NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Wednesday, October 4, 1995

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

93-117 - Coulee Dam (Washington) - Follow-up on Drowning

On September 29th, rangers responded to a visitor report of a body washed
ashore along the Spokane River.  Preliminary investigation indicates that it
may be that of C.M., 41, who apparently fell out of a boat into the
lake in March, 1993.  There were no witnesses to the incident, and efforts to
recover the body at that time proved unsuccessful due to the water's depth (in
excess of 200 feet).  Dental records will be provided to a forensic dentist in
an effort to positively identify the body.  Foul play is not indicated.  [Gil
Goodrich, CR, CODA]

95-620 - Virgin Islands - Follow-up on Hurricane Marilyn

A ton and a half of supplies and materials was shipped to the islands
yesterday.  Two roofs were repaired on buildings at the sewage treatment plant
on St. John.  Water at park beaches on St. John has been tested and found to be
within accepted coliform levels.  Not all are open, however, due to the
accumulation of debris from the storm.  The IMT received nearly 140 cards,
letters and messages of support from 4th and 5th grade classes at Islands
Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia, and will bring them to a meeting with
park employees today.  The IMT anticipates that there will be some future
resource requests for maintenance specialists, but no need for large crews of
carpenters and laborers.  The latter are being hired locally, so there will be
no demands on parks for such assistance.  [Kent Cave, IO, IMT]

95-653 - Gulf Coast Parks - Follow-up on Hurricane Opal

A hurricane watch has been posted for the Gulf Coast from Morgan City,
Louisiana, to the mouth of the Suwanee River in Florida.  The Category IV
hurricane will likely come ashore later today.  Preparations for its arrival
have been completed where necessary:

* Gulf Islands - Park staff in both the Mississippi and Florida Districts
began making preparations yesterday for the hurricane's arrival.  The
offshore islands in the former were evacuated at 1 p.m. yesterday; all
areas in the latter were shut down by 3 p.m.  All employees have been
released to make storm preparations at their homes.  The ICS team will
assess conditions this morning, then take further actions as necessary.

* Jean Laffite - The park remains closed and all employees are on
administrative leave.

A Chesapeake/Allegheny Cluster ARM team (Skip Brooks, IC) has been put on alert
if needed at either park.  [Skip Prange, IC, Florida District IMT, GUIS; Steve
Hickman, IC, JELA; Steve Smith, SEFO]

95-661 - Alaska Field Area (Alaska) - Death of Employee

T.D.J., 35, a supply clerk in the Alaska SSO, died yesterday
morning from injuries received in an automobile accident in Anchorage.  He is
survived by his parents and three children.  Details regarding services are
pending.  [Marcia Blaszak, AFO]

95-662 - Natchez Trace (Mississippi/Alabama/Tennessee) - Drug Seizure

On October 2nd, ranger Robert Perryman came upon an abandoned motor home which
had apparently been involved in a motor vehicle accident.  A search around the
area led to the discovery of a package which was wrapped in a manner consistent
with wrapping methods employed by drug smugglers.  Perryman contacted the
county sheriff and requested a canine unit.  A search of the motor home and
surrounding area yielded 28 packages of marijuana sealed in duct tape;
together, they weighed almost 500 pounds and had an estimated street value of
between $500,000 and $1,000,000.  The driver, G.P., 60, was
subsequently located and arrested.  A joint investigation of the incident is
underway.  [Tim Francis, ACR, NATR]

95-663 - Big Thicket (Texas) - Search in Progress

The park received a report of an overdue hunter on October 2nd.  The hunter, a
67-year-old man who is unfamiliar with the park's terrain and lacks outdoor
experience, failed to return from an expedition into the Lance Rosier Unit. 
Rangers began a search of the area, and were joined by county deputies in the
early hours yesterday morning.  Searchers are employing ATVs and horses to
search the area where he was last seen.  [Bob Valen, BITH]

95-664 - Roosevelt-Vanderbilt (New York) - Special Event

The Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Association held its annual awards ceremony at
Eleanor Roosevelt NHS on October 1st.  Among the award recipients and in
attendance was First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.  The park's staff was
augmented by an all-risk team and rangers from the New England Cluster, Park
Police officers from Gateway, and staff from the Education and Visitor Services
Branch of New England SSO.  Rangers and Park Police officers joined Secret
Service officers in providing security for the event.  There were no unusual
incidents.  The Secret Service recognized the NPS for excellent planning and
for the efforts of NPS employees during the event.  The Roosevelt Library,
located adjacent to FDR's home, will be the site of a meeting between President
Clinton and President Yeltsin on October 23rd.  It's anticipated that an all
risk/SET response will be required for that event.  [John Lynch, NESSO]

                    [Additional reports tomorrow....]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level I

The national preparedness level has dropped one step.  

2) SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT/FIRE SUMMARY

                                                   Tues     Wed   %   Est
State    Area            Fire/Incident      IMT    10/3     10/4 Con  Con  

 CA   Marin County     * Mt. Vision         ST1       -      700   20  NEC

 VI   St. Thomas/St. John    "     "         IMT  NPS team - repair, support
 
 AK   Anchorage          River flooding      T1   Damage assessment, relief
      Soldotna               "     "         T2   Damage assessment, relief
      Seward                 "     "         T2   Damage assessment, relief

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            0       0        1       0        47        6         53 
Acres Burned      0       0        0       0       262        2        264

4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -

               Crews     Engines     Helicopters     Airtankers     Overhead

Federal          1           0            1               3            148
Non-federal      7          30            2               4            199

5) SITUATION - Fire activity increased in California yesterday, requiring the
mobilization of a state Type I team.  Little fire activity is occurring
anywhere else in the nation.

6) OUTLOOK - A fire weather watch has been posted for strong northeasterly
winds this afternoon in the coast ranges of central California.  Strong east
winds and low relative humidities are expected.  Moderate activity is expected
to continue in California.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/4]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Wind Cave (South Dakota) - Bison Roundup

On September 18th and 19th, the park conducted its annual bison roundup.  The
goal was to live capture as many bison as possible, then to weigh, measure, and
vaccinate them, test them for brucellosis, and remove excess animals.  The herd
is managed for between 300 and 350 head; reductions are made from the yearling
age class.  Over the two-day period, about half of the park's bison were driven
by helicopter into a sorting corral.  Overcast weather conditions reduced
flight time and made it difficult to drive animals.  Even with the bad weather,
the park was able to meet its bison reduction goal of 65 animals.  Excess
animals were transferred to three Native American tribes in South Dakota and
Nebraska and to the Tennessee Valley Authority in Kentucky.  [Dave Kenney,
WICA]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

MEMORANDA

"Revised Procedures for Operation Opportunity", signed September 22nd by Deputy
Director Reynolds and transmitted yesterday to all areas.  The text follows:

"Operation Opportunity has been an extremely successful component of our
efforts to reduce central office staffing levels. To date, more than 200
central office employees have been placed in vacant park positions. The
National Leadership Council reviewed our reorganization staffing strategy and
determined that both our current hiring restrictions and Operation Opportunity
needed to be updated to allow the National Park Service to continue to
restructure central offices in as efficient and effective manner as possible.
Current hiring restrictions were described in a memorandum dated August 30,
1995. This memorandum describes modifications to Operation Opportunity.  A
separate memorandum will communicate these changes to all employees. 
Procedures covering fund transfers when employees move between central offices
are being developed and will be distributed as soon as they are approved.
     
"The following changes to Operation Opportunity are effective immediately:

1) Registration for Operation Opportunity is no longer required.  Vacancies
and instructions regarding application procedures will be posted weekly
on the Restructuring Bulletin Board as well as sent to each central
office employee via cc:Mail.

2) Employees from central offices above their FY 1999 FTE ceilings and their
permanent NPS employee spouses are eligible to apply for jobs through
Operation Opportunity. Only these employees are considered to be
Operation Opportunity eligible.  For the purposes of meeting FTE targets,
central offices are grouped under the Field or Associate Director to whom
they ultimately report with the exception of the Accounting Operations
Center, which is considered to be below its FTE target.
     
3) Authority to fill positions non-competitively through Operation
Opportunity has been expanded to include central offices below their FY
1999 FTE ceilings.
     
4) All permanent General Schedule positions, with the exception of those
subject to the central office hiring freeze which are being recruited
internally, must be advertised through Operation Opportunity. These
positions may also be advertised through the merit promotion process
using the Automated Vacancy Announcement Distribution System (AVADS). 
Although employees cannot apply for a promotion through Operation
Opportunity,  they can through AVADS.  In accordance with the hiring
freeze, candidates from central offices above their FY 1999 FTE ceilings
are the only candidates who can be hired without higher level approval.   
 
5) When a park or a central office below their FY 1999 FTE target fills a
buyout position with an Operation Opportunity eligible employee within
the same fiscal year that the buyout occurred, funding will be
transferred to cover the cost of the selected employee's salary and
benefits through the end of the fiscal year. This transfer occurs for
central office employees selected either through Operation Opportunity or
AVADS. If, at the beginning of the fiscal year following the buyout, an
Operation Opportunity eligible employee has not been hired for the buyout
position, the WASO Budget Office will withhold base funding in the amount
of the salary and benefits of the buyout position.  When an Operation
Opportunity eligible employee is subsequently hired, the withheld funding
will be restored.
     
6) When Operation Opportunity eligible employees transfer to field positions
or to central office positions in offices that are below their FY 1999
FTE ceilings, they receive indefinite pay retention if they accept a
lower graded position.  The difference in salary and benefits between the
last incumbent and the selectee is transferred to the receiving office as
a base adjustment.  For subsequent moves of central office employees who
have been granted pay retention, the gaining office will be responsible
for funding any remaining pay  retention. 
     
7) Parks with buyout vacancies can reassign the buyout designation to any
vacant position that they intend to fill with an Operation Opportunity
eligible candidate.  Funding will be transferred to cover pay retention
for employees accepting downgrades as described above.
     
8) 'Chain' moves may be established in order to receive 'credit' for a
buyout position. The end product of a chain move must be the placement of
someone from a central office above its FY 1999 FTE ceiling or the
permanent NPS employee spouse of a central office transferee into a
position in a park or a central office below its FY 1999 FTE ceiling.
     
9) Operation Opportunity will terminate on September 30, 1996. Both the
authority to grant pay retention and the funding of the pay differential
by WASO for employees who accept a downgrade after September 30, 1996
will also terminate on this date.    
     
"The following change to the August 30, 1995 memorandum on hiring 
controls is also effective immediately:
     
1) For all other areas and offices, positions may be filled with  permanent
NPS employees from central offices above their FY 1999 FTE ceiling with
no outside approval.  The intent is for employees in  offices above their
FY 1999 ceiling to maintain OPOP eligibility regardless of whether
their office is below its current year FTE ceiling and not to require
higher level approval for any office selecting employees from these
offices.

"These procedures may seem unnecessarily limiting and cumbersome, but they are
designed for one purpose:  to extend as much job security as organizationally
feasible to our current employees while still carrying out the missions of the
National Park Service and accomplishing our restructuring goals. During the
summer of 1996, the National Leadership Council will assess our progress in
achieving central office FTE targets to see if additional measures are needed
to meet our goals.  
     
"Central office supervisors and managers can help by encouraging employees to
review their career goals in light of the new organizational and budget
realities and seriously consider new opportunities as they arise.  
     
"Field area supervisors and managers can help by focusing more on employee
potential and less on specific job experiences than they may have in the past. 
All supervisors and managers should be familiar with the incentives such as
offering relocation bonuses and providing training money to employees, which
are available, at the discretion of the managers involved, to encourage
movement to field positions."

OBSERVATIONS

Today's entry was sent by Patrick Hattaway (Grand Canyon) and was taken from
the Yosemite Association's fall, 1995, newsletter:

"National parks are not playgrounds, nor theme parks, but sanctuaries, meant to
be forever; they are priceless time capsules for tomorrow that we are
privileged to know and enjoy today.  By that I mean a national park is ideally
suited to exercise the body in a test with nature, stimulate the mind with new
learning, and challenge the spirit, the spirit of the individual to connect
with something larger than himself or herself, and more lasting than all the
mechanization of life and work at home." 
 
                                   Dr. Michael Frome, from presentation
                                   given at Northwest Wilderness and
                                   Parks Conference 

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
SkyPager:  Emergencies ONLY: 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843