RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Thursday, September 24, 1992

Release:   0830 EDT

INCIDENTS

92-28 - Vicksburg (Mississippi) - Follow-up on Theft of Bronze Plaques

P.D. and B.G. were sentenced in federal district court in
Jackson on September 10th for the theft and destruction of bronze plaques
taken from the park last January.  The judge issued the following sentences
to each of them: 90 days in jail, to begin immediately; $1,100 in
restitution to the park; three years supervised probation after the jail
sentence; participation in a mandatory drug program; completion of a GED
program; and a special $100 assessment.  He also ordered Deckard and Graves
to each write a three-page report about the 1863 Civil War battle and siege
that the park commemorates.  On August 6th, M.S., owner of
Scallions Recycling Center in Vicksburg, was sentenced in county circuit
court to five years in state prison for receiving one of the stolen plaques. 
The two-day jury trial included testimony from rangers, county detectives,
and both Deckard and Graves, who testified for the state.  [Tim Mauch,
Acting Assistant Chief of Operations, VICK, 9/23]

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

On September 22nd, the federal district court in Anchorage found D.T.,
50, guilty of violating the Lacey Act for the transportation of
illegally taken game and of violating federal regulations prohibiting
possession of illegally taken game.  The charges stemmed from an incident
which occurred last April in which D.T. killed a large grizzly bear near
the Tokositna Glacier in the southern portion of the park.  At that time,
witnesses informed rangers that a bear had been harassed by hunters on snow
machines.  They investigated and located a bear carcass nearly two miles
inside the park boundary.  With the assistance of the state crime lab and
state fish and wildlife protection officers, the carcass was matched with a
bear head and hide that D.T. had turned in for sealing to a taxidermist
in Wasilla.  D.T. said that he thought he was outside the park boundary,
and used a map that had not been revised since 1973 to back his claim.  In
1980, Denali was substantially enlarged, and several new units which were
closed to sport hunting were established.  Sentencing is set for November
19th.  D.T. faces a maximum penalty of up to two years in jail and
$200,000 in fines.  The U.S. attorney commended the fine team effort
demonstrated by the agencies involved, particularly the NPS.  [Ken Kehrer,
CR, DENA, 9/23]

92-451 - South Florida Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Andrew

No update is available this morning, but the incident commander has asked
that the following be passed on to all areas: "We have received notification
of literally hundreds of NPS seasonal maintenance employees indicating
interest and availability in working this winter (or parts of it) at one of
the three parks helping to rehabilitate quarters, interpretive facilities,
maintenance areas and other structures.  We emphasize that any such
hiring/reassigning would be restricted to journeyman level skill maintenance
positions.  At this point, it is still too early to determine whether or not
this will be a viable alternative for us to consider.  We anticipate that a
decision will be made by September 30th as to this option.  At that time, we
will also determine the method of hiring - whether on detail from the home
park or by reassignment/direct hiring by one of the three south Florida
parks.  In any event, the incident would fund all costs, including base
eight salary.  Our best advice at this time would be to continue to process
termination or intermittent status SF-52s as normal.  We will keep you
advised as soon as we have made decisions.  In the interim, we sincerely
appreciate the interest and willingness of park maintenance employees to
assist in the rebuilding of the infrastructure of the three south Florida
parks." [Rick Gale, IC, ARM Team, 9/23]

92-503 - Denali (Alaska) - Follow-up on Park Closure

Following nearly a week of snow clearing efforts, a one lane road was
punched through to Kantishna, 90 miles west of park headquarters, on Friday,
September 18th.  An escorted caravan of 30 vehicles with 57 people and ten
horses left the area late Friday night and successfully exited the park. 
The snow clearing was hampered by considerable avalanche activity and by
drifts of up to 15 feet in the Polychrome Pass and Eielson Bluffs area.  The
unprecedented storm, which began dropping substantial amounts of snow on
September 11th, shattered all records for snowfall since measurements began
in 1917.  The storm dropped 44 inches of unusually heavy snow at park
headquarters, almost three times more than has ever been recorded for the
month of September.  [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 9/23]

92-521 - North Carolina Areas - Tropical Storm Danielle

Preliminary contacts have been made with park staff at Cape Lookout and Cape
Hatteras this morning regarding the effects of Tropical Storm Danielle,
which was about 185 miles southeast of the Outer Banks at 5 a.m.  Cape
Lookout reports winds out of the north of from 20 to 30 knots and a high
tide surge between two and three feet above normal.  Cape Hatteras has not
yet made an assessment of storm impacts, but will do so later this morning. 
Both parks have their hurricane plans in effect, but remain open. Danielle's
winds are averaging about 45 mph and the storm is relatively stationary; it
is not expected to move or change in strength today.  [Steve Smith,
RAD/SERO, 9/24]

92-522 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Campground Closures

On the night of September 21st, the park was notified that a rodent from
Azalea campground in the Grant Grove area had tested positive for bubonic
plague.  State personnel arrived in the parks on the afternoon of the 22nd
and began working on the problem with park personnel.  Due to the positive
test results, high potential for human contact and history of plague in the
area, both Azalea and Crystal Springs campgrounds were closed (Sunset
campground was already closed for the season).  Current actions center
around live trapping rodents to better determine the extent of plague and to
better formulate a plan of action.  Due to several plague outbreaks on the
eastern side of the Sierras, the state will not be able to begin dusting of
rodent dens and burrows until approximately the 30th.  It's expected that
the campgrounds will remain closed for about four weeks.  [CRO, SEKI, 9/23]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area           Fire/Incident        9/23     9/24  Status

 FL    NPS     South Florida    Hurr. Andrew - ARMT    N/A      N/A  ---

 HI    FEMA    Honolulu         Hurr. Iniki - T1       N/A      N/A  ---

 OR    USFS    Fremont NF       Onion - T1           1,200    1,050  CN 9/25
       State   -              * Walker Creek             -    1,280  CN 9/24

 CA    CDF     Humboldt-
               Del Norte RU     Martin               1,450    1,453  CND    
               Butte RU         Maidu                  600      600  CN 9/24

 ID    BLM     Burley         * Unnamed                  -      320  NEC

 WY    USFS    Bridger-
               Teton NF        Cliff - T2             300      350  CN 9/24
       BLM     Rawlins         Stratton               500+   1,000  CN 9/24

Notes:

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

3) FIRE ACTIVITY - 68 fires for 4,205 acres in the past 24 hours.

4) ANALYSIS - High winds, coupled with extreme fire indices, continue to
cause suppression problems on large fires.

5) PROGNOSIS - The potential exists for continued fire activity due to
extreme fire dangers, gusty winds, and the arrival of hunting season.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 9/24]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Schamp on AL (9/23-9/28);
Marriott at ARPA meeting in Albuquerque, NM (9/23-9/25).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd on AL (9/21-9/25); Gale and Broyles, ARM
Team, Everglades and Biscayne, FL (indefinite).

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