NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, February 8, 1994

Broadcast: By 0900 ET

INCIDENTS

94-51 - Olympic (Washington) - Poaching

On December 13th, rangers received a report that several elk had been shot
in the Bunch Field area and subsequently apprehended six men - all members
of the Tulalip tribe - and recovered two bull elk and a buck deer that they
had apparently killed.  The men were cooperative and admitted that they had
shot the deer; they said that they weren't aware that they were in the park,
although they'd walked by a four by six foot park boundary sign on the
Quinault Road.  Follow-up investigation revealed that only four of the six
had been hunting (the other two were juveniles), and that one of the men had
killed two elk in the same area of the park on December 1st.  Physical
evidence will be shipped to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife lab in Ashland,
Oregon, this week.  A presentation to the U.S. attorney's office is
scheduled for later this month.  [Kym Hunter, OLYM, 2/4]

94-52 - Olympic (Washington) - Commercial Poaching

Late in January, rangers began a week-long search for a group of men who
witnesses said were commercially harvesting ferns in the park.  A vehicle
associated with the group was located at the Third Beach parking area in the
Mora Subdistrict on January 26th, and a stake-out of the area was begun. 
Four Chinese males with 22,700 fern fronds in their possession were
apprehended.  An interpreter had to be employed to communicate with the men,
who said that they did not know they were in the park.  A check of their
permit for forested land adjacent to the park disclosed that it had expired
in December.  Further investigation led rangers to a storage building at the
suspects' residence which contained several hundred bales of recently picked
ferns.  Initial estimates are that several acres of park land on the coastal
strip of the park have been completely denuded of ferns.  The ferns have a
total value of several thousand dollars.  It's believed that this group is
only one of several illegally harvesting forest products from Olympic.  [Kym
Hunter, OLYM, 2/4]

94-53 - Channel Islands (California) - Rescue

An unexpected winter storm which struck the California coast with winds in
excess of 50 knots caused three shipwrecks in park waters on the evening of
February 3rd.  The "Ocean Citizen", a 48-foot sailboat owned by B.M.
of San Diego, sank in deep water while under tow; the "Rampage", a fishing
boat from Channel Islands Harbor, ran aground on Forney Point off of Santa
Cruz Island; and the "Susie", owned by J.M. of Santa Barbara, ran
aground in Cuyler Harbor on San Miguel Island.  Park rangers rescued the two
occupants of the latter on the morning of the 4th.  The vessel's hull was
severely damaged, and about 200 gallons of fuel spilled into harbor waters. 
An investigation of the incident led rangers to arrest Mecono on charges of
abandoning property and polluting park waters. [Jim Hutton, CHIS, 2/7]

94-54 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Bomb Threat

Just after 1 a.m. on February 6th, a short call was received on the park's
after-hours emergency line in which the caller stated that a bomb had been
placed in the Kawuneeche visitor center.  The perimeter of the building was
secured, and the building was searched by experts and a bomb dog from Warren
Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Nothing was found.  [Joe Evans, CR,
ROMO, 2/7]

94-55 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Significant Property Damage

While on patrol on February 5th, park rangers discovered that a park cabin
and barn and a Forest Service cabin had been broken into and heavily
vandalized.  Furniture was destroyed, windows broken, fire extinguishers
discharged, and foodstuffs thrown around.  Obscene graffiti opposing
wilderness was written on the walls of one cabin.  The area is heavily used
by snowmobilers and is on the park's boundary with an adjacent national
forest.  [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO, 2/7]

94-56 - Cumberland Gap (Kentucky/Tennessee/Virginia) - MVA with Fatality

G.M., 50, of Middlesboro, Kentucky, was killed just before midnight on
February 6th when his car collided with a vehicle being driven by S.A.
on U.S. 25E.  A.G. and B.G., a passenger in G.M.'s
vehicle, were taken to Middlesboro Hospital, then to a hospital in
Knoxville.  Both are in critical condition.  [Charlie Chadwell, CUGA, 2/7]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) Handgun Transition - The memorandum on the handgun transition which was
sent yesterday from this office to park and regional chief rangers and law
enforcement specialists was a draft version which was still under review and
was inadvertently released before several pending revisions had been made. 
It should therefore be disregarded.  A significantly revised version will be
transmitted in the near future. 

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming
weeks on matters of interest or consequence 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.

2/8 -- House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands (Vento): Hearing on H.R. 3516, to increase the
amount authorized to be appropriated for assistance for highway
relocation at Chickamauga and Chattanooga; S. 1574/H.R. 3377, to
authorize appropriations for the Coastal Heritage Trail Route in
New Jersey.  Witness: Associate Director Denis Galvin.

2/10 -- Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public
Lands, National Parks and Forests (Bumpers): Hearing on H.R.
2947/S. 1552, to extend for an additional two years the
authorization of the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation
to establish a memorial; S. 1612, to extend the authority of the
Women in Military Service for America Foundation to establish a
memorial: S. 1790, the National Peace Garden Reauthorization
Act; and oversight on Victims of Communism.  Witness: NCR
Regional Director Robert Stanton.

-- House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands (Vento): Hearing on H.R. 2815, to designate a
portion of the Farmington River (CT) as a component of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

2/22 -- House Public Works and Transportation Subcommittee on Public
Buildings and Grounds (Traficant): Hearing on H.R. 3567, to
amend the John F. Kennedy Center to transfer operating
responsibilities to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy
Center of the Performing Arts.

2/23 -- House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related
Agencies (Yates): Hearing on Department of Interior FY 95 budget
request.  Witness: Secretary Babbitt.

2/24 -- Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public
Lands, National Parks and Forests (Bumpers): Hearing on the
Presidio.  Witness: Director Kennedy.

3/1 -- House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands (Vento): Oversight hearing on the proposed FY
95 budget for the National Park Service and historic
preservation.  Witnesses: Director Kennedy, Secretary Babbitt.

-- Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public
Lands, National Parks and Forests (Bumpers): Hearing on S. 1250,
Rocky Mountain Visitor Center; S. 1270, Cache La Poudre National
Heritage Area.  Witness: RMR Regional Director Bob Baker.

3/24 -- House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related
Agencies (Yates): Hearing on NPS FY 95 budget request.  

5/11 -- Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related
Agencies (Byrd): Hearing on NPS FY 95 budget request.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax:   202-208-6756
cc:Mail:   WASO Ranger Activities
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