RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Monday, May 18, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-196 - Denali (Alaska) - Three Fatalities; SAR in Progress

Rangers are in the process of attempting to drop food, water and a camp
stove to three Korean climbers who have been marooned without food or water
for six days at the 18,000-foot level of Mount McKinley, but efforts to drop
the supplies by helicopter have been thwarted so far by winds of from 60 to
70 mph.  Park spokesman John Quinley reports that nearly perfect weather
will be required to fly in and rescue the climbers, but adds that "perfect
weather is not in the forecast."  Rangers learned of the climbers' plight
when the Koreans radioed on Saturday to a helicopter crew searching for
several European climbers on the mountain.  Swiss climber A.V.B.,
42, died on Sunday after experiencing respiratory problems at 14,000 feet,
and two Italian climbers - R.P., 30, and G.C., 49 -
were killed late last week when they fell while climbing Cassin Ridge. 
Rangers recovered G.C.'s body yesterday at the mountain's 11,800-foot
level; R.P.'s body remains on Cassin Ridge at 15,000 feet.  While efforts
were underway to find and/or recover these climbers, rangers also learned of
another incident in which three Koreans from a second Korean climbing party
fell into a 60-foot crevasse at 15,500 feet.  One climbed out, a second was
rescued, and the third was being pulled out by rangers and volunteers late
yesterday.  The third climber, who is suffering from major trauma, will be
raised out on a stretcher and taken by sled to the 14,000-foot level for
evacuation.  [Yereth Rosen, Reuters, 5/18]

92-197 - Curecanti (Colorado) - Fertilizer Spill

On the afternoon of May 1st, a tanker truck carrying 5,000 gallons of
concentrated agricultural fertilizer failed to negotiate a curve and
overturned in Blue Creek Canyon approximately a quarter mile upstream from
the park's boundary.  Park staff assisted Gunnison and Montrose county and
Colorado State Patrol hazardous material teams in establishing a containment
dam, pumping spilled liquids for disposal, and pumping out the overturned
trailer into an empty tanker provided by the transporter.  Between 500 and
1,000 gallons of the liquid fertilizer were spilled and nearly 100 gallons
may have eventually reached Blue Creek, which empties into Morrow Point
Reservoir within the park.  The park's resource management staff immediately
began collecting water samples in Blue Creek and continue to take and
analyze them daily.  WASO Water Resources provided valuable assistance in
establishing sampling protocols.  Prompt response by the park and other
involved agencies minimized resource damage.  [cc:Mail report from Janet
Wise, RMRO, 5/15]

92-198 - Joshua Tree (California) - Plane Wreckage Discovered

The remains of an Air Force F4D Phantom jet fighter were found near Geology
Tour Road close to Jumbo Rocks campground on May 11th.  Some bone fragments
were found within the wreckage, which has apparently been there for at least
15 years.  Air Force personnel, who have no records of a flight lost over
Joshua Tree, have responded and are conducting an investigation.  [Paul
Henry, CR, JOTR, via cc:Mail message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 5/15]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level 1

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire               5/15    5/18    Status

 OR    USFS    Deschutes NF      Lookout-T2           300     300    CND

 ID    USFS    Idaho Pan. NF    *East Fork Bluff-T2     -     250    NEC

 NC    State   State lands      *Great Lake             -   3,300    CND

 MI    USFS    Mississippi NF   *Big Pine               -     125    CN 5/17

NOTES:

- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). T1 and T2
  indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Status - The following abbreviations are employed:

  NR - No report received      MS - Modified suppression strategy
  CL - Controlled              MN - Being monitored
  CS - Confinement strategy    NEC - No estimate of containment
  CN (date) - Expected date    CND - Contained
     of containment

3) ANALYSIS - Increased initial attack is occurring in several regions.
   
5) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages anticipated.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0535 MDT, 5/18]  

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress this week on
matters pertaining to the National Park Service.  If you would like further
information on any of these hearings or bills, please contact Dottie in WASO
Congressional Liaison at 202-208-5883:

Tuesday

House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, National Parks and Public
Lands Subcommittee:

Hearing on HR-3564, to improve the management of public lands used for
military purposes and to require assessments of future needs for
withdrawals of public lands for such uses; HR-4404, to withdraw and
reserve certain public lands and minerals within the state of Colorado
for military uses.

Wednesday

House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee:

Mark-up of HR-3905, to authorize appropriations for the Advisory Council
on Historic Preservation; HR-4801, to amend the National Historic
Preservation Act to extend the authorization for the Historic
Preservation Fund; HR-4899, to establish an old-growth forest reserve in
the Pacific Northwest and northern California; and other legislation.

Thursday

House Government Operations Committee, Subcommittee on the Environment,
Energy and Natural Resources:

Hearing on National Park Service building fees.

House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, Mining and Natural
Resources Subcommittee:

Hearing on HR-4370, to provide for the protection of the Bodie Bowl area
of the state of California.

House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, National Parks and Public
Lands Subcommittee:

Hearing on S-1528, to establish the Mimbres Culture National Monument
and to establish an archeological protection system for Mimbres sites in
the state of New Mexico.

CALENDAR

Calendar appears in the morning report every other Monday.  If you know of a
conference, meeting or training session with Servicewide interest and
implications, please provide the specifics to Bill Halainen in Ranger
Activities.  Entries are listed no earlier than four months before the
event.  An asterisk (*) indicates a new entry; a plus (+) indicates a
revised entry - subsequent comments explain the revision.  Brackets at end
of entry indicate source of information:

May 27 - 31 - Trail Construction, Maintenance and Repair, Mt. Baker, WA. 
$400 tuition.  Sponsored by SCA.  For further information, contact SCA at
206-547-7380.  [Missi Booth Goss, SCA] 

June 1 - 2 - Conference on Hazardous Waste Research, Boulder, CO.  Call
913-532-6026 for further information.  [Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]

June 5 - 9 - Trail Construction, Maintenance and Repair, Mt. Baker, WA. 
$400 tuition.  Sponsored by SCA.  For further information, contact SCA at
206-547-7380.  [Missi Booth Goss, SCA] 

June 16 - 18 - Introduction to Satellite Navigation in Resource Management,
Lubrecht Experimental Forest Satellite Navigation Field Evaluation Facility,
University of Montana, Missoula, MT.  For further information, contact the
Center for Continuing Education, University of Montana, at 406-243-4623. 
[Kathy Jope, RAD/PNRO]

June 24 - 27 - "Site Restoration of Wilderness and Wildlands: Beyond the
Basics", workshop on site restoration, Yellowstone National Park, WY. 
Focuses on current practices and practical applications in site analysis,
project planning and design, site preparation, implementation and site
management. Sponsored by SCA.  $150.  For further information, contact SCA
at 206-547-7380.  [Missi Booth Goss, SCA] 

June 23 - 25 - Introduction to Satellite Navigation in Resource Management. 
See above.

* June 29 - July 3 - Desert Survival Training and Exercises, Organ Pipe
Cactus, AZ.  Training is for those persons working in arid environments
and/or isolated areas, or those who provide EMS/SAR under these conditions. 
Must be in good physical condition.  For information, contact Aniceto Olais,
CR, ORPI, at 602-387-7661.  [Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO]

July 21 - 23 - Introduction to Satellite Navigation in Resource Management. 
See above.

September 14 - 18 - "Teaching with Historic Places", training course,
Montpelier, VA.  Participants will use existing lesson plans as models to
create lesson plans based on historic resources in their parks.  Montpelier
is a National Trust property.  The application deadline is July 1st.  For
additional information, contact Beth Boland of the National Register staff
at 202-343-9545.  [Marilyn Harper, WASO]

September 21 - 25 - "Teaching with Historic Places", training course,
Waterford, VA.  Participants will use existing lesson plans as models to
create lesson plans based on historic resources in their parks.  Waterford
is a NHL district.  The application deadline is July 1st.  For additional
information, contact Beth Boland of the National Register staff at 202-343-9545.
[Marilyn Harper, WASO]

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady at climbing management meeting, Denver, CO (5/18-5/20).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin at semi-automatic weapon
testing, FLETC, Glynco, GA (5/18-5/20); Schamp at same session (5/18-5/22);
Coffey on annual leave (5/18-5/22); Sisto at climbing management meeting,
Denver, CO (5/18-5/20).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Spruill at aviation management seminar, San
Francisco, CA (5/17-5/22); Gale at meeting developing Type II all-risk
management training scenarios, Phoenix, AZ (5/17-5/22); Broyles at NFPA
wildland fire conference, New Orleans, LA (5/17-5/22); Farrel at NFPA annual
meeting and site visit to Jean Lafitte, New Orleans, LA (5/16-5/23);
Mattingly coordinating Alpine IHC activities, Rapid City, SD (5/7-5/20);
Norum on annual leave (5/17-5/30).

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