NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, October 17, 1995

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

95-684 - Yosemite (California) - Employee Abducted, Assaulted

On the afternoon of Friday, October 13th, a female park employee was abducted
from Yosemite Valley and assaulted near the trailhead parking area for May
Lake, about two miles off the Tioga Road.  She was able to escape from her
attacker, subsequently identified as P.L., 56, of San Francisco, and
called 911 from a nearby pay phone.  P.L. fled the scene on foot with the
victim's park radio, a stun gun, a hand gun, and, possibly, a long gun; he left
his personal belongings behind.  Rangers were quickly dispatched to all
trailheads and Tioga Road was closed to all traffic.  Roadblocks were
established at park exits, and all departing vehicles were searched.  The
Pacific West Field Area's all risk incident management team (IMT) was
dispatched to the park, and a SET team and additional law enforcement resources
were requested from other parks and agencies.  The IMT arrived in the park
early on Saturday and began the process of clearing the May Lake area of all
backcountry campers, providing for visitor safety, and facilitating the
intensive investigation of the assault and the search for P.L..  Investigators
learned that P.L. has an extensive criminal history of assaults and rapes and
that he has spent most of his adult life in prison.  P.L.'s record makes him a
candidate for life imprisonment under "three strikes" repeat offender
provisions; he told his probation officer that he would not go back to prison. 
Investigation also revealed that P.L. had been employed by the park
concessioner in the early 1980s and therefore had knowledge of the park and its
trails.  Late on Saturday, two backcountry hikers reported that equipment and
food had been stolen from their campsite that afternoon.  Available evidence
indicated that P.L. was heading for Yosemite Valley, so rangers and other
officers were moved from the Tioga Road corridor to the Valley and rim area
above Yosemite Falls trail.  Roadblocks were maintained throughout the weekend,
and traffic was delayed up to four hours on Sunday afternoon.  No sign of P.L.
was found.  By early Monday morning, the likelihood of finding him had
diminished to the point where a decision was made to turn the incident back
over to the park.  The SET team remained, however.  Another assessment of the
situation will be made early tomorrow to determine what course of action to
take.  At the peak of the incident, 122 people and two helicopters were
assigned to the incident.  [CRO, YOSE]

95-685 - Yosemite (California) - Car Clout/Bike Theft Arrest

Numerous car clouts and thefts of bicycles from vehicle racks occurred in the
park this summer.  The MO was the same in each case - windows were broken out,
locks punched out, and cable locks cut and removed while vehicles were parked
overnight.  Yellowstone and Grand Canyon had similar incidents over the summer. 
A suspect was identified when a camper informed rangers that an unidentified
woman had told her that "Jetson" was stealing property in Yosemite.  That name
was known to investigators in Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. 
J.D., a criminal with a long history of arrests in California, Texas
and Idaho, was a suspect in thefts that occurred at Grand Canyon in 1992, and
had been convicted of car clouts in Yellowstone and Grand Teton in 1993.  He
had served time in federal prison, and was released in September of 1994.  On
October 7th, a Volkswagen Vanagon pop-up camper was stolen from a lot in
Yosemite Valley.  Two days later, rangers found another Vanagon, this one
abandoned and missing its license plates, VIN (vehicle identification number)
plate and ignition switch.  It was eventually traced to Texas and to its
owner - J.D.  It appeared that J.D. had stolen the matching vehicle
and replaced the plates, VIN and ignition with those from his vehicle.  That
same night, four more bicycles were stolen from car racks in the valley.  On
October 12th, entrance station personnel spotted J.D. entering the park in the
stolen van.  He was stopped and arrested by patrol rangers.  A search of the
Vanagon led to the discovery of property taken in two Yosemite car clouts.  The
investigation is continuing.  If you have had thefts or car clouts with similar
Mos in your area, please contact criminal investigator Dan Horner at 209-372-
0614.  [CRO, YOSE]

95-686 - Yosemite (California) - Rescue

On October 6th, B.J.M., 27, a Korean national, fell while climbing the
Nose route on El Capitan.  B.J.M. and his partner, M.Y.S., did not call for
assistance until early the next morning, when park personnel working at the
commercial bus safety inspection area heard cries for help.  Communications
were established via PA system, but were hindered by the climbers' limited
knowledge of English.  Other climbers on the Nose route moved to their
location, assessed their injuries, and advised rangers that B.J.M. had suffered
possible back, ankle and wrist injuries.  Park SAR personnel and a helicopter
from Lemoore NAS responded.  Climbing ranger and paramedic Keith Lober and a
rescue team were taken to the top of El Capitan.  Lober was then lowered to the
victim.  He provided medical aid and packaged B.J.M. in a split.  B.J.M. was
subsequently hoisted from the Camp 5 ledge and short-hauled to El Capitan
Meadow.  He was treated for ankle and wrist fractures at the park clinic, then
released.  [CRO, YOSE]

                [Additional pending reports tomorrow...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Wolf Update

All wolves in the Rose Creek group left the pen there last week and were last
seen about two miles east of the area on Friday.  The yearling male from the
Crystal group was still with them.  The Soda Butte and Crystal groups were
along northern borders of the park.  [Marsha Karle, YELL]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) Gypsy Moths - The NPS is participating in a survey for the use of Gypchek, a
product manufactured in limited amounts by the Forest Service which is the
Service's preferred management tool for gypsy moth suppression.  Gypchek is
specific to gypsy moth larvae and does not affect any other lepidopterans (moth
and butterfly larvae).  The active ingredient is NPV (nucleopolyhedral virus),
which occurs naturally in gypsy moth populations in small amounts.  Gypchek
application causes gypsy moth larval mortality and protects trees from
defoliation.  If your park is involved in gypsy moth suppression or used
Gypchek in 1995, please advise Carol DiSalvo in WASO via cc:Mail before
November 1st.  She would like to know how many acres you treated in 1995 and
how many your have scheduled for 1996.  This information is very important to
insure the availability of Gypchek in the future.  [Carol DiSalvo, IPM, WASO]

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.

October 17

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Markup of H.R. 1838, to provide for an exchange of lands with the Water
Conservancy District of Washington County, Utah; H.R. 1163, to authorize the
exchange of NPS land at Fire Island NS for land in the Village of Patchogue,
Suffolk County, NY; H.R. 826, to extend the deadline for the completion of
certain land exchanges involving Big Thicket NP; H.R. 1129, to amend the
National Trails System Act to designate the route from Selma to Montgomery as a
National Historic Trail.

October 24

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 1342, to provide for conveyance of certain lands within the
Cook Inlet region in Alaska, for reconveyance to village corporations under the
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

October 26

Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation (Campbell): Hearing on S. 231, to modify the
boundaries of Walnut Canyon NM; S. 342, to establish the Cache La Poudre River
National Water Heritage Area; S. 364, to authorize the Secretary to participate
in the operation of certain visitor facilities associated with, but outside the
boundaries of, Rocky Mountain NP; S. 509, to authorize the Secretary to enter
into agreement with the town of Grand Lake, Colorado, to authorize the town to
maintain a cemetery within Rocky Mountain NP; S. 608, to establish New Bedford
Whaling NHP in New Bedford, MA.

November 2

Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation (Campbell): Hearing on S. 873, to establish the
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor; S. 944, to provide for the
establishment of the Ohio River Corridor Study Commission; S. 945, to amend the
Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor Act of 1984 to modify the
boundaries of the corridor; S. 1020, to establish the Augusta Canal National
Heritage Area in Georgia; S. 1110, to establish guidelines for the designation
of National Heritage Areas; S. 1190, to establish the Ohio and Erie Canal
National Heritage Corridor in Ohio.

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


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