NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Wednesday, April 20, 1994

Broadcast: By 0900 ET

INCIDENTS

94-176 - Everglades (Florida) - Structural Fire

Around 7:20 a.m. on the morning of April 15th, park maintenance workers
reported that the Pah-Hay-Okee overlook platform was on fire.  The Pine
Island structural fire brigade drove their Type 2 engine to the site,
located about ten miles west of park headquarters, and suppressed the blaze. 
The fire burned out parts of the viewing platform and most of its western
staircase, but the majority of the platform was saved.  Total damage is
estimated at $3,000.  The fire was probably caused by illegal campers who
had started a warming/smudge fire during the night.  There are no suspects. 
[Bob Panko, DR, Pine Island District, EVER, 4/19]

94-177 - Virgin Islands (Virgin Islands) - Auto Theft; Arrest

The park received a report on April 7th that a vehicle had been stolen from
the Salt Pond Beach parking area.  Rangers and territorial police responded. 
A witness identified the thief as K.M., who had been arrested in
the past by rangers for theft and tampering with vehicles.  K.M. is also
suspected of numerous other thefts from vehicles and beach bags in the park. 
The driver of the vehicle had left the keys to the car in a console between
the seats.  K.M. took the vehicle for a "joy ride", and picked up the
witness, who was hitchhiking.  After he returned the vehicle to the parking
lot, K.M. ran into the woods.  Rangers and police searched for and found
and arrested him.  A joint investigation is underway.  The case is being
prosecuted through the territorial court.  [CRO, VIIS, 4/13]

94-178 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Multiple Arrests

The park and Mohave County sheriff's office have closed 43 felony
investigations from the past two years with the arrest of a number of
Bullhead City juveniles.  Twenty of the felonies occurred at Katherine
Landing and included five cases of vehicle arson, a vehicle theft, and a
number of auto and boat burglaries.  Stolen articles were used by the
suspects to finance the purchase of narcotics.  The suspects will stand
trial as adults on all 43 counts.  One 17-year-old has accepted a plea
bargain for a prison sentence of 15 years.  A major break in the case came
when an assault victim provided rangers at Katherine with a detailed
description of the getaway car.  That description led to the youths' arrest
by county deputies.  [Bud Inman, LAME, 4/14]

94-179 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Storm Impacts

A fast-moving storm struck the park with heavy lightning on the morning of
Friday, April 15th.  A power substation serving park headquarters received a
direct strike, which caused power surge throughout its lines.  The office
staff reported numerous instances of sparking, crackling and smoke from wall
outlets throughout the headquarters building.  The local fire department was
asked to respond on a standby basis, but there were no ignitions.  All
building power lines and outlets were checked and the building was brought
back on line by resetting circuit breakers one at a time.  A total of 15
surge protectors valued at $400, including wall-mounted outlets, computer
console units and power cord multiple outlet units, were burned out, but
they were able to save office electronic equipment whose value has been
estimated at about $70,000.  Not a single piece of equipment was lost.  The
units had suppression ratings of either 1875 watts or between 250 and 500
volts.  All the manufacturers have agreed to replace their equipment at no
additional cost to the park.  [Bill Supernaugh, Deputy Superintendent, INDU,
4/19]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

St. Croix River (Wisconsin/Minnesota) - Bald Eagle Poisonings

Federal agents are conducting a criminal investigation into the deaths of 17
immature and adult bald eagles whose remains were found in the area over a
period of several days.  The agents suspect that the eagles were poisoned on
a lake near the park.  This is the largest known concentration of bald eagle
deaths to occur east of the Mississippi River.  Thirty-three active eagle
nests were identified in the county last year; seven were within the park. 
The deaths of the birds could have a profound effect on the reproductive
success of the eagles.  Survey work is underway this week.  Thus far, four
of the nests in the park have been found to be active.  [Sue Jennings, RMS,
SACN]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) Strategic Plan - The draft strategic plan for the National Park Service
is now available for general review.  It will be posted on the Director's
bulletin board, or you can receive either a cc:Mail or paper copy by
contacting WASO Strategic Planning at that address on cc:Mail or at 303-969-
7012.  The Office of Strategic Planning welcomes your comments and asks that
you send them in by May 9th so that any changes can be incorporated into the
plan before it is revised.

2) Bear Info - Dr. Stephen Herrero, professor of environmental science at
the University of Calgary in Alberta, is seeking case incident records from
1980 through 1992 of all aggressive or otherwise behaviorally interesting
interactions between people and black or grizzly bears.  Dr. Herrero is
undertaking a major revision of his book, "Bear Attacks: Their Causes and
Avoidance."  If you can furnish any information, please contact him at the
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

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