RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Friday, June 12, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-264 - El Malpais (New Mexico) - ARPA Arrests

At 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon of June 9th, the park received a report from
BLM and Customs agents that 14 people had been seen exiting the lava flow
area at the south end of the park, and that indications were that they'd
been pot hunting.  Ranger Darwin Vallo was the first to respond, and was
eventually joined by chief ranger Ken Mabery and rangers Al King and Cindy
Ott Jones.  The state highway patrol was contacted and arrived at the scene,
which was about 30 miles from town on a dirt road, within 20 minutes.  State
fish and game officers also responded.  A total of 24 people were
intercepted as they returned to three vehicles which were parked along the
roadside.  They were asked for and received permission to be searched.  One
of the first packs which was inspected contained a black on white Anasazi
ladle with an estimated value of $1,500.  All the packs contained collection
bags, professional padding, knee pads and digging implements.  Other items
discovered included a weapon, two antlers and two World War II bomb parts. 
The area was secured at 5:30 p.m.  The interagency ARPA task force, which
had been contacted and summoned by park dispatch, arrived at about 10:00
p.m. and conducted further interviews.  They also went to the group's camp
three miles away, but found no other artifacts or contraband.  During the
interviews, investigators learned that a member of the group, S.H.,
was operating an outfitter guide service for treasure hunters, and that he
had charged each of the individuals $5,000 to hunt for treasure.  The
individuals accompanying him said that they believed that S.H. had
obtained the necessary permits for them to participate in such a hunt. 
Hoskins, however, had not obtained a commercial license from either the park
or from the nearby BLM natural conservation area.  No charges have been
filed, but BLM and the park will be filing a joint complaint against S.H.
through the U.S. attorney's office.  Mabery emphasizes that the success of
the operation was attributable to excellent interagency cooperation, noting
that all parties were able to communicate through common radio frequencies
and that command was deferred to BLM as the lead agency at the appropriate
time.  He asks that any areas who have had dealings with S.H. contact
him.  [Telefax from Jim Radney, RLES, RAD/SWRO, 6/11]

92-265 - Chaco Culture (New Mexico) - Lightning Fatality

C.A., 51, of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, was struck by lightning and
killed while walking on the Wijiji Trail in the park's backcountry on the
afternoon of May 21st.  C.A. was accompanied by her husband, who was not
injured.  After the lightning strike, he hiked to the parking lot for his
vehicle, drove back and picked her up, then transported her to the park
residence area and contacted rangers.  This initial contact with rangers
took place about a half hour after the strike, and C.A. had died by that
time.  [Larry Belli, SUPT, CHCU, via phone report from Jim Radney, RLES,
RAD/SWRO, 5/21]

92-266 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Successful Search

On May 27th, rangers were notified that a 56-year-old male was missing near
the railroad tracks about five miles south of Grand Canyon Village.  Because
of bad weather, approaching darkness and the victim's poor physical
condition, a major search of the area was launched.  The park helicopter,
NPS and Forest Service rangers in four-wheel-drive vehicles, and NPS rangers
on mountain bikes searched the area for about three hours.  Rangers Chris
Fors and Ronnie Gibson, who were on mountain bikes, found the victim in a
relatively inaccessible area.  Rangers have used mountain bikes for regular
uniformed patrol since 1989 and have successfully used the bikes for
searches in areas difficult to reach by vehicle.  [CRO, GRCA, via cc:Mail
report from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/11]

92-267 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Significant DUI Arrest

At about 1:10 a.m. on the morning of May 26th, ranger Kathy Korte-Drake
observed a 35-foot-long commercial bus travelling the wrong way on Village
Loop Drive.  She stopped the "Green Tortoise" tour bus and contacted the
driver.  While talking to him, she smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage
and observed symptoms of intoxication.  Following an on-scene DUI
investigation, the driver was placed under arrest.  He was subsequently
tested for blood alcohol and registered a reading of .155%.  Further
investigation showed that the bus, which was carrying ten passengers, had
travelled approximately a half mile the wrong way on the one-way road prior
to the stop.  The driver was booked on charges of DUI, DUI with blood
alcohol over .10%, unsafe operation, and failure as a commercial driver to
maintain a log book.  [CRO, GRCA, via cc:Mail report from Herb Gercke,
RAD/WRO, 6/11]

92-268 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Successful Search

Rangers received a report of a missing nine-year-old boy at about 8:30 a.m.
on June 5th and responded to Mather Campground to investigate.  They learned
that the boy had walked away from the site about a half hour previously and
had not returned.  Rangers searched the campground and surrounding area by
vehicle, foot, horse and bike.  When the child had still not been located by
2:00 p.m., search managers began aggressively escalating their response and
preparing for the possibility of a night search.  Personnel from every
division in the park responded, and a search dog was dispatched from Lake
Mead.  Two additional dogs from southern Arizona that were involved in a
separate operation were also used.  The boy was located just after 4:00 p.m. 
He was extremely tired and disoriented, but otherwise unharmed, and rangers
found that he'd wandered between 10 and 15 miles during the eight hours he
was lost.  [CRO, GRCA, via cc:Mail report from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/11]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level 1

2) FIRE SUMMARY

          *** National report not available this morning ***

3) FIRE NARRATIVES - 

* Zion - The park has had four fires to date, all human-caused.  The
  park was under a red flag watch yesterday, but no fires have yet been
  reported.

* Big Cypress - The Thomas Prescribed Fire was ignited on the 10th north
  of Alligator Alley and about 1,500 acres were burned.  Water levels are
  rising in most areas of the preserve.

[NPS Wildland Fire Summary, 6/12]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Piping Plover Nesting and Area Closures

Park staff who have been monitoring piping plover nesting activity have
counted 35 pairs of plovers and found 14 nests located within ORV routes on
park beaches.  Three miles of the eight and a half miles of park ORV routes
have accordingly been closed, and more closures are to come.  Unless
conditions change, the increased numbers of birds, the locations of nests
and significant winter changes in beach configuration will very likely
result in unprecedented restrictions and closures of the ORV routes and
self-contained vehicle camping areas in June, July and parts of August. 
[Andy Ringgold, SUPT, CACO]

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Marriott and Schamp at meeting,
Washington, DC (6/8-6/12); Lee at government liability workshop, Washington,
DC (6/12); Halainen in meetings with uniform contractor, Washington, DC
(6/8-6/10) and on AL (6/12); Coffey on detail to WASO Wildlife and
Vegetation.

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd at NWCG meeting, Lakewood, CA (6/9-6/12);
Farrel at GSA vehicle symposium, Washington, DC (6/8-6/12); Erskine on
annual leave (6/8-6/20).

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