NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, September 1, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-541 - North Cascades NP (WA) - Rescue

P.M., 42, of Watertown, Connecticut, fell while leading a climb of
the east ridge of Forbidden Peak on August 26th and suffered open fractures
of his left tibia and fibula and bleeding wounds to his face and scalp.  A
partner hiked out and reported the accident.  A contract helicopter from
Hiline Helicopters lowered rangers Kelly Bush and Doc Livingston to a point
near the site.  They assessed and treated the injuries and prepared P.M.
for an airlift via Firewood Two, a rescue helicopter from Whidbey NAS. 
P.M. was lifted via two hauls to the Marblemount ranger station just
before dark, then taken by ambulance to Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount
Vernon.  [Galen Stark, NOCA, 8/26]

98-542 - Richmond NB (VA) - Burglary

Sometime between 5:20 p.m. on August 24th and 7:30 a.m. on August 25th,
someone shattered the glass on the front door of the Chimborazo visitor
center with a four-by-four-inch wooden post, then entered and stole the
park's donation box.  The building's alarm system did not go off because the
door contacts were not separated; the hallway motion detector did not pick up
anyone adjacent to the doors near the site of the donation box.  The box was
later recovered in a nearby alley.  An estimated $500 was inside the box at
the time of the theft.  The case is being jointly investigated by rangers and
city police.  [Tim Mauch, Acting CR, RICH, 8/27]

98-543 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Arson Fire in Historic Structure

On August 9th, rangers responded to a report of smoke emanating from the
ranch house at Dos Lomitas, a historic structure on the Camino de dos
Republicas Road.  They found that the fire had caused severe structural
damage to three of the building's four rooms and to the outside ramada.  Dos
Lomitas is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Costs for
stabilization and repair of the structure have been estimated at $50,000. 
Neither the identity of the arsonist nor the exact time the fire was begun
have yet been determined.  [Susan Hughes, PR, ORPI, 8/28]

98-544 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Structural Fire

One of the park's seasonal residences burned down in the early hours of
Wednesday, August 26th.  It was unoccupied at the time.  A passing motorist
saw the flames and reported the fire.  The building, known as the Mill Creek
house, was an old, two-bedroom farm house located about a mile from the
Pruitt ranger station off Highway 7.  A state arson dog and handler were
called in to investigate; although the dog alerted at several points inside
the house, there's no way to determine how long the scent had been there. 
Samples were collected and sent to the state crime lab for analysis. 
Evaluation of the electrical service panel suggests severe electrical arcing
inside the box - sufficient to burn a hole in the panel door.  The value of
the house has been placed at approximately $30,000.  [Bob Howard, LES, BUFF,
8/28; Bruce Cunningham, RLES, MWRO, 8/31]

98-545 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Marijuana Cultivation

On August 25th, resource management staff and members of a contract crew
working on park property west of Muir Woods NM found a possible marijuana
site.  Rangers found three separate plots with a total of 59 plants.  Since
the location was known to contract crew members, the plants were removed and
various cultivation tools and other items found within the area were seized
as evidence.  The potential street value of the marijuana has been estimated
at $88,500.  [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 8/27]

                       [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Sun      Mon    %  Est
State      Unit             Fire/Incident     IMT    8/30     8/31  Con Con

MT   Bitterroot NF          West Fork Fires   FUT   1,763    2,245    0 NEC
     State                  Greer Gulch       T2      125      156  100 CND 
                          * Bradshaw          --        -      600  UNK NEC
     Blackfeet Agency       Blackfeet Cx      T2      600    1,115   NR NEC

ID   Nez Perce NF           Moose Cx          FUT     538    1,270    0 NEC
     Salmon-Challis NF      Laid Low          T2    2,750    3,032   50 9/12
                            Main Salmon Cx    FUT  11,882   12,883    0 10/15
     Boise District       * Third             --        -    2,500   60 9/1

WA   State                  Jordan Creek      --      320      320   15 NEC

CA   Inyo NF                Tom               T2    3,200    3,200  100 CND 
     Lake Napa RU           Middle            ST    2,000    3,000   40 9/1
     Riverside RU         * Juniper           --        -    3,000    0 NEC
                          * Weirick           --        -    4,000    0 NEC
     San Diego RU         * Wildcat           --        -      400    0 NEC
     Kern County          * Yankee            --        -    1,000    0 NEC

NV   Elko District          Black Mountain    --   12,000    9,900   50 9/2
                            Alpha             --    1,000    2,200   60 9/1
                          * Dry Gulch II      --        -    1,700  100 CND
      
FL   State                * Canal             --        -      550   90 8/31
                  
                                  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; FUT = Interagency
            Fire Use Management Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown
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, 8/28         1      3         7       1       98     34       144
Saturday, 8/29       1      4         8       2      100     36       151
Sunday, 8/30        10      4        48       0       86     65       213
Monday, 8/31        22      6        19       2      163     66       278

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Friday, 8/28        59        209          59             4           529
Saturday, 8/29      70        242          77             5           420
Sunday, 8/30       126        323          72            13           719
Monday, 8/31       209        491          99            15           693

CURRENT SITUATION

Initial attack activity and large fire activity increased significantly in
southern California yesterday.

Very high and extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in Texas, Arizona,
New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming,
Montana and South Dakota.

No fire watches or warnings have been posted for today.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/1]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Narrowband Digital Radio Contracts - The long-awaited award of the DOI
contracts for narrowband digital radios has been announced.  All federal
government radio systems must be converted to narrowband operations within
the next decade - all VHF systems by January 1, 2005, and all UHF systems by
January 1, 2008.  The number of discrete channels available for assignment
will basically double after the transition has been completed.  This will
permit the government to meet expanding radio system requirements and reduce
the chances for radio interference between VHF and UHF systems.  The
contracts will be used to purchase VHF/UHF multi-mode narrowband radio
equipment for several government agencies.  The five contracts are as
follows:

o     EF Johnson/Transcrypt - Portable radios, associated software, training
      and peripherals.
o     Racal Communications, Inc. - Portable radios, associated software,
      training and peripherals.
o     Motorola, Inc. - Base stations, mobile radios, portable radios,
      repeater stations, remote controls, training, associated software and
      peripherals.
o     RELM Communications, Inc. - Portable radios, associated software,
      training and peripherals.
o     IDA Corporation - Remote controls and associated software.

The contracts are of the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity type and
may be used by any federal agency.  [Frank Weed, Chief, Radio Frequency
Management, NPS]

MEMORANDA

"Service Review of Revised NPS Research and Collecting Permit System," signed
last week by the associate director for natural resource stewardship and
science and sent to all regional and associate directors.  A reply is due by
September 18th.  The memorandum and the seven attachments referred to in the
text have been posted on the natural resource and curatorial bulletin boards. 
The text of the memo follows:

"I request that you review the attached package for a proposed Servicewide
research and collecting permit process and provide me your comments by
September 18, 1998.  A 15-person Research and Collecting Permit Review Team
drawn from park and support office staff of five NPS regions and two WASO
directorates developed this package.
     
"This package of material proposes a new format by which the Service will
manage scientific research and collecting of specimens in parks.  The new
format fulfills NPS requirements and complies with requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).  It helps park managers confront new
challenges with respect to potential commercial products derived from
research specimens.  It provides Servicewide consistency and efficiency in
managing research and collecting permits and highlights the proper management
and tracking of natural and cultural specimens.
     
"Once I have received and addressed your comments, I will submit a revised
package for formal NLC review and approval, will submit the proposed
Director's Order to the NPS Policy Office for formal Service review; will
obtain official NPS form numbers for the Research and Collecting Permit
Application, Research and Collecting Permit, and Investigator's Annual
Report; and will submit the research permit application form, the
Investigator's Annual Report form, and accompanying materials to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) to request an OMB number in accordance with
Paperwork Reduction Act regulations.
     
"Please review the attached package of documents and provide me your comments
by September 18.  Should you have questions about this material, please
contact Tim Goddard (970-225-3543) or John Dennis (202-208-5193)."

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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