NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, April 19, 1994

Broadcast: By 0900 ET

INCIDENTS

94-165 - Shiloh (Tennessee) - Death of Employee

George Reaves III, the park's chief ranger and historian for nearly 19
years, died of heart failure Friday morning, April 15th, at Madison County
Regional Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee.  His funeral was held on Monday,
April 18th.  Reaves, 54, had been taken to the hospital Wednesday night
after suffering a heart attack.  He had worked for the NPS for nearly 28
years, beginning as a seasonal historian at Appomattox Court House.  He also
worked at Fort Sumter, Harpers Ferry, Vicksburg, Horseshoe Bend, Manassas,
and Independence.  He is survived by his wife, Alice, and two children,
George IV, and Mary Elizabeth, both attending college.  Condolences may be
sent to his home (Rt. 1, Box 87-JA, Savannah, TN 38372) or the park (Shiloh
NMP, Shiloh, TN 38376).  [John Beck, RAD/SERO, 4/18]

94-166 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Boat Accident; Probable Multiple Fatalities

Just before midnight on April 10th, a 29-year-old Las Vegas man was found
floating in the lake's water by a fisherman.  He was taken to the Hemenway
launch ramp and rangers were notified.  According to the rescued man, who
was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia, his wife,
their 15-month-old baby, and a second man were with him in a 19-foot ski
boat when it began developing problems near the Hemenway Wall area of the
lake earlier that evening.  While the operator attempted to restart the
boat's engine, it began taking on water over the stern and sinking rapidly. 
The rescued man lost contact with the others in his party shortly after
entering the water.  A search for the three missing people was immediately
begun.  Debris believed to be from the boat was found off Promontory Point
at the entrance to the Black Canyon area.  The body of the infant, who was
wearing a PFD (life jacket), was found around 3 a.m., but no sign was found
of the other two victims.  They were last seen clinging to an ice chest;
neither was wearing a PFD.  At the time of the report, a search for the pair
was underway.  [Karen Whitney, PIO, LAME, 4/11] 

94-167 - Death Valley (California) - Rescue 

During the evening of April 1st, rangers received a report that E.G.,
an instructor for the Athenian School, had been injured in the
roadless area of Cottonwood Canyon.  They hiked in to E.G.'s location,
arriving at 5 a.m. the following morning, and found that he had suffered a
crushed ankle.  A Flight for Life helicopter transported E.G. to a Las
Vegas hospital for surgery on his ankle.  [CRO, DEVA, 4/8]

94-168 - Death Valley (California) - MVA with Fatality

On the afternoon of April 8th, two people were killed in a head-on collision
on California Highway 190 about eight miles west of Furnace Creek.  F.F.,
53, and his wife R.F., 51, both of South Orange, New Jersey, were
killed upon impact when their 1994 Ford Tempo struck a 1994 Cadillac being
driven by M.S., 40, of Semmes, Alabama.  M.S., who was the
sole occupant of his vehicle, received only minor injuries.  All persons
involved wore seatbelts.  M.S. probably survived because of the
deployment of the airbag in his car and the disparity in the relative sizes
of the two vehicles.  [Ann Titus, PIO, DEVA, 4/11]

94-169 - Death Valley (California) - Apparent Suicide

A visitor reported finding a car containing a body parked in a side canyon
off the Mud Canyon Road on the afternoon of April 8th.  Investigating
rangers found a vacuum cleaner hose leading from the exhaust pipe into the
car's interior.  A homemade "tombstone" was found on the dashboard bearing
the inscription "D.T., Oxnard, CA, 1950-1994."  This tentative
identification had not yet been confirmed at the time of the report.  The
victim had been there for some time.  [Ann Titus, PIO, DEVA, 4/11]

94-170 - Padre Island (Texas) - Drowning

S.M., 46, of Corpus Christi, Texas, drowned while swimming in
the Gulf of Mexico off the beach's five mile marker on the afternoon of
April 10th.  His wife reported the incident to a state game warden, who in
turn notified rangers.  Wardens located the body about 35 minutes after
S.M.'s wife noticed he was missing.  Alcohol is not believed to have
been a factor.  [Tom Crowson, PAIS, 4/11]

94-171 - Padre Island (Texas) - Drug Seizure

A multi-agency investigation led to the seizure of approximately 550 pounds
of marijuana at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13th.  The seizure was made on
the beach near mile marker 19.  Three four wheel drive vehicles are being
held for possible forfeiture proceedings.  Seven suspects have been
identified and charges against them are pending.  The investigation is
continuing.  [Dan Wirth, PAIS, 4/13]

94-172 - Lake Meredith (Texas) - Probable Drowning

B.D.B., 26, and T.E.F., 25, both of Amarillo, were on
their way across the lake at 1 a.m. on April 9th when B.D.B. fell out of
their nine-foot inflatable raft.  Fine searched for B.D.B. for about an
hour and a half before notifying rangers.  Neither of the men was wearing a
PFD.  A multi-agency search for the victim was underway at the time of the
report.  [Patrick McCrary, LAMR, 4/9]

94-173 - Arches (Utah) - Multiple Incidents

During the month-long period ending April 8th, the park's small staff were
involved in four technical rescues, including one major rescue requiring the
help of two Canyonlands rangers; three searches; four medicals involving
transport to the hospital; four motor vehicle accidents, including a DUI and
a rollover with four injuries and two trapped inside; and numerous minor law
enforcement and traffic offenses.  These incidents correspond to a
significant increase in visitation (up 30% by the end of March) associated
with the Moab area becoming a destination for college and high school
students on spring breaks.  During the same period, the park implemented a
mandatory permit system for day hikers in Fiery Furnace, a popular but
delicate sandstone fin area that has seen severe resource degradation in the
last few years because of unregulated and uneducated users.  [Jim Webster,
CR, ARCH, 4/10]

94-174 - Obed River (Tennessee) - Rescue

Around 9:30 p.m. on April 8th, rangers received a report that a pair of
boaters had pinned their tandem canoe on an undercut rock somewhere on White
Creek, and had therefore decided to walk out of the gorge.  A third boater
with them proceeded downriver.  When the two boaters failed to show up, she
called for help.  A total of 20 NPS and local rescue squad searchers were
deployed.  The woman who reported the incident had left the area, however,
without contacting any rescue personnel.  The search therefore began with
sketchy details.  The pair were found below the bluff line near one of the
few old roads accessing the area and near the hardest rapid on that section
of the river.  They were cold but otherwise okay.  The two were part of a
large group, but were put on their own on an unfamiliar river because their
skill level was not on a level with the others.  They were told that the
creek was Class 1-2, but it actually was a solid Class 3 because of the
river's high level.  [Rob Turan, SAR Coordinator, OBRI, 4/12]

94-175 - Olympic (Washington) - Drug Seizure

On April 16th, the park's criminal investigators were informed that a drug
transaction was going to take place in front of the Fairholm store in the
Lake Crescent area of the park.  After surveillance and arrest teams from
the park and Clallam county drug task force were in the place, the informant
and an undercover officer from the task force met with three suspects. 
During the meeting, one of the suspects said that the delivery location had
changed to a point outside the park.  Shortly after arriving at that
location, they were joined by two men in a Ford Taurus who said they should
follow them up a logging road to a remote location to receive the shipment. 
The undercover officer refused to go to that location, so one of the
suspects went there and returned with four ounces of methamphetamine and six
ounces of cocaine.  The undercover officer then gave a signal, and the
arrest teams moved in.  Both vehicles attempted to escape, but were stopped
after a short pursuit.  The primary suspect fled on foot, however, and was
still at large at the time of the report.  Officers seized a loaded .357
revolver and an ounce of cocaine from the Taurus and a loaded .22 automatic
pistol from the second vehicle.  Four people were taken into custody, and
both vehicles were seized.  All members of the county drug task force are
cross deputized as NPS rangers.  Their appearance and experience permit them
to perform tasks that uniformed rangers would be unable to undertake.  It is
common for drug dealers in the area to hide their drugs and money in the
woods near remote roads.  [Mike Butler, CI, OLYM, 4/17]

             [More pending incident reports tomorrow...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Shenandoah (Virginia) - Peregrine Reintroduction

On Friday, April 1st, a single adult peregrine falcon was observed in a
remote section of the park.  Four days later, a team of observers spotted a
single adult male falcon flying around and vocalizing from a prominent cliff
near the same area.  They then bushwhacked off trail to a point near the
site, where they observed an adult female perched on a ledge near the
crevice.  Subsequent observations confirmed that they were a nesting pair -
the first nesting pair of peregrines in the mountains of Virginia since
their extirpation in the mid-1950s.  They apparently have been incubating
eggs, and best guesses are that egg hatching should occur during the first
week of May.  The female has both a solid green band on her left leg and a
black Fish and Wildlife Service band on her right leg.  Several females
released from the park during the "hacking" process in previous years have
this band combination.  It's unknown whether the male has leg bands.  The
site is located in a remote and rough section of the park and is
sufficiently removed from hiking trails and rock climbing areas to make area
closure unlikely.  Resource managers plan to continue close surveillance and
monitoring to detect potential disturbance to the falcons and keep tabs on
the progress of the incubation, hatching and fledgling periods. 
Congratulations are in order to the agencies and individuals who've
participated in the effort to restore peregrines to the park - the Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the
College of William and Mary, the Peregrine Fund, and numerous park
employees, volunteers and hack site attendants.  [Keith Watson, SHEN]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

IN CONGRESS

The following activities have occurred recently or 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.

Upcoming Hearings

4/19 -- House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands (Vento): Hearing on H.R. 1508, to provide for
the reformation of the National Park System; and H.R. 3709, to
reform the process for the study of areas for potential
inclusion in the National Park System.  

4/21 -- House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands (Vento): Mark-up of H.R. 3567, to amend the
John F. Kennedy Center Act to transfer operating
responsibilities to the Board of Trustees of the Center; H.R.
743, to amend the NPS Concession Policy Act to foster
competition among concessioners, to improve management of
concessions consistent with the preservation of resources and
the purposes of the NPS; and H.R. 1493, H.R. 2146 and S. 208, to
reform the concessions policies of the NPS.

-- Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public
Lands, National Parks and Forests (Bumpers): S. 1890, to
establish a Cane River Creole National Historical Park and the
Cane River National Heritage Area (Louisiana); S. 1975, to
establish a grant program to restore and preserve historic
buildings at historically black colleges and universities; and
other legislation.

4/26 -- House Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands (Vento): Hearing on H.R. 3593, to establish the
Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (Ohio) as an
affiliated area of the NPS; and H.R. 2633, to revise the
boundaries of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage
Corridor (Massachusetts and Rhode Island).

4/28 -- Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Public
Lands, National Parks and Forests (Bumpers): Hearing on S. 1639,
to provide for the management of the Presidio (California).

4/29 -- House Government Operations Subcommittee on Energy, Environment
and Natural Resources (Synar): Oversight hearing on clean air
protection problems in NPS and wilderness areas.

5/9 -- House Government Operations Subcommittee on Energy, Environment
and Natural Resources (Synar): Oversight hearing on Gettysburg
NMP.

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

5/25 -- Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related
Agencies (Byrd): Hearing on DOI FY 95 budget request.

Floor Action

House -- The House has passed H.R. 3498, amended, to establish the Great
Falls Historic District;  H.R. 3498, amended, to establish the
Great Falls Historic District.  By a vote of 264 yeas to 154
nays, two-thirds of those present not voting in favor, the House
failed to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2843, amended, to
establish the Wheeling National Heritage Area in the State of
West Virginia.

Senate -- The Senate has passed S. 1586, to establish the New Orleans Jazz
Historical Park in the State of Louisiana, after agreeing to a
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute; H.R. 2947, to
amend the Commemorative Works Act, after agreeing to committee
amendments; S. 21, to designate certain lands in the California
desert as wilderness, and to establish Death Valley, Joshua
Tree, and Mojave National Parks, as amended; S. 455, to increase
Federal payments to units of general local government for
entitlement lands, after agreeing to committee amendments.

MEMORANDA

"Buyout", signed on April 15th and sent by Deputy Director Reynolds to all
employees.  Although the due date for buyout decisions was yesterday, we are
carrying the full text because of other information contained within and
because of the Servicewide interest in the subject:

"Few pieces of recent legislation have had as much discussion in the
National Park Service as the 'buyout' bill that President Clinton signed. 
Who's in and who's out are questions on everyone's mind, especially since we
as an agency are already focusing considerable energy and anxiety on
streamlining.

"The buyout is a very important component in streamlining the National Park
Service.  But remember what the buyout is not:  It is not an entitlement to
anyone who's ready or wants to retire, it's not an automatic chunk of money
that you should expect.  The buyout is a method to encourage people to
separate from the government in a way that helps achieve NPS and DOI goals,
not personal goals.  

"It will help the federal government meet its goal of cutting 252,000
employees.  It will help us streamline and reduce the number of GS/M-14s and
15s.  Simply put, every FTE that remains unfilled after the buyout puts us
closer to the overall goal of reducing the size of the workforce in central
offices.  That's a bit of an oversimplification, but the point remains the
same -- our goal is reducing overhead, trimming FTEs and saving money while
doing the work of the Service more effectively.  We expect the cuts of
central office positions to total more than 1,300 over the next couple of
years.  This buyout is an important tool to help us avoid or reduce the
impacts of RIFs or furloughs.  

"The deadline for applying for this incentive payment is COB Monday, April
18.  We will not authorize buyouts again in FY-94, and it is unlikely that
they will be offered in FY-95.  

"I recognize the time to make these decisions has been short, and that this
is a significant career and life decision.  Our current streamlining effort
will result in significant reductions of personnel in central offices; if we
do not achieve the necessary results with this program, normal retirements,
separations and attrition, we will be forced to use more disruptive methods.

"All employees should have seen a copy of the recent memo from the Director
which describes the buyout program.  It describes in detail all of the
deadlines, eligibility criteria, and restrictions that are in place.

"Several things are important to remember:

1. The number of buyouts may be limited by the availability of money to
make payments and by restrictions placed on us by the Department of
Interior.

2. We are offering "unconditional buyouts" to all employees in central,
regional and service center offices.  This is tied directly to the
streamlining goals of reducing the size of these offices.  By not
refilling these jobs, we can achieve our goals with less likelihood of
resorting to RIFS, furloughs or transfers.

3. Buyouts will be authorized for park employees in the following order
of priority:  Personnel (GS-200 series), all other two-grade interval
administrative series, SES, GS/M-15, GS/M-14, and on in descending
grade order.

4. We have made most park employees lower priority (except for
administrative and higher grades because they are affected by current
DOI streamlining directions -- personnel consolidation and reductions
in numbers of GS/M-14s and 15s) because it is both the desire of DOI
and NPS not to reduce the number of employees working in parks.

5. For each buyout offered and accepted, we must cut an FTE and the
associated salary."

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities