NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, February 14, 1995

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

95-58 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Assist: Air Crash, Eight Fatalities

A Las Vegas Air Piper Navajo with one crew member and nine passengers aboard
crashed two-and-a-half miles north of Grand Canyon airport yesterday afternoon,
killing eight of the ten occupants.  All park EMS personnel and Engine 1 and
its crew responded.  The crash site is near the Forest Service's Ten-X
campground just south of the park's boundary.  No further details are yet
available.  [Dispatch, GRCA, 2/13]]

95-59 - Great Smokies (Tennessee/North Carolina) - Air Crash; One Fatality

On the afternoon of February 11th, the Knoxville airport tower advised the park
that an aircraft distress signal had been picked up from a point two to three
miles south of Mt. Harrison in the park.  Two Civil Air Patrol search teams
were joined by an NPS team on a joint ground search, as weather conditions
precluded use of CAP aircraft.  The operator of a private tour helicopter
spotted a small fire in the area at 7:30 p.m. and directed search teams to the
location.  They arrived about an hour later, and confirmed that the single
occupant of the twin-engine Beechcraft, Dr. E.M., 56, of Concord,
Tennessee, had been killed in the accident.  Two rangers remained on-scene
overnight; the body was removed the following day.  FAA and NTSB investigators
are on scene.  [Kenny Slay, GRSM, 2/13]

95-60 - Fossil Butte (Wyoming) - Paleontological/ARPA Looting Arrests

Last August, park rangers, FBI agents, and BLM and county officers launched
Operation Rockfish, a joint effort to check increased illegal fossil and
artifact collection in southern Lincoln County.  Throughout subsequent months,
information was collected on illegal fossil quarries, evidence was gathered,
and suspects were identified.  On January 26th, rangers and county and BLM
officers arrested two individuals on seven counts of theft of fossil and
archeological material from public and private lands.  Evidence seized included
fossil fish, Indian artifacts, explosives and firearms.  Damages to
archeological resources has been placed at $7,700, and the value of seized
fossils has been estimated at $9,140.  Over three tons of evidence has been
collected.  Additional warrants will soon be issued for two more suspects, with
charges expected against another six or seven within the next three months. 
Another 50 or so cases remain outstanding.  Many of the suspects have a history
of drug distribution and use and firearm possession.  Illegal fossil collecting
now rivals illegal drug sales in popularity in southwest Wyoming.  [Andy Banta,
CR, FOBU, 2/12]

95-61 - Gateway - Sandy Hook (New Jersey) - Oil Spill

Early on the evening of February 10th, the Mormac Star ran hard aground near
Sandy Hook.  The ship's center tank was holed and it began releasing number two
fuel oil at the rate of about 100 barrels per hour (the ship had 135,000
barrels on board).  The Coast Guard was able to contain the spill with a boom,
however, and skimmed about ten percent of the fuel from the ocean's surface.  A
lightering ship was also brought in to assist with unloading fuel from the
disabled vessel.  At present, it appears that between 35,000 and 40,000 gallons
were spilled.  No impact on park resources has yet occurred, however.  [Hank
Brightman, ROVA/NARO, 2/13]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming weeks
on matters pertaining to the National Park Service.  If you would like further
information on any of these hearings or bills, please contact WASO Legislation
at 202-208-3636.

February 23

House Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands [Hansen]: Hearing on H.R. 260, National Park Service Reform.

February 28

House Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and
Lands [Hansen]: Hearing on H.R. 629, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to participate in the operation of certain visitor facilities
associated with, but outside the boundaries of, Rocky Mountain National Park.

March 15

House Appropriations' Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies [Regula]:
NPS FY96 budget.

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

Telephone: 202-208-4874
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