,
RAD/SERO, 5/6]

92-172 - Joshua Tree (California) - Earthquakes

Over the past week, the park has experienced more than 3,000 earthquakes
registering over 3.0 on the Richter scale; of these, 300 were over 4.0  No
damage was reported.  [Paul Henry, CR, JOTR, via cc:Mail message from Herb
Gercke, RAD/WRO, 5/6]

IRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level 1

No large fire activity nationally.  Most geographic areas have low to
moderate fire danger.  Little or no commitment of national resources.

2) FIRE SUMMARY

             *** NIFCC report not available today ***

3) FIRE NARRATIVES 

* Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - The fire has been completely contained.  No
new acreage has burned in the past 24 hours.  Control is estimated for 6:00
p.m. on the 7th.  Crews are having a difficult time extinguishing the fire
in the tefra and humus; fireline can not be built in this portion of the
park.  Demobilization will probably begin on the 9th.
* Joshua Tree (California) - The park recorded 326 down lightning strikes on
the 5th; although they started 13 fires, heavy rains (an inch and a half in
one hour) quickly extinguished them.  During the same period, BLM reported
over 6,400 down strikes in the area surrounding the park.

* Lava Beds - The park had a 100-acre wildfire on the night of the 5th as a
result of an escaped agriculture burn on adjacent Bureau of Reclamation
land.  The fire has been controlled.

* Sequoia-Kings Canyon - The park was hit hard by lightning on the night of
the 5th and has at least one new on-going wildfire.  They suspect that more
will be discovered.

* Yosemite - The park was also hit by lightning from the same line of storms
that passed over Sequoia.  They report at least eight new starts, most of
them in the suppression zone.  The region is putting together a group of 12
NPS "smokechasers" to send to the park to assist with the situation.
  
[Telefax from Dean Berg, FIRE/Boise, 5/6; NPS NWFS, 5/7] 

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin and Henry at conference on
threats to wilderness system, Portland, OR (5/4-5/8); Coffey at meeting in
Richmond, VA (5/4-5/8).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale at site review, Mount Rainier, Ashford, WA
(5/4-5/5); Norum at prescribed fire analyst course cadre meeting, NARTC,
Marana, AZ (5/4-5/8); Botti at training course and meetings on budget, WASO
(5/4-5/8); Broyles representing NPS at NWCG working team meeting, Acadia, ME
(5/4-5/8); Clark at interagency prevention course, San Bernadino, CA (5/4-5/8);
Mattingly coordinating Alpine IHC season start-up, WICA, Hot Springs,
SD (5/7-5/20).

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

cc:Mail     Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation