NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, May 12, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-198 - Arches NP (UT) - Falling Fatality

On May 6th, 23-year-old A.M. was on a group hike in the Delicate
Arch area when other members of the group noted that he was missing.  A
search was begun immediately and he was spotted at the base of a 150-foot
cliff.  The location was inaccessible, though, so group members were unable
to reach him.  Rangers and the county short-haul team responded via foot and
helicopter and determined that A.M. had suffered fatal injuries in the
fall.  His body was removed from the location by a helicopter using a long
line.  The circumstances surrounding the fall are being investigated by
rangers and county authorities.  [Jim Webster, CR, ARCH, 5/11]

98-199 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Falling Fatality

S.F., 48, of Glendale, California, was on a one-day concession mule
trip on Friday, May 8th, when the group stopped for a lunch break at Plateau
Point.  During the stop, S.F. fell from the point, landing 500 feet below. 
The fall was unwitnessed and an investigation is currently underway into the
cause.  This is the second falling fatality to occur in the park this year. 
[Mallory Smith, MA, GRCA, 5/11]

                    [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                      Sun     Mon    %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT      5/9     5/10  Con  Con

FL   Florida NFs             Boogy Jordan     --      670      675   90  5/12
TX   State                 * Camp Wood Hill   --        -    5,000   NR  NEC

Heading Notes

Unit      Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
          or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
          district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire      * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT       T1 = Type I; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con     Percent of fire contained
Est Con   Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
          containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Friday, 5/8          1      0         1       0       47      3        52
Saturday, 5/9        0      0         0       0       11      2        13
Sunday, 5/10         1      0         0       0        5     16        22
Monday, 5/11         1     22         0       0       39      6        68

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Friday, 5/8         21         29           3             2            57
Saturday, 5/9        8         15           1             0            10
Sunday, 5/10        11         18           1             0            10
Monday, 5/11         6          5           8             0             9

CURRENT SITUATION

Only minor initial attack activity was reported yesterday.  Very high and
extreme fire indices were reported in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, New Mexico
and Arizona.  

NICC has posted two FIRE WEATHER WATCHES - one for low relative humidity in
Florida, the other for strong southwest winds and low fuel moisture in areas
below 5,000 feet in eastern Arizona.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 5/12]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Fire Medical Exams - The Fire Management Program Center had developed new
fire medical evaluation standards in conjunction with the Forest Service,
Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM and BIA.  These standards should be in place
by early 1999.  Until that time, parks should continue to use the SF-78
(Certificate for Medical Exam) for fire medical examinations.  Completed SF-
78s for fire management personnel should be retained in the park. 
Instructions on when to convert over to the new DOI form will be sent when
the new standards and process are in place.  [Paul Broyles, FMPC, Boise]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

EXCHANGE

No entries.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming weeks
on matters pertaining to the National Park Service or kindred agencies.  For
inquiries regarding legislation pertaining to the NPS, please contact the
main office at 202-208-5883/5656 and ask to be forwarded to the appropriate
legislative specialist.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

Tuesday, May 12

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Hearing on
H.R. 3109, to establish the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in the state
of New York, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1390, to authorize the
government of Indiana to establish a memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi in the
District of Columbia.

Thursday, May 14

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation: Hearing on S. 1693, the Vision 2020 National
Parks Restoration Act, Title IX (commercial filming in national parks) and
Title X (capital improvement project bond demonstration program); and S.
1614, "a bill to require a permit for the making of motion picture,
television program, or other form of commercial visual depiction in a unit of
the National Park System or National Wildlife Refuge System."

Tuesday, May 19

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Mark-up of
H.J. Res. 113, to approve the location of a Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
in the Nation's Capitol; H.R. 2223, to amend the act popularly known as the
Recreation and Public Purposes Act to authorize transfers of certain public
lands or national forest lands to local education agencies for use for
elementary or secondary schools, including public charter schools, and for
other purposes; H.R. 2776, to amend the Morristown NHP enabling legislation
to authorize the acquisition of the Warren property; and H.R. 3047, to
authorize the expansion of Fort Davis NHS by 16 acres.

FLOOR ACTION

No action scheduled on NPS legislation.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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

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