NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Wednesday, October 25, 1995

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

95-699 - Voyageurs (Minnesota) - Burglary Indictment

On July 6th, four use-and-occupancy lease cabins in the park were burglarized. 
District ranger Larry Johnson took reports from park visitors on a houseboat
and was able to use the information they provided to identify a suspect who had
been camped nearby.  The suspect, W.H., had just been released from
jail; when contacted, he said that he was in the park in an effort to "get my
life back together."  A three-count second-degree burglary indictment was filed
against W.H. by a grand jury in International Falls, and he was subsequently
arrested by U.S. marshalls in Minneapolis.  A court appearance is pending. 
[CRO, VOYA]

95-700 - Delaware Water Gap (Pennsylvania/New Jersey) - Accidental Shooting

K.E.A. and A.F. were hunting in the park on October 21st
when they stopped to field dress some squirrels they'd taken.  When a flight of
ducks approached, K.E.A. picked up his shotgun by its pistol grip; the trigger
caught on some brush, the weapon discharged, and the pellets struck A.F. on
the lower front portion of his right leg.  They were able to report the
incident at park headquarters, where an ambulance picked up A.F. and
transported him to a local hospital.  K.E.A. told investigating ranger Chuck
Kanopsic that the safety on the shotgun was not on at the time of the incident. 
[CRO, DEWA]

FIRE ACTIVITY

Follow-up on the Mount Vision Fire at Point Reyes - The fire burned a total of
12,354 acres, about 14% of the park.  Nearly 10,000 acres was in a designated
wilderness area.  Firefighting costs through last week exceeded $5.6 million,
including fire suppression damage and projected long-term rehabilitation.  The
burn area will remain closed until the area has been determined to be safe for
visitors; current hazards include falling trees and limbs, smoldering material,
and trails damaged by heavy equipment.  The Northern District reopened on
October 10th, and the Bear Valley visitor center and very southern portion of
the park reopened this past weekend.  A comprehensive report by the Burned Area
Emergency Rehab (BAER) team has been completed and submitted to the field
office and Boise for review.  It addresses damage to cultural resources and
recommended rehabilitation measures for natural resources affected by the fire. 
[Don Neubacher, PORE]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Craters of the Moon (Idaho) - Mammoth Bones Discovered

An archeological survey crew from Hagerman Fossil Beds discovered mammoth bones
this summer in an old dump at Craters of the Moon.  The bones were found
directly under some historic trash in the dump; it was first thought that they
were purposefully dumped there, but further examination revealed that at least
some of the bones were still articulated.  This is the first recorded discovery
of mammoth remains in the park - and the first paleontological find at Craters
of the Moon.  The park hopes to excavate the bones next summer.  [Chris Force,
CRMO]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) Uniform Ordering - Each year, R&R Uniforms closes down for several weeks at
the end of the fiscal year in order to close out past fiscal year accounts,
conduct inventory, enter new fiscal year accounts, and otherwise transition
between fiscal years.  Normally, that close down occurs in September.  This
year, however, it appeared likely that the budget impasse would result in a
delay in funding for FY 96; we therefore decided to move the close down period
from September to October, when it was probable that we would not be able to
begin operations anyway.  Information on this arrangement was disseminated to
all park uniform program administrators on July 24th and again on September
1st.  As it turned out, a continuing resolution (CR) was passed and is in
effect.  There is nothing in the CR that prohibits us from resuming program
operations as soon as the transition is completed, which we hope will be within
the week.  The most significant matter which still must be resolved is the
conversion of R&R's database from the old org code system to the one instituted
on October 1st.  This is requiring a considerable reprogramming effort, as all
15,000 uniform accounts are organized and managed according to org codes.  No
ordering can take place until the conversion and other transition activities
are completed.  A note will appear in the Morning Report when that occurs. 
[Bill Halainen, RAD/WASO @ DEWA]

2) Incident Reporting - Now and then, we receive queries from the field asking
why no account of a particular incident appeared in the Morning Report.  These
queries often pertain to special events, such as the several recently received
in Ranger Activities regarding the dearth of reports on the Million Man March. 
The Morning Report includes those incidents which are submitted to Ranger
Activities.  If there is no submission, as was the case here, then there's no
entry in the Morning Report.  We are dependent on parks and field offices for
all incident reports.  [Rick Gale, RAD/WASO]

OBSERVATIONS

"Years ago, coal miners carried canaries with them into the mines to detect
lethal gases.  Today, our national parks are our ecological canaries."

                                        Director George Hartzog, "Battling
                                        for the National Parks", 1988

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


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