RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Tuesday, December 7, 1993

Broadcast: By 0900 EDT

INCIDENTS

93-841 - Jean Lafitte (Louisiana) - Follow-up on Homicide

The body of the man who was found in Twin Canal in the Barrateria Unit last
Friday has been identified as that of P.F., 31, of Harvey,
Louisiana.  P.F.'s wife, T., told Jefferson Parish investigators that
she'd shot him while he was asleep, then wrapped him in a sheet and dumped
him in the canal.  She said that she shot him because of years of mental and
emotional abuse.  [Jim Carson, JELA, 12/6]

93-843 - Sequoia (California) - Possible Explosive Device

A local landowner called rangers on December 3rd and advised that there was
what appeared to be an explosive device on the road to Oriole Lake in a
remote area of the Mineral King subdistrict.  A 1.5 by 6.5 inch section of
PVC pipe was found lying on the side of the road; both ends of the pipe had
been sealed by a silicone-type sealant, and a wire protruded from one end. 
Tulare County explosive demolition personnel were summoned to the area and
confirmed that the device was probably an explosive.  The device was
destroyed at the scene.  Fragments were recovered and will be further
analyzed.  The county and park are conducting a joint investigation.  [Mike
Warren, Acting CR, SEKI, 12/3]

93-844 - Everglades (Florida) - Shooting, Auto Theft Incidents

During the week of November 14th, rangers in the East Everglades were
involved in a number of significant law enforcement activities typical of
those experienced in the area since its recent addition to the park:

* Rangers issued 32 warnings and several citations to people for illegal use
  of firearms in the area.  One of them, a man from Homestead, was arrested
  on an outstanding Dade County warrant.
* Four stolen vehicles were discovered in the area, bringing to 60 the
  number of stolen vehicles recovered in East Everglades - some on lands not
  yet in the park but about to be acquired - during the past six months.  
* A vagrant suspected in a recent area burglary was evicted from the Kendall
  glider port property with the assistance of Metro Dade officers.  He had
  shot at the glider port's caretaker the previous evening, and had recently
  been arrested by Metro Dade for DUI in the park.

[Bob Panko, Pine Island DR, EVER, 12/3]

93-845 - Chattahoochee River (Georgia) - Suicide

The body of L.M., 45, was found in her vehicle by the ranger who
was closing the Johnson Ferry South Unit on the evening of December 1st. 
Two suicide notes were discovered in the vehicle along with pictures of her
two children, which were positioned on the dashboard.  The suicide had
apparently been planned, as one of the notes said that park rangers would
find her body.  A court date for L.M.'s divorce was scheduled for
December 3rd, at which time she would likely have lost custody of her
children.  [Ken Garvin, CR, CHAT, 12/3]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

White Sands (New Mexico) - Oryx Relocation

On December 1st, the park successfully conducted a cooperative effort to
herd oryx off its lands.  In the late 60s, a small number of oryx were
introduced in the mountains west of the park by the New Mexico fish and game
department in order to establish a new hunting resource.  The small number
has since grown to between 1,200 and 2,000 animals.  The oryx have caused
extensive damage to park resources, so the park has been constructing a very
expensive exclosure fence around its perimeter (New Mexico is an open range
state).  Since construction began, park staff have frequently observed 60 or
more of the elk-size oryx inside the park adjacent to the south boundary
fence.  Consultations were held with personnel from White Sands missile
range and New Mexico fish and game, and there was a consensus that the oryx
had become "trapped" along the fence inside the park.  In order to reduce
the number of oryx on park lands and increase the number of huntable animals
on the missile range, plans were made to herd the oryx off park lands. 
Staff from the three organizations and U.S. Fish and Wildlife built a wing
fence off the south boundary fence, then removed a section of the latter. 
Ranger riders on horseback spread out and began encouraging the oryx to move
toward the wing fence; other personnel in vehicles created a moving barrier
along a road north of the animals to deter their escape.  The project proved
a success, with 20 of 29 oryx moving out of the park.  Plans are being
formulated to locate and remove more animals this Thursday.  It's estimated
that from 100 to 200 oryx are resident in the 145,000-acre park.  Although
the exclosure fence is not yet completed, it's felt that temporary removal
of the oryx will help reduce impacts to park resources.  [WHSA]

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Branch of R&VP staff meeting (12/9-12/10).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto on AL (12/8-12/14); all
staff at R&VP staff meeting (12/9-12/10).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale instructing at management grid training
course (12/5-12/10); Clark at management grid (12/5-12/10); Farrel at
firewise landscaping task group meeting (12/4-12/7); Spruill at Alaska
pilots' workshop (12/6-12/10).


Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874
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