RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Tuesday, May 4, 1993

Broadcast: By 0830 ET

INCIDENTS

91-628 - Kennesaw Mountain (Georgia) - Follow-up on ARPA Arrest

Following many months of work with assistant U.S. attorneys in Atlanta and
Dallas, Texas, W.S.M. agreed to a plea arrangement for a
misdemeanor ARPA violation.  He was sentenced to six months' probation,
ordered to pay $1,208.12 in restitution to the park at the rate of $250 per
month, and forfeited his brand new Fisher metal detector, which was valued
at nearly $1,000.  W.S.M. was not fined because of his "inability to pay." 
This is the park's third ARPA conviction in the past two years.  Two other
subjects are awaiting indictment, and a third - A.B. - is in
custody for a 1991 ARPA charge and for bail jumping.  A.B. has jumped
bail twice since his initial arrest, and has been picked up on warrants in
California and Florida.  [Frank Graham, ACR, KEMO, 5/1]

93-221 - San Juan (Puerto Rico) - Follow-up on Employee Death

The funeral for park ranger and law enforcement specialist Victor Valentin,
who was killed in a car accident on April 29th, was held this past weekend. 
Valentin, who was 51 and had worked in the park since 1972, leaves his wife,
Rosa Maria, and two grown sons - one a doctor, the other a college student.  
Condolences may be sent to the family at Paseo Erce 2436 Levittown, Toa
Baja, PR  00949.  [Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO, 5/3]

93-223 - Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) - Drowning; Search for Victim

On the morning of April 29th, two visitors discovered the body of a man in
the surf a mile south of the Oregon Inlet bridge.  They notified the Coast
Guard, who in turn notified the park and the Dare County sheriff's office. 
Wreckage from a boat was subsequently found spread along the beach for a
mile to a mile and a half.  A vinyl notebook with some business cards was
found a quarter mile north of the body; the business cards carried the names
of R. and A.W., and the Coast Guard was able to match the last name
with the name of the captain of a 33-foot fishing boat named the "No
Problem" which had been reported overdue at a marina at Hatteras Inlet.  The
boat had last been seen departing Virginia Beach around 6 a.m. on the 28th
en route to North Carolina to pick up passengers for a fishing trip.  A 110-
foot Coast Guard cutter was dispatched from Portsmouth to search the area,
since seas were too rough for the 44-foot cutter based at Oregon Inlet.  A
Jay Hawk helicopter also joined the search.  The Coast Guard determined that
two persons had been on the "No Problem" when the boat left port - J.F.W.,
56, and his son, J.R.W., 34.  The victim found
on the beach was the father.  A deployed life raft with no identification
was discovered on the beach a half mile north of the point where W.'s
body was found.  Search efforts continued until dark, but proved fruitless. 
The investigation and search efforts are continuing.  [Larry Roush, CR,
CAHA, 4/30]

93-224 - Hagerman Fossil Bed (Idaho) - Landslide

A major landslide last week sheared away the entire end of a park ridge and
pushed debris 200 feet into the Snake River.  A new cliff has been formed
approximately 100 feet from the edge of its predecessor.  The landslide,
which occurred at the site of the 1987 landslide that destroyed the Bell
Rapid pump station on the 27,000-acre farming project west of the monument,
also caused new tension cracks and shear zones that extend far beyond the
actual landslide site.  The area was closed to the public at the time; no
impacts on visitation are anticipated, other than the possibility that
visitors may be lured to the area by either land or boat.  Fossils are known
to exist in the strata on both sides of the new landslide, but the area is
still moving and too unstable to make any paleontological assessment. 
[HAFO, 4/28 and 4/30]

93-225 - Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) - MVA with Fatality

Two local residents - D.M., 28, and his passenger, T.W., 25 -
were killed in a motorcycle accident which occurred on U.S. Route 15 a half
mile north of the Peach Orchard around 1 a.m. on May 3rd.  The motorcycle
was southbound on the highway when it went off the west side of the roadway
and struck a utility pole and one section of park split rail fence.  Both
were wearing helmets.  A coroner's report is not yet available.  Ranger Tim
Sorber and Pennsylvania state troopers investigated the accident.  [Mac
Heebner, CR, GETT/EISE, 5/3]

93-226 - Zion (Utah) - Evacuation

At 5:20 p.m. on April 30th, the Washington County sheriff's office notified
the park that they'd received a report that water was flowing over the top
of the 85-foot-high Kolob Reservoir dam.  Water from the reservoir flows
into the North Fork of the Virgin River, which runs through the  park and
the park's gateway communities of Springdale and Rockville.  Both the park
and sheriff's office began mobilizing personnel in event of a major flood. 
A model had been developed by Washington County which indicated that a
catastrophic release of the reservoir would increase the river's flow to
75,000 to 80,000 cubic feet per second throughout all of Zion Canyon.  A
county helicopter which was dispatched to check the report arrived at the
dam at 7:40 p.m. and reported that water was not flowing over the dam.  By
the time that report was received, all low-lying areas in the park had been
secured and all park employees and visitors who might be affected had been
notified and/or evacuated.  Rangers then began the process of advising all
those they'd contacted that the report had been false.  Although the report
was erroneous, it provided the opportunity for a very good and valuable
exercise.  [Larry Van Slyke, CR, ZION, 5/3]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

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.

May 5

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee [Johnston]: Meet
to discuss pending business; possible vote on DOI nominations. 

May 6

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related
Agencies [Byrd]: Hearing on the FY 94 budget request for the
NPS. 

May 18

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee [Johnston]:
Hearing on S. 721, Land and Water Conservation Fund Emergency
Funding Act of 1993. 

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady at SERO superintendents' conference (5/5-5/7).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin at uniform boot meeting
(5/2-5/4); Halainen at uniform boot meeting (5/3-5/5) and MAR/NAR/NCR fee
coordinator meeting (5/6); Dickerhoof at MAR/NAR/NCR fee coordinator meeting
(5/5) and counter-terrorism conference (5/7); Berkowitz at LE training
course (5/2-5/5); Smith at wildlife law enforcement coordinator conference
(5/6-5/9).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Broyles at overhead development course review
and uniform boot meeting (5/2-5/7); Cook at filming session for fire
management video (5/3-5/12); Gale on AL (5/3-5/7).

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
SkyPager:  Emergencies ONLY (numeric message) - 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843 
SkyTalk:   Emergencies ONLY (voice message) - 1-800-759-8255, PIN 2404843