RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Monday, August 17, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-21 - Chickamauga/Chattanooga (Georgia) - Follow-up on ARPA Case

On August 4th, D.F.D. of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty
in federal court to ARPA violations stemming from an incident in the park
last January in which he was observed using a metal detector and digging for
artifacts.  As part of the plea agreement, D.F.D. forfeited his metal detector
and other equipment used to dig in the park, and paid $4,000 in restitution
costs to Chickamauga/Chattanooga.  D.F.D.'s 1987 Jeep Cherokee, which had been
impounded since the end of January, was released to him.  Sentencing is
scheduled for September 21st.  D.F.D. could receive up to a year in prison and
be fined as much as $10,000.  [Sam Weddle, CR, CHCH, 8/7]

92-393 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Follow-up on Car Clouts

On the morning of July 21st, rangers discovered seven car clouts in the Bear
Lake Road area.  The thief or thieves had broken car windows with a hammer
type instrument - an MO which was similar to one used in five other car
clouts in the park and Estes Valley during the previous week.  Purses and
wallets appear to be the primary targets.  A multi-agency task force was set
up to conduct an investigation into the break-ins, and their efforts
culminated on August 6th in the arrest of Michael Wilder, 22, of Estes Park,
on charges of felony theft and first degree criminal theft.  Warrants have
also been issued for several other suspects.  Evidence secured during the
execution of the search warrant will help to clear over 50 burglaries and
car clouts which have occurred in Estes Valley over the past four months. 
Wilder's group took their stolen property to southern Arizona, where they
sold it at flea markets and pawn shops, then purchased drugs at lower prices
and brought them back to Colorado for use and sale.  Visitor protection
specialist Fran Gruchy and patrol supervisor Patti Shafer represented the
park on the task force.  [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO, 8/14]

92-428 - Glacier (Montana) - Demonstration

About 100 members of the Blackfeet tribe held a peaceful demonstration in
front of the Many Glacier Hotel protesting park and concession hiring
practices and other issues on the afternoon of August 10th.  Representatives
of the tribal business council subsequently met with the NPS advisory board,
which was holding its semi-annual meeting at the hotel, and discussed these
issues with them.  Glacier rangers and a RMR special events team were on
hand to provide law enforcement and manage traffic and parking at the
demonstration site.  Initial information indicated that the demonstration
and other actions by some tribal members might be disruptive, but potential
problems were defused through effective communications between the park and
the demonstration's organizers, the presence of sufficient rangers, and the
willingness of the board to meet with representatives of the tribal council. 
The event ended on a positive note and the park and tribe are continuing to
work together to resolve tribal concerns.  [Steve Frye, CR, GLAC, 8/13]

92-429 - Golden Gate (California) - Recovery of Stolen Vehicles

On August 12th, USPP sergeant Kevin Hay spotted an unoccupied 1986 Toyota in
the parking lot at Baker Beach which was listed as stolen by San Francisco
police.  A surveillance operation was begun; shortly thereafter, two other
Toyotas occupied by several teenagers entered the parking area and pulled in
next to the first vehicle.  Both were also confirmed as stolen by USPP
dispatch.  Four teenagers entered the first vehicle, and all three vehicles
headed for the exit.  A triple felony stop was executed and 12 juveniles and
an adult were placed under arrest.  Since the incident occurred in an area
of exclusive federal jurisdiction, all those arrested have been charged by
the U.S. attorney with possession of stolen vehicles.  So far this year,
officers from the San Francisco field office have recovered 32 occupied
stolen vehicles and made 82 arrests.  Another 39 unoccupied stolen vehicles
have been recovered.  The total valuation of all the vehicles has been
placed at $448,000.  [USPP Dispatch, 8/13]

92-430 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Fatality

On the morning of August 13th, two jet skiers found a man face down in the
water about a half mile from Hemenway.  They notified rangers, who recovered
the body.  The victim has been identified as R.J., 74, of Peoria,
Arizona.  The cause of death is unknown, and an investigation is underway. 
[Terri Greene, LAME, 8/13]

92-431 - Canyonlands (Utah) - Search and Rescue

P.B., 37, of Columbus, Ohio, was hiking by herself in Elephant
Canyon on August 2nd when she became disoriented.  Rather than press on, she
sat down and waited to be found.  Needles District rangers conducted a hasty
search that night and found her at 3:30 a.m. the following morning.  On the
evening of August 12th, P.B. was again reported missing, this time in the
Island in the Sky District.  Rangers received a report that P.B. was four
hours overdue from a hike on the Wilhite trail.  Another hasty search was
conducted, and P.B. was found unharmed at 2:30 a.m. the following morning. 
As before, P.B. sat down and waited to be found once she realized she was
lost.  Search mangers discovered that P.B. had poor night vision and lacked
a sense of direction.  They provided her with significant preventive SAR
information as part of the after-action review of the incident.  [Steve
Swanke, DR, Island in the Sky, CANY, 8/13]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area             Fire               8/16    8/17   Status
 
 OR    USFS    Fremont NF         Rim - T2             325     325   NR
                                * Disappointment - T2  320     245   CN 8/17

 CA    USFS    Sierra NF          Italian - T2       1,422       -   NR 
       CDF     Tuolumne-
                Calaveras RU    * Gulch                  -      700  NEC

 ID    USFS    Caribou NF       * Grandine               -      100  NEC

 Notes:

 *  - New fire (this report)        CN (date) - Expected date of containment
 NEC - No estimate of containment   T1/T2 - Type 1 or Type 2 team committed
 NR - No report received            CND - Contained

3) FIRE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS - No significant activity.

4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 233 fires for 238 acres in past 24 hours.

5) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity is increasing in California, the
   Northwest and the Great Basin.  Many units in those areas and the
   northern Rockies are reporting very high to extreme indices.

6) PROGNOSIS - Initial attack activity from holdover fires and on-going
   lightning strikes is expected to continue.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Nez Perce (Idaho) - Threatened and Endangered Species

On August 6th, a family of five in front of the park's visitor center looked
south and saw something large walking in the wheat fields on a hill between
a quarter and a half mile away.  They went into the visitor center to ask
what it was; the park curator stepped outside the visitor center and
confirmed that the creature was dark, larger than a human, and walking in
the fields.  It disappeared while they went back in to get binoculars. 
Another family over the hill reported seeing the creature from a distance of
150 yards.  Grover Crantz of Washington State University, who has researched
the "sasquatch" phenomena for 20 years, traveled to the park the following
day.  He found 13-inch footprints in the area and said the sighting was a
good one.  The superintendent has since fielded media calls from all over
the United States and Canada.  [Nancy Stromsen, PNRO, 8/14]

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady conducting "Ranger Future" site visits (8/17-8/21).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto attending management grid
training session, Tampa, FL (8/17-8/21); Henry at wilderness and aircraft
overflight meetings, PNRO, Seattle, WA (8/19-8/22).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Botti on annual leave (8/19-8/21).

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