RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Tuesday, July 27, 1993

Broadcast: By 0900 EDT

INCIDENTS

93-472 - Midwest Parks - Follow-up on Flood Impacts

* Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - A new record crest of 48 feet is
predicated for July 31st.  The pavement of the parking lot of the South
Maintenance Complex is being undermined by a flow from an unknown origin. 
All maintenance workers and rangers coming into contact with the floodwater
are getting hepatitis A and tetanus shots, as recommended by local and state
health officials.  A third ranger has been called up for active duty in the
National Guard to deal with flooding problems in Missouri.  Visitation
remains high.  The long-term outlook is for water to remain at flood stage
for three to five more weeks.  [Deryl Stone, CR, JEFF, 7/26]

* Homestead - Almost three inches of rain fell on the park and throughout
the Cub Creek watershed on the evening of July 24th.  Because of ground
saturation from over 13 inches of rain this month and a total rainfall of
4.6 inches during the previous two days, runoff from this storm caused Cub
Creek to overflow its banks within the park just before midnight.  Water
covered the trail between the visitor center and the foot bridge over the
creek; although it also surrounded the Freeman School, diversion ditches
effectively routed the water away from the structure into roadway drainage
ditches.  By 12:30 a.m., the water level had risen to 14 feet and was
threatening the living history area below the Palmer-Epard cabin.  Park
staff accordingly removed all the living history items and took them to
higher ground adjacent to the visitor center.  The water level was up to
15.2 feet at 2 a.m., effectively blocking access to the park's trail system
and threatening three wayside exhibits.  The river finally crested at 16
feet at 6 a.m.  The creek level is currently being monitored; should it rise
to 18 feet, park staff will remove all artifacts from the Palmer-Epard cabin
and begin sandbagging the cabin, the south end of the visitor center and the
water reservoir.  [John Batzer, Acting Superintendent, HOME, 7/26]

93-520 - Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico) - Bomb Threat

On the morning of July 22nd, a nervous young woman called the park and
reported that her husband had told her that he'd placed a bomb in the park. 
She also said that she didn't know whether or not he was lying.  Within 30
minutes, park staff had closed the visitor center, concessions facilities,
and three miles of trails within the cavern and had evacuated about 1,500
people.  Two bomb sniffing dog teams were flown in from Fort Bliss in El
Paso, but no bomb could be located.  Normal operations resumed that evening. 
Visitors who had been evacuated were either given passes for a future visit
or asked to return with their tickets, which will be honored at their
convenience.  [Felix Hernandez, CACA, 7/23]

93-521 - Glacier (Montana) - Rescue

On the afternoon of Friday, July 23rd, a 21-year-old male slipped on some
wet rocks while hiking with friends above the Wilbur Creek horse bridge at
Many Glacier and was swept about 30 feet down the creek.  The swiftly-
flowing water pinned him against a large rock and he was unable to move
without the risk of being swept over some waterfalls just a few feet away. 
His friends alerted rangers, and a rescue team was quickly assembled.  A
Tyrolean traverse was utilized to reach the victim and extricate him from
the river.  He had been in the 42-degree water for over an hour and was
suffering from hypothermia.  He was treated for hypothermia and minor
injuries and released.  [Amy Vanderbilt, PAO, GLAC, 7/26]

93-522 - Glacier (Montana) - Drowning

A 48-year-old woman from Rivergreen, Colorado, apparently fell in Upper
McDonald Creek on the afternoon of July 24th and drowned.  The incident was
not witnessed.  The woman had been reported as a missing person by her
husband, so a search had been initiated.  Her body was found about 100 yards
from the point where it's believed that she fell into the water.  CPR was
immediately begun and both ground and air ambulances were summoned to the
area.  Advanced life support was continued en route to the hospital, where
the woman was pronounced dead.  [Amy Vanderbilt, PAO, GLAC, 7/26]

93-523 - Saint Croix (Minnesota/Wisconsin) - Drowning

R.S., 25, apparently drowned in the St. Croix River near
Wisconsin Interstate state park on the evening of July 25th.  According to
witnesses, R.S. jumped off a 70-foot-high bluff into the river.  He hit
the water face down in a "belly flop" position, surfaced for an instant,
then immediately sank in approximately 30 feet of water.  Recovery attempts
by rangers and a host of other agencies were terminated at nightfall and
were scheduled to resume yesterday morning.  R.S. jumped from an area
of the park that is closed to the public.  Indications are that alcohol may
have been a factor in the incident.  [SACN, 7/26]

93-524 - Big South Fork (Tennessee) - Drowning

On July 25th, K.S. was swimming in the Big South Fork near the Blue
Heron area with other family members when he disappeared under the river's
surface.  He was located by other visitors within ten minutes and was
brought to shore.  Rangers and concession employees administered CPR until
an ambulance arrived, but K.S. failed to respond and was pronounced dead
at the hospital.  Contributing factors in his death were his poor swimming
ability and the river's strong current.  [John Cannon, CR, BISO, 7/26]

93-525 - Cumberland Gap (Kentucky/Virginia) - MVA with Fatality

The park received a report of a motor vehicle accident within the park on
the afternoon of July 25th.  After a short search, rangers discovered a
vehicle down over the bank of Kentucky Highway 25E and found the body of
C.L., 41, inside.  Her body was removed, and the vehicle was hauled 60
feet up the embankment to the highway.  Preliminary investigation indicates
that the accident took place around 6:30 a.m. on July 25th.  The driver,
R.E., left the scene and failed to report the accident.  He has
been charged with driving on a suspended license; other charges are pending. 
[CUGA, 7/26]

93-526 - Cuyahoga Valley (Ohio) - Climbing Fatality

Two separate rock climbing incidents at the Virginia Kendall Ledges on July
24th resulted in a serious injury and a fatality.  D.P.M., 14,
who had just completed a 13 mile hike with his Boy Scout troop, was
scrambling on a rock formation when he fell about 15 feet.  Rangers
responded and began CPR.  Although a weak pulse was detected, D.P.M. was
pronounced dead by physicians at Akron Children's Hospital.  He had suffered
a fracture to his first vertebra.  The boy's father was with the Scout
group.  About two hours later and within 30 feet of the fatal accident, Rev.
V.B., chaplain at Akron General Hospital, fell approximately 25
feet while scrambling between rock formations.  Rangers responded and he was
taken to that hospital.  He is currently in intensive care with severe head
trauma, a bruised lung and a fractured jaw.  A critical incident stress
debriefing was provided yesterday to all rangers involved in the rescues. 
[Brian McHugh, CR, CUVA, 7/26] 

93-527 - Cuyahoga Valley (Ohio) - Marijuana Eradication

On July 23rd, rangers discovered that a surveillance camera which was being
used to monitor a marijuana plot within the park had been located and
removed sometime during the previous night.  One of the remote sensors which
activated the camera had also been discovered, but had not been taken. 
Following consultation with DEA agents, rangers went to the site the
following day and cut and burned 447 plants.  DEA placed their total value
at $1.25 million.  The stolen video camera is valued at $5,000.  There are
no suspects at this time.  [Brian McHugh, CR, CUVA, 7/26]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire              7/25      7/26   Status

 AK    State   SW Area           304632 - T2      10,810    10,810   CN 7/30

 GA    FWS     Okefenokee        Hummingbird         160       122   CND    

NOTES:

- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). T1 and T2
  indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Status - The following abbreviations are employed:

  NR - No report received      MS - Modified suppression strategy
  CL - Controlled              MN - Being monitored
  CS - Confinement strategy    NEC - No estimate of containment
  CND - Contained              CN (date) - Expected date of containment

3) PARK FIRE REPORTS - Park fire reports not available today.

4) ANALYSIS - Fire activity continued to be low throughout most of the West
due to cool, moist weather, but significant initial attack occurred in
Arizona and Alaska.

5) PROGNOSIS - A red flag watch was posted Monday in southwest Utah for
gusty winds and low relative humidities.   Initial attack and large fire
activity were most likely in Alaska, the Southwest and South because of
continuing warm, dry conditions in those areas.  Widely scattered
thunderstorms and showers were expected to keep initial activity at a
minimum throughout the rest of the West.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 7/26]

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.

7/27

House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Public Lands [Vento]: Hearing on H.R. 693, Crater Lake NP studies;
H.R. 2496, to establish the Abraham Lincoln Research Center; H.R.
2297, remove land acquisition restrictions at Cumberland Gap NHP; H.R.
1348, to establish the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers National
Heritage Corridor.  Witness: Deny Galvin, Associate Director, Planning
and Development.

7/29

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands,
National Parks and Forests [Bumpers]: Hearing on S. 150, to provide
assistance in the preservation of Taliesin, a Frank Lloyd Wright home
in Wisconsin; S. 278, to establish Wounded Knee as a national
memorial; S. S. 845, Truman Farm addition. Witness: Jerry Rogers,
Associate Director, Cultural Resources.

7/31

House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
[Miller] and Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
[Vento]: Joint field hearing to examine the status of efforts to
protect and restor the Everglades ecosystem, with special emphasis on
Florida Bay.  To be held in Key Colony Beach, Florida.  Witness:
George Frampton, Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto at meetings in Alaska
Region (7/26-8/6); Halainen at management grid training course (7/26-7/30).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Farrel at Presidio transition meeting (7/26-
7/30); Gale instructing management grid training course (7/26-7/30).

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