RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Tuesday, March 23, 1993

Broadcast: By 0800 EST

INCIDENTS

92-382 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Follow-up on Assault

On March 18th, E.C.M. was sentenced in federal district court to
ten years incarceration for robbery (18 USC 2111), sexual abuse (18 USC
2241), and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (18 USC
922(G)(1)), and another five years for being armed while committing a crime
of violence (18 USC 92(C)).  The latter will be followed by a term of three
years' supervised release.  On July 25, 1992, E.C.M. and an accomplice stole
cash and jewelry at gunpoint from a couple who'd been walking on the Arch
grounds.  The suspects also attempted to sexually assault the female victim,
but were interrupted by park law enforcement rangers.  E.C.M. and his
accomplice were apprehended after a short foot pursuit, during which they
discarded two loaded .38 caliber handguns in the park's reflecting pool. 
E.C.M.'s accomplice subsequently took his own life by hanging himself while
being detained in a St. Louis holding facility.  [John Weddle, CI, JNEM,
3/22]

93-112 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Follow-up on Storm 

Maintenance crews worked throughout last week to clear a massive
accumulation of snow and downed trees from park roads.  Plans were to reopen
only two roads by Saturday - the Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg and
Cherokee, and the Laurel Creek Road from Townsend to Cades Cove.  All other
park roads and the park's 975-mile trail system will remain closed until
park officials can determine that they can be safely reopened to the public. 
All park campgrounds and picnic areas will also remain closed until the
roads can be cleared and hazardous trees removed.  At the time of the
report, the park's Sugarlands visitor center was still without power, but
the visitor center at Oconaluftee was open.  [Bob Miller, PIO, GRSM, 3/19]

93-118 - Zion (Utah) - Follow-up on Dam Break

Investigators have determined that the earthen dam that failed on March 17th
gave way at the base due to soil saturation.  There was about one surface
acre of water behind it, and water rose between eight and ten feet in the
downstream channel after the breech.  An eight-foot by thirty-foot culvert
under Interstate 15 was not large enough to accommodate the wall of water
which came down the channel; water therefore flowed over the road to a depth
of about a foot and a half.  The water covered about 100 yards of roadway
and dissipated within about 20 minutes.  It was the probable cause of four
personal injury accidents involving two trailer trucks and two cars. 
Complete reports on the accidents are not yet available, but it appears that
the water forced the vehicles off the roadway.  One of the trucks turned
over and remained under eight feet of water until it was removed by a
wrecker on March 18th.  It may have suffered significant damage.  Injuries
to passengers at this point are described as minor.  A minor spill occurred
when one of the truck's fuel tanks ruptured; a hazmat team was called in to
handle it.  The highway appears to have survived intact.  [Jim Reilly,
RAD/RMRO, 3/18]

93-131 - Organ Pipe Cactus (Arizona) - Drug Smuggling Arrests

On March 4th, rangers and other members of the Border Anti-Narcotic Network
(BANN) task force assisted Customs agents in executing search warrants on a
business and five residences in Tucson whose occupants had been under long-
term investigation for narcotics trafficking.  Numerous vehicles, documents
and business records were seized as evidence which linked several
individuals to organized, large-scale trafficking of narcotics across the
border on public lands.  Some of the cases have been linked to past seizures
within the park.  On March 15th, rangers received word through the task
force of possible drug smuggling activity within the park.  Surveillance was
conducted throughout the night, but proved fruitless.  During the early
morning hours of the following day, however, the suspect vehicle came
through the port of entry at Lukeville, five miles south of park
headquarters, and was stopped by the task force north of the park.  M.C.C.
was arrested for transportation and distribution of
controlled substance.  A 1978 Oldsmobile and 68.5 pounds of marijuana were
seized.  An hour later, Border Patrol officers seized a 40-pound load along
the same highway.  It's believed that both loads were smuggled in by foot
and picked up just south of the headquarters complex.  Attempts to monitor
the suspect areas are underway.  [CRO, ORPI, 3/19]

93-132 - Chattahoochee River (Georgia) - Drowning

Just after noon on March 21st, J.A., 30, slipped while fishing
with his brother in the Chattahoochee and fell into the river.  J.A.
was wearing chest waders without floatation, and was quickly pulled under
when his waders filled with water.  His body was recovered about two hours
later some distance from where he was pulled under.  The accident occurred
near the apartments where the brothers lived.  [Ken Garvin, CR, CHAT, 3/22]

93-133 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Car Clout

On the afternoon of March 17th, ranger Myers was patrolling park grounds
when he discovered a 1984 Volkswagen van with a broken vent window. 
Investigation revealed that the van was registered to Canadian nationals and
that personal property and U.S. currency valued at about $2,600 had been
stolen from the vehicle.  The property taken consisted of a Hitachi
camcorder, personal clothing and effects, and about $1,500 in currency which
had been left within a woman's purse.  Damage to the vehicle is minor.  The
"crude tool" method was employed to enter the van. [John Weddle, CI, JNEM,
3/22]

93-134 - Capitol Reef (Utah) - Search

On the morning of March 21st, members of a group from Colorado College
advised rangers that three of their companions - H.G., G.K. and
A.M. - might be stranded on Meek's Mesa.  The three students
had scrambled up a rough route from Chimney Rock Canyon to the top of the
steep-walled mesa 600 feet above on the previous day and had not returned. 
The three were dressed in shorts and had a bag of gorp, a quart of water,
and no overnight gear.  Three hasty teams were dispatched.  Rangers Bob and
Whitney Kreiling located the three students in Chimney Rock Canyon three
hours after the search began.  All were in good health.  The three had spent
the 40-degree night on the Mesa huddling around a fire, then climbed down
their initial route in the morning.  [Tom Cox, ACR, CARE, 3/22]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

NOTES

1) Morning Report in Word Perfect - In response to several field requests
for copies of the morning report in Word Perfect, recent cc:Mail
transmissions of the report have had a second version in Word Perfect 5.1
attached to them as a separate file.  Comments were also solicited last week
regarding the value of sending two versions of the report out each morning. 
Only six responses were received - three yeas and three nays.  If you have
any thoughts on the matter, please send them to WASO Ranger Activities.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming
weeks 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 Legislation at 202-208-3636.

March 24

House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Public Lands [Vento] and Subcommittee on
Oversight and Investigations [Miller]: Joint oversight
hearing on Yosemite concessions contract with the National
Park Service.

March 25

House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Public Lands [Vento]: Mark-ups of H.R. 486, to
provide for the addition of the Truman Farm Home to Harry
S Truman NHS; H.R. 858, to provide for the rehabilitation
of historic structures within the Sandy Hook Unit of
Gateway NRA; H.R. 936, to amend the Boston NHP Act of 1974
to authorized a cooperative agreement with Boston Public
Library; H.R. 819, to revise the boundaries of George
Washington Birthplace NM

April 1

House Merchant Marine Subcommittee on Environmental and
Natural Resources [Studds]: Hearing to consider how the
nation's biological resources are being managed and why
species dependent upon wetlands and public lands in
particular are still requiring listing under the
Endangered Species Act.

April 29

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior [Yates]:
Hearing on FY 94 appropriations for the NPS.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto instructing at managing the
protection function training course (3/23-3/26); Halainen at meeting with
R&R Uniforms (3/24).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd instructing at managing the protection
function training course (3/23-3/25); Cook instructing S-230/260/390 (3/15-
3/26); Clark instructing S-490/590 (3/13-3/27); Botti at meeting to develop
hazardous fuel reduction cost/benefit model (3/24-3/25); Gale at national
incident commanders meeting (3/22-3/25).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5572
Telefax:   Branch of R&VP - 202-208-6756
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5977
cc:Mail:   Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation