NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, November 29, 1994

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

94-656 - Biscayne (Florida) - Drug Seizure

On November 22nd, a park visitor beachcombing on the eastern shore of Elliott
Key discovered a suspicious package entangled in the seaweed and turned it over
to park maintenance employees.  They suspected that the package contained a
controlled substance and called patrol rangers, who field tested the substance
and determined that it was cocaine.  Customs officers were dispatched to the
scene and the kilo of cocaine, which has an estimated street value of $60,000,
was turned over to them.  Subsequent searches of the island's shorelines by
Customs agents and park rangers have turned up no additional drugs.  The
cocaine was concealed in a black rubber pouch similar to a hot water bottle. 
This packing method and material has been used by traffickers in the past, but
has always contained multiple kilos, not single ones.  Customs agents suspect
that this variation in packaging may be an attempt to traffic cocaine using
smaller recreational vessels, with the substance being attached to the vessel's
hull under the water line.  (CRO, BISC, 11/25)

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) Climbing Program Fees - Beginning in 1995, climbers on Mount McKinley and
Mount Foraker in Denali will be charged a $150 per climber mountaineering
program fee which will be employed to offset mountaineering administrative
costs, such as prepositioning and maintaining the high-altitude ranger camp at
14,200 feet on the West Buttress route, paying mountaineering patrol salaries,
preparing education materials aimed at reducing the number of accidents,
funding transportation costs, and purchasing supplies.  In public meetings and
in written comments, climbers and others expressed overwhelming opposition to
paying for actual rescues absent any nationwide policy discussion.  The initial
proposal for a $200 fee included covering some costs associated with rescues;
those expenses have been dropped and the fee lowered to $150 per climber.  The
program has three major components:  

* Climbers on the two mountains will be required to register a minimum of
60 days in advance of their climb, thereby providing staff with the
opportunity to provide information to prospective mountaineers on
climbing dangers, proper preparation and equipment, and requirements
concerning resource issues such as littering and human waste disposal.

* Written and visual orientation materials will be improved to better
prepare mountaineers for a sub-arctic mountaineering experience. 
Mountaineers from 20 to 30 countries outside the United States account
for a disproportionate number of rescues.  Written and voice-mail
materials eventually will be prepared for them in eight languages.

* The $150 per climber fee is expected to generate about $180,000 per year
(1,200 climbers x $150), which will be used to fund ranger and support
salaries while doing mountaineering-related work, improved educational
presentations and materials, logistical support and patrol supplies (such
as those used at the 14,200-foot camp on the West Buttress).  The fee
will not cover the lease of the high-altitude helicopter (about $240,000
per year), nor will it be used to offset expenses incurred in rescues
(anywhere from $70,000 to $200,000 per year).

The move to a fee program does not change the park's existing rescue policy, 
[John Quinley, PAO, ARO]

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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