RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Tuesday, September 21, 1993

Broadcast: By 0900 EDT

INCIDENTS

93-714 - Grand Teton (Wyoming) - Rescue; Two Climbing Fatalities

On the afternoon of September 16th, three climbers, all of whom worked for
Signal Mountain Lodge, a park concessioner, signed out for a climb of the
South Buttress on Mt. Moran the following day.  The trio - R.K.,
23, J.G., 20, and S.G., 20 - were on the
mountain on Friday when rain and snow began falling.  As they were
rappelling down that night or early on Saturday morning, a rappel anchor
failed, and they fell about 300 feet.  R.K. and J.G. died of
multiple injuries, but S.G. survived the fall.  Jenny Lake rangers began a
search for the overdue climbers on Saturday afternoon when they failed to
report for work.  Airborne search efforts were delayed due to inclement
weather, but a helicopter finally got up at 6 p.m.  The climbers were
located a half hour later.  A rescue team was transported by helicopter
shorthaul to a ledge below the party, and S.G. was evacuated by shorthaul
just minutes before darkness.  He had two fractured vertebrae, deep
punctures to the left leg, and head trauma.  He remains hospitalized.  The
bodies of R.K. and J.G. were recovered on Sunday.  [Mark Magnuson,
Jenny Lake SDR, GRTE, 9/20]

93-715 - Badlands (South Dakota) - Rescue

Rangers received a report of two hikers trapped by flooding in the Sage
Creek area of the Badlands Wilderness on September 29th.  Responding
personnel contacted two adult male backpackers who were returning from a
three-day "vision quest" and were mildly hypothermic, dehydrated and
famished from self-imposed fasting.  The normally benign Sage Creek had been
swollen to a depth of ten feet and width of 60 feet by the two inches of
rain which had fallen over the previous 24 hours.  A tyrolean traverse was
established by park technical rescue personnel and the men and their
equipment were safely evacuated.  This was the first water-related rescue in
the park's 54-year history.  Badlands has received almost 23 inches of
precipitation so far this year.  The park record, which was set in 1982, is
25 inches.  [Tim Reid, BADL, 9/20]

93-716 - White Sands (New Mexico) - Special Event

On September 18th and 19th, portions of the White Sands/Alamogordo hot air
balloon festival were held in the park.  An event known as a "Moon Glow" was
held on Saturday evening.  By 8 p.m., over 8,000 visitors had arrived in the
park, and a three-mile-long line of cars was waiting to enter.  The event
had to be canceled, however, due to strong winds blowing the tethered
balloons over.  It took about three hours to clear the area of the 2,000+
vehicles parked there.  A dawn ascent by over 40 balloons on Sunday morning
drew several thousand visitors.  All balloons ascended without incident, but
landed on U.S. Highway 70 on the park's southern boundary, blocking all four
lanes intermittently for over two hours.  Two teenagers who were part of a
balloon crew followed the balloons into the dunes, but failed to return to
the staging area.  A search was begun; the teenagers walked out two hours
later.  The entire event was managed under ICS.  [Bob Appling, CR, WHSA,
9/20]

93-717 - Coronado (Arizona) - Drug Smuggling

A ranger discovered a cache of 300 pounds of marijuana near the park's
picnic area on September 16th.  Surveillance was begun and backup assistance
from Customs agents was summoned.  Before they were able to arrive, however,
two vehicles entered the area and the marijuana was loaded into one of them. 
The ranger attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled the park and headed
south toward the border.  The vehicle crossed some very rough terrain and
drove through the international fence before stalling about 350 yards inside
Mexico.  The two occupants unloaded the vehicle within plain sight of
rangers and Customs agents.  One of the occupants of a pickup truck which
arrived to unload the marijuana appeared to be wearing a police uniform and
to be armed with a long rifle.  The individuals waved defiantly at the
rangers and Customs agents as they drove away.  [Dwayne Collier, SOAR, 9/20]

FIRE ACTIVITY

Preparedness Level I.  No significant activity reported or anticipated.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Although there are no mandatory reporting criteria for resource management
reports, we continue to be interested in hearing about and reporting natural
and cultural resource activities that meet the following criteria:

* The completion of notable resource management projects or the attainment
  of significant benchmarks in such projects.
* New threatened and endangered species listings, significant changes in
  status to listed species, or new threats to listed species.
* Any significant lawsuit pertaining to park natural or cultural resources.
* Any newly discovered threat to park natural or cultural resources.
* Reintroduction of a species to a park.
* Any resource management action affecting park natural or cultural
  resources which is inherently controversial.

Parks are encouraged to submit reports meeting these criteria - particularly
the first.  They should be sent via cc:Mail 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.

9/21

Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public
Lands, National Parks and Forests [Bumpers]: Hearing on S. 986,
to assist the Civil War battlefield at Corinth, Mississippi; S.
1033, to establish the Shenandoah Valley National Battlefields
and Commission in Virginia; S. 1341, to establish Wheeling
National Heritage Area in West Virginia: H.R. 1305, omnibus
boundary adjustments and changes to authorities and programs of
the NPS.

House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands [Vento]: Hearing on H.R. 1923, appropriations
for the restoration of historic buildings in the Fisk University
Historic District in Tennessee; H.R. 2921, appropriations for
restoration of historic buildings at Historically Black
Colleges.

House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands [Vento]: Mark-up of H.R. 2650, to study the
Maurice River in New Jersey as a wild and scenic river.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady on leave (9/21-22).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin at FLETC (9/20-9/21);
Henry at Fifth World Wilderness Conference (9/22-10/4).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: No leave or travel scheduled.


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