NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, September 12, 1995

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

95-604 - Glacier (Montana) - Employee Abduction

Rangers and FBI agents are investigating the apparent abduction of a female
park employee on the evening of September 5th.  As she got out of her car at
St. Mary dormitory, an unidentified man came up behind her, said he had a
knife, and ordered her back into the car.  He then got in the back seat and
told her to drive to various locations outside the park.  The woman was
subsequently released at Kiowa Junction.  She drove herself to the hospital in
Browning, where she was treated for superficial lacerations and contusions,
then released.  BIA and Blackfeet tribal police conducted the initial
investigation.  The incident was reported to rangers the following morning. 
Surveillance has since been stepped up at entrance stations, visitor centers,
government housing areas and campgrounds.  The name of the victim is being
withheld pending conclusion of the investigation.  [Steve Frye, CR, GLAC]

95-605 - Olympic (Washington) - Search and Rescue

On September 2nd, S.R., 31, and K.S., 30, headed out on a
planned six-day-long, 50-mile hike through Enchanted Valley, over Anderson
Pass, and along Six Ridge Trail, intending to return to Graves Creek on
September 7th.  They failed to return on schedule and were reported missing on
September 8th.  A search was begun which eventually involved helicopters, dogs,
and over 70 people, including rangers and members of volunteer SAR
organizations.  A large rock "SOS" was spotted by the crew of one of the search
helicopters on the 10th, and the two women were soon found.  Both were in good
condition.  S.R. and K.S. became lost on a little-used section of the Six
Ridge Trail on what was to have been the last day of their hike.  After an
unsuccessful effort to return to the trailhead via a cross-country route, the
pair built the "SOS" in a snowfield at the head of Six Stream and proceeded to
follow the drainage downstream toward Staircase, where they were found.  [Barb
Maynes, PAO, OLYM]

95-606 - President's Park (DC) - Bomb Threat; Visitor Center Evacuation

A bomb threat was received at the White House visitor center at 8 a.m. on
September 9th.  The building was evacuated.  Dogs were used to search the
building.  Nothing was found, and the center reopened around 10:30 a.m.  [Mel
Poole, NCP]

95-607 - Great Smokies (Tennessee/North Carolina) - MVA; Road Closure

Ranger Jerry Grubb encountered an 18-wheel tractor trailer on Newfound Gap Road
around 1:30 a.m. on September 6th.  Since the road is closed to commercial
vehicles, Grubb cited the driver and sent him back to Gatlinburg.  About two
miles south of the Sugarlands visitor center, the driver lost control of the
rig, crashed and overturned, spilling 50-foot lengths of steel on the highway. 
The driver was not seriously hurt.  Clean-up crews worked through the night and
were able to clear the road by 10 a.m.  This was the second major incident in
recent months involving Boyd Brothers Transportation trucks.  Another driver
lost control of his rig in late 1993 and crashed just above Cherokee.  He was
killed and his companion was seriously injured.  [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM]

95-608 - Great Smokies (Tennessee/North Carolina) - MVA with Two Fatalities

A southbound 1992 Chevrolet van with six occupants collided head-on with a 1994
Chevrolet Beretta with four occupants on the Newfound Gap Road above Cherokee
on the afternoon of September 9th.  Three medevac helicopters from two
hospitals evacuated the four most seriously injured victims; three others were
transported by ambulances.  The driver of the Beretta, J.L., 29, and
his mother, E.J.L., 58, both of Appalachia, Virginia, did not
survive.  The road was closed for three hours.  Additional assistance was
provided by rangers from adjoining districts and by town, county and state EMS
personnel.  Ranger Glenn Martin was incident commander.  As of September 11th,
the van driver was the only victim still hospitalized.  The investigation is
continuing, but alcohol was apparently not a factor.  [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM]

95-609 - Grand Teton (Wyoming) - Rescue

S.H., 48, R.S., 40, and three others were descending the Owen-
Spalding route on Grand Teton with Exum Climbing School guides on August 22nd
when Houchin put his weight on a large rock that came loose.  S.H. and the
rock fell, hitting R.S. and causing him to fall.  The two men fell about 100
feet, all on rock.  Jenny Lake rescue rangers were flown to the Lower Saddle. 
Three rangers climbed 1,000 vertical feet to the victims, while two others were
inserted by helicopter.  The two men were flown to the saddle, given medical
treatment, then taken to a hospital in Jackson.  S.H.'s injuries included
head trauma; R.S. suffered a fractured right elbow, broken ribs and other
injuries.  Both were wearing helmets and using all necessary safety equipment,
as required on guided trips.  Members of the rescue team were Renny Jackson,
Rich Perch, Tom Kimbrough, Leo Larson, George Montopoli, Bill Alexander, Andy
Byerly and Jim Phillips.  [Colin Campbell, CR, GRTE]

                      [Additional reports tomorrow...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level I

The national preparedness level has dropped one step from Level II to Level I. 
Criteria for Level I are as follows:  No large fire activity nationally.  Most
geographic areas have low to moderate fire danger.  Little or no commitment of
national resources.

2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY

                                                    Fri     Tues   %   Est
State    Area                Fire         IMT       9/8     9/12  Con  Con  

 NY   Gateway NRA        Big-E-Pond        --       221      221   84  CN 9/13

HEADING NOTES:


Fire     * = newly reported fire (on this report).  Cx = complex.
IMT     T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST1 = state Type 1; ST2 = state Type 2.
% Con   Percent of fire contained.
Est Con Estimated containment date.  NEC = no estimated date of
        containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report.

3) FIRES YESTERDAY -

                NPS     BIA      BLM     FWS    States     USFS      Total

Number            2       0       10       0       296       33        341 
Acres Burned      1       0      219       0     1,960       27      2,207

4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -

               Crews     Engines     Helicopters     Airtankers     Overhead

Federal           11        26            6               0              5
Non-federal        1         1            0               0              4
-
-
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -

                                      CY 1995            Five Year Average
                                    Year-to-Date           Year-to-Date

Number of Fires - U.S.                 72,583                  58,807     
Acres Burned - U.S.                 1,676,494               2,617,042 
Number of Fires - Canada                7,884                       -
Acres Burned - Canada              18,404,577                       -

6) SITUATION - Fire activity remained low across most of the country yesterday.

7) OUTLOOK - Activity is expected to remain moderate.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/12]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

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 Stacey Rickard in
WASO Legislation at 202-208-3636.  [Editor's note: Although already past, the
agenda for the September 7th hearing is included because of the number of bills
taken up by the subcommittee]

September 7

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 1188, to provide for the preservation of the coal mining
heritage of southern West Virginia: H.R. 1447, to revise the boundaries of the
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Massachusetts and Rhode
Island; H.R. 1542, to amend the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor
Act of 1984 to modify the boundaries of the corridor; H.R. 1553, to establish
the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor; H.R. 1961, to designate the
Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area; H.R. 1999, to establish the Augusta Canal
National Heritage Area in the State of Georgia; H.R. 2057, to establish the
Cache La Poudre River National Water Heritage Area in the State of Colorado;
H.R. 2172, to establish the Vancouver National Historic Reserve; H.R. 2186, to
establish the Ohio & Erie Canal Corridor National Heritage Corridor in the
State of Ohio; H.R. 2188, to establish the Essex National Heritage Area
Commission.

September 12

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Markup of H.R. 1713, to provide for uniform management of livestock grazing on
federal land; H.R. 1280, to establish guidelines for the designation of
National Heritage Areas.

September 14

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Hearing on S. 309,
National Park Service Concessions Policy Reform Act of 1995, S. 964, to amend
the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 with respect to fees for
admission to units of the National Park System, and S. 1144, to reform and
enhance the management of the National Park Service.

September 19

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing in on H.R. 1129, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate
the route from Selma to Montgomery as a National Historic Trail.

September 26

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 194, to direct the Secretary of Interior to make matching
contributions toward the purchase of Sterling Forest in the State of New York;
H.R. 1256, to authorize the Secretary of Interior to provide funds to the
Palisades Interstate Park Commission for acquisition of land in the Sterling
Forest area of the New York/New Jersey Highlands Region.

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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