NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, February 15, 1994

Broadcast: By 0900 ET

INCIDENTS

94-64 - Yosemite (California) - Search Suspended

The four-day search for skier S.C.K., 23, of Sacramento, California,
was discontinued on the night of February 13th due to a lack of clues as to
his whereabouts.  S.C.K. was reported overdue from a ski trip into the Snow
Creek/Ten Lakes area last Wednesday night.  A massive ground and air search
was begun the following day, but heavy snowfall - a total of about three
feet fell - made the operation very difficult.  It appears that a friend of
S.C.K.'s dropped him off, then went on another trip; it has therefore been
impossible to get comprehensive information on him.  Although the search has
been suspended, an investigation continues.  [YOSE, 2/14]

94-65 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Poaching Arrests

Information received over a period of several days on possible commercial
harvesting of deer by spotlighting led rangers in the park's Hinton
Subdistrict to set up surveillance on a residence on the park's boundary in
the Sandstone area.  On January 27th, rangers observed heavy, regular
spotlighting of fields inside the park on 30 to 40 minute intervals.  A
search warrant was obtained for the residence the following day with the
assistance of West Virginia conservation officers.  Rangers again observed
spotlighting in the area that night and also heard shots fired.  The search
warrant was served, and two people were arrested and charged with
spotlighting, illegal killing of wildlife, illegal possession of wildlife,
and hunting without a license.  A 30-30 rifle, spotlight, and over 100
pounds of illegally taken deer meat were seized during the search of the
residence. [Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 2/14]

94-66 - Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Snowmobile-Bison MVA with Injuries

M.B., 17, of Downing, Wisconsin, was injured when his snowmobile
struck a bison about four miles south of Madison Junction around 8:30 p.m.
on February 11th.  At the time of the accident, M.B. was traveling
northbound at about 50 mph with a group of other snowmobilers after spending
the day touring the park.  The first snowmobiler in the group saw the bison
in the road and swerved to avoid it; M.B., who was second in line, struck
the animal and was ejected from his machine.  He suffered a broken jaw and
bruised chest, and his snowmobile came to rest in the Firehole River.  The
bison, which apparently was not seriously injured, left the scene.  Rangers
responded and transported M.B. to West Yellowstone in the Old Faithful
oversnow ambulance, a Type I ambulance with a track conversion for travel on
snow.  M.B. was then taken to a hospital in Bozeman by conventional
ambulance.  During the winter, bison tend to travel along the groomed road
system, particularly at night, in order to save energy.  [CRO, YELL, 2/14]

94-67 - Olympic (Washington) - Search; Burglary Arrests

Early on the afternoon of February 14th, park dispatch received a report of
two suspicious people on private land along a road at Lake Crescent.  The
reporting party stated that they appeared to be in the process of
burglarizing an unoccupied residence and that at least one of them had a
rifle; the caller also provided an excellent description of their vehicle. 
Rangers responded and located the vehicle eastbound on Highway 101.  A high
speed pursuit ensued which lead rangers out of the park.  During the course
of the chase, the vehicle stopped once and the two men exited the vehicle
with rifles.  The pair eventually took a dead end road, abandoned their car,
and headed into the woods near Lake Sutherland, a heavily developed
residential/summer recreational lake two miles east of Lake Crescent.  A
total of 15 people, including rangers and county, state, tribal and
fisheries officers, began an area search.  A Coast Guard helicopter assisted
briefly, but had to depart because of mechanical difficulties.  Between four
and five inches of rain fell during the 24-hour search, and temperatures
hovered in the thirties.  Both suspects were located on the afternoon of the
13th - one walking in the area in stolen clothes and posing as a local
resident, the other huddled in front of a space heater in a basement of one
of the residences.  Both rifles were recovered.  Investigation has tied
these two men, ages 18 and 20, to a car theft which had occurred on the 10th
and to at least five burglaries which occurred throughout the western and
northern sides of the peninsula between the 10th and 12th.  Eight additional
rifles and over 600 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the stolen
vehicle.  During their interview, the pair stated that they were high on
some "bad crank" and that they intended to get killed in a big shootout with
police.  Both have extensive juvenile records.  The investigation is
continuing.  [Curt Sauer, Acting CR, OLYM, 2/14]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

MEMORANDA

"Request for FY 1994 Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Program Proposals",
signed by the Director and sent to all Regional Directors.  Contains request
for suitable YCC projects for 1994 in accord with requirements of the
language in the 1994 appropriations act.

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.

2/15 -- 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.  Witness: NCR Regional Director
Robert Stanton.

2/23 -- Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (Baucus): Hearing
on S.1114, to amend and reauthorize the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act.

2/24 -- House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related
Agencies (Yates): Hearing on Department of Interior FY 95 budget
request.  Witness: Secretary Babbitt.

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.

3/3 -- Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public
Lands, National Parks and Forests (Bumpers): Hearing on S.274,
to establish the Casa Malpais NHP in Arizona, and S.1586, to
establish New Orleans Jazz NHP in Louisiana.  Witness: Director
Kennedy.

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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