NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, April 27, 1999

INCIDENTS

99-141 - San Juan Island NHP (WA) - Oil Spill

Park staff and community emergency response personnel responded to a report
of an oil spill at South Beach in the park's American Camp unit shortly after
8 a.m. on April 22nd.  The oil, which apparently came ashore on the morning
high tide from the heavily trafficked Strait of Juan de Fuca, was
concentrated in the narrow band of kelp and tidal debris along a three-mile
stretch of the south shore of San Juan Island.  All of South Beach was
affected, as was a portion of nearby Lopez Island.  The heaviest amounts were
found on Washington Department of Natural Resources land east of the park. 
The Coast Guard and state Department of Ecology (DOE) offices were notified;
they had personnel at South Beach by early afternoon.  The Coast Guard
assumed the role of federal on-site coordinator and directed the clean-up,
which was done by trained Islands' Oil Spill Association (IOSA) volunteers. 
DOE collected a number of oil samples in hopes of obtaining a "fingerprint"
that would identify the responsible vessel, but both DOE and the Coast Guard
conceded that the prospect of finding the guilty party was slim.  An
estimated 70% of the oil was cleaned up by early evening on the 22nd, and
IOSA crews finished the cleanup by mid-afternoon on April 24th.   The
following day, IOSA crews monitoring South Beach found more fresh oil.  The
Coast Guard was again notified and authorized additional IOSA clean-up
activities.  Beach monitoring will continue for the next several days.  No
oiled birds were found and impacts to park lands and to marine and shoreline
natural communities appear to be minimal. [Bill Gleason, CR, SAJH, 4/26]  

99-142 - Dry Tortugas NPS (FL) - Wind Storm

A violent squall passed through the park on the afternoon of April 20th,
causing three boating accidents and grounding four other vessels - all of
them anchored in Garden Key Harbor.  Winds with gusts up to 80 mph ripped
sails, cabin canvas and sail covers, and scattered supplies and equipment
throughout the harbor.  One sailboat was hit so hard by alternate gusts that
the top of the mast touched the water and the deck became vertical as it
heeled over from one side to the other.  There were no injuries, but damage
to boats and equipment was estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000, with an
as-yet-undetermined amount of damage to soft and hard corals and sea grass. 
Both of the park's rangers and all four maintenance employees worked
throughout the storm to anchor all boats and thereby limit damage to both the
boats and to natural resources.  [Paul Taylor, SPR, DRTO, 4/20]

99-143 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - Drug Seizure; Dumping

On April 16th, a park visitor heard a splash near his rowing scull while
passing under the Whiskey Creek Bridge.  He looked about and found a pillow
case containing medical waste, opened and unopened vials of controlled
substances in a plastic bag, and syringes, needles and related items.  He
turned them in to rangers.  Inspection of the items produced leads to a local
hospital and a separate medical imaging facility.  Investigators learned that
there had been a burglary recently from the hospital's radiology department
and that some of the items found in the pillow case had been stolen.  A joint
investigation with Redding police is underway.  [Alan Foster, Acting CR,
WHIS, 4/22]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Sat      Sun    %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT     4/24     4/25  Con  Con

GA   Okefenokee NWR          Hickory Island   --   12,620   12,620   16  NR 

FL   Florida NFs             Apalachicola Cx  T1    9,389    9,389   85  4/25

TN   Cherokee NF             Stony Creek      --      240      240   75  4/24

CA   Fresno Kings RU         Panoche          --    1,500    1,500   NR  NR

                                  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; LSS =
            limited suppression strategy; CSS = containment suppression
            strategy
IMT         T1 = Type 1; 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; LPS = limited
            protection status

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Thursday, 4/22       0      9         4       0      343     22       378
Friday, 4/23         0     10         1       0      191     10       212
Saturday, 4/24       0      0         0       1       42     18        61
Sunday, 4/25         0      0         0       0      167     16       183

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Thursday, 4/22      50         66           5             0           259
Friday, 4/23         6          9           1             0            10 *
Saturday, 4/24      33         27           5             0           277
Sunday, 4/25        23         49          15             0           215

* Possibly partial reporting...

CURRENT SITUATION

Fire activity has moderated in the South.  Very high and extreme fire indices
are being reported in Louisiana, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.  [NICC
Incident Management Situation Report, 4/26]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

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, April 27

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Hearing on: 

o     S. 25 (Landrieu, LA), a bill to provide Coastal Impact Assistance to
      State and local governments, to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands
      Act Amendments of 1978, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of
      1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act, and the Federal Aid
      in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Pittman-
      Robertson Act) to establish a fund to meet the outdoor conservation and
      recreation needs of the American people, and for other purposes.
o     S. 446 (Boxer, CA), a bill to provide for the permanent protection of
      the resources of the United States in the year 2000 and beyond (see
      H.R. 798).
o     S. 532 (Feinstein, CA), a bill to provide increased funding for the
      Land and Water Conservation Fund and Urban Parks and Recreation
      Recovery Programs, to resume the funding to the State grants program of
      the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and to provide for the
      acquisition and development of conservation and recreation facilities
      and programs in urban areas (see H.R. 1118).

The hearing will be continued on May 4th.  Both hearings will be held at 9:30
a.m. in 366 Dirksen.

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands (Hansen):
Oversight hearing on issues pertaining to Everglades NP and surrounding areas
impacted by management of the Everglades.  The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in
1324 Longworth.

Wednesday, April 28

House Resources Committee (Young): Mark-up of:

o     H.R. 658 (Sweeney, NY), a bill to establish the Thomas Cole National
      Historic Site in the State of New York as an affiliated area of the
      National Park System (see also S. 140).
o     H.R. 659 (Weldon, PA), a bill to authorize appropriations for the
      protection of Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsylvania, to
      direct the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study of
      Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields, to authorize the Valley Forge Museum
      of the American Revolution at Valley Forge National Historical Park,
      and for other purposes (see S. 581).

Thursday, April 29

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic
Preservation, and Recreation (Thomas) and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
on Interior and Related Agencies (Gorton): Joint oversight hearing to review
the GAO report on the Everglades NP restoration project.  The hearing will be
held at 9:30 a.m. in 366 Dirksen.

House Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Information,
and Technology (Horn) and Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public
Buildings, Hazardous Materials and Pipeline Transportation (Frank): Joint
oversight hearing on Federal real property management issues.  The hearing
will be held at 10 a.m. in 2154 Rayburn.

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands (Hansen):
Mark-up of:

o     H.R. 791 (Gilchrest, MD), a bill to amend the National Trail System Act
      to designate the route of the War of 1812 British invasion of Maryland
      and Washington, District of Columbia, and the route of the American
      defense, for study for potential addition to the national trails system
      (see S. 441).
o     H.R. 834 (Hefley, CO), a bill to extend the authorization of the
      National Historic Preservation Fund.
o     H.R. 1104 (Sweeney, NY), a bill to authorize the Secretary of the
      Interior to transfer jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of
      the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site to the
      Archivist of the United States for the construction of a visitor
      center.

The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Saturday, May 1

House Resources Committee (Young): Field hearing on H.R. 883, to preserve the
sovereignty of the United States over public lands and acquired lands owned
by the United States, and to preserve state sovereignty and private property
rights in non-Federal lands surrounding those public lands and acquired
lands.  It will be in Rolla, Missouri. 

Monday, May 3

House Resources Committee (Young): Field hearing on:

o     H.R. 701, to provide Outer Continental Shelf Impact Assistance to State
      and local governments, to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund
      Act of 1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978, and
      the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act to establish a fund to meet
      the outdoor conservation and recreation needs of the American people.
o     H.R. 798, to provide for the permanent protection of the resources of
      the United States in the year 2000 and beyond.  

It will be in New Orleans, Louisiana.  

Tuesday, May 4

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Continuation of
April 27th hearing.

FLOOR ACTION

No votes scheduled.  

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

The following bills either directly or indirectly pertaining to the NPS have
been introduced since the last Morning Report listing of new legislation
(March 30th):

o     H.R. 1384 (Cannon, UT), a bill to authorize an interpretive center and
      related visitor facilities within the Four Corners Monument Tribal
      Park.
o     H.R. 1415 (Kennedy, RI), a bill to authorize appropriations for the
      Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Massachusetts and
      Rhode Island, and for other purposes. 
o     H.R. 1451 (LaHood, IL), a bill to establish the Abraham Lincoln
      Bicentennial Commission.  
o     H.R. 1480 (Shuster, PA), a bill to provide for the conservation and
      development of water and related resources, to authorize the United
      States Army Corps of Engineers to construct various projects for
      improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States, and for other
      purposes. 
o     H.R. 1487 (Hansen, UT), a bill to provide for public participation in
      the declaration of national monuments under the Act popularly known as
      the Antiquities Act of 1906. 
o     H.R. 1490 (Kolbe, AZ), a bill to authorize the Secretary of the
      Interior to set aside up to $2 per person from park entrance fees or
      assess up to $2 per person visiting the Grand Canyon or another
      national park to secure bonds for capital improvements to the park, and
      for other purposes. 
o     H.R. 1493 (Nussle, IA), a bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public
      Lands Management Act of 1996 to transfer Federal participation in the
      America's Agricultural Heritage Partnership in the State of Iowa to the
      Secretary of the Interior, and for other purposes.
o     H.R. 1500 (Hansen, UT), a bill to accelerate the wilderness designation
      process by establishing a timetable for the completion of wilderness
      studies on Federal Lands. 
o     H.R. 1509 (Johnson, TX), a bill to authorize the Disabled Veterans'
      LIFE Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of
      Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled while
      serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. 
o     S. 776 (Grassley, IA), a bill to authorize the National Park Service to
      conduct a feasibility study for the preservation of the Loess Hills in
      western Iowa.
o     S. 780 (Harkin, IA), a bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands
      Management Act of 1996 to provide for the participation of the
      Secretary of the Interior in the America's Agricultural Heritage
      Partnership.
o     S. 819 (Graham, FL), a bill to provide funding for the National Park
      System from outer Continental Shelf revenues. 
o     S. 826 (Thomas, WY), a bill to limit the acquisition by the United
      States of land located in a State in which 25 percent or more of the
      land in that State is owned by the United States ("No Net Loss of
      Private Lands Act").
o     S. 831  (McCain, AZ), a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
      to set aside up to $2 per person from park entrance fees or assess up
      to $2 per person visiting the Grand Canyon or other national park to
      secure bonds for capital improvements to the park ("National Parks
      Capital Improvements Act of 1999").

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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