5.0   HARPERS FERRY CENTER

5.1   Media Inventory - Dale Hatfield

      The audio-visual portion of the Servicewide interpretive media
      inventory, begun over a year ago, has been completed.  All parks have
      responded.  The other three components of the inventory - wayside
      exhibits, exhibits, and historic furnishings - were begun at the same
      time via an introductory memo in February.  To date, 33 parks - about
      nine percent of the total - have responded to the survey.  HFC has
      received 278 forms, but many parks will have more than one of each kind
      of media so the final number of forms submitted will likely be in the
      thousands.  The deadline for response is June 1st.  A number of parks
      have raised questions about procedures and definitions, so the response
      will likely be fairly substantial.  An intranet web site is planned
      where parks will be able to view, update and query the inventory
      information that they've provided.  It should be up and running within
      the next few months.

5.2   HFC Realignment - Michael Paskowsky, Gary Cummins

      Last September, an internal advisory board was established to monitor
      the center's reorganization.  The center has made progress on 15 of the
      22 action items listed in its realignment plan.  A draft position
      description has been completed for a new associate manager for client
      services.  Four substantial and far-reaching proposals are in the final
      stages of development:

      o     The creation of a project tracking system.
      o     The establishment of a new media group to develop electronic and
            interactive media.
      o     The strengthening of educational professionalism.
      o     The creation of an interpretive media institute to better employ
            the expertise of HFC and to train field people.

      Several actions outlined in the realignment plan have already been
      completed, including the following:

      o     An interactive and informative HFC web site has been created to
            help park staffs better understand HFC's functions and how the
            center can help them (www.hfc.nps.gov/hfc-insite).
      o     Creation of internal and external advisory boards.
      o     Development of project agreements for each project HFC undertakes. 
            The project agreement is a contract that states in explicit terms
            the nature of the project, the personnel involved, the
            responsibilities of each party, the estimated time needed for the
            project, and the total project cost.
      o     A workload capacity study has been completed and is now being
            evaluated.
      o     A policy has been established which mandates that HFC will contact
            each park in the system at least twice annually.

5.3   Project Reviews and Priority Setting - Magaly Green

      One of the goals identified in the realignment plan is to reestablish
      regional project review work sessions.  During the second quarter of
      FY99, the center manager and associate and deputy managers participated
      in regional reviews for Pacific West Region (January 28th, Denver),
      Northeast Region (March 31st, Philadelphia) and National Capital Region
      (April 14th, Harpers Ferry).  The next project review will be held in
      Southeast Region on June 10th.  Each region will have at least one such
      review annually.

6.0   YOUTH PROGRAMS - Bill Jones

6.1   Job Corps

      The Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center underwent NPS
      and Department of Labor assessments during the quarter.  The assessments
      focused on providing the center with more technical assistance.  

      The Great Onyx Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center has developed a
      working agreement with the NPS to participate in the Student Career
      Experience Program (SCEP).  The Harpers Ferry and Oconaluftee centers
      already have similar working agreements in place.  Personnel from
      several SER parks visited Great Onyx during the first quarter to work
      out details of hiring students for SCEP programs.  NCR has hired
      students from the Harpers Ferry center and will be providing them with
      training in carpentry, masonry and wood-crafting through an agreement
      with the Williamsport Training Center.  Each student will be cross-
      trained in these trades during a two-year training period, then assigned
      to a home park in a permanent position.  

6.2   Public Land Corps Program

      During 1998, a total of 834 young people worked on a variety of projects
      in 89 parks through the Public Land Corps program.  The total investment
      of PLC and matching funds came to just over $3.4 million.  Since the
      appraised value of the work completed was estimated at more than $5.2
      million, the agency realized a cost-benefit ratio of $2.77 for every $1
      spent on the program.  Participants came from all social, economic,
      ethnic and racial groups.  Approximately 100 parks will participate in
      the program this year.  Funding (PLC and matching combined) has
      increased to $3.9 million.

6.3   Student Conservation Association

      During 1998, 1,064 resource assistants and 113 conservation associates
      were fielded by SCA.  Of these, 473 were hosted by 168 NPS sites - an
      increase of 14 percent over 1997.  This significant increase came in
      part due to the PLC program.  Park and SCA funding for the SCA portion
      of the PLC program came to $1.8 million; 51 parks participated.

6.4   Other Actions
     
      Other divisional actions include the following:

      o     A meeting was held with the Girl Scouts of America (GSA) in March
            to discuss new ways of linking them to land projects.  GSA
            presented eight projects to the working group (the USFS, BLM, and
            NPS) which could be handled as either individual or partnership
            projects with the agencies.  
      o     The memo requesting program proposals for the '99 YCC program went
            to the regions in March with an April 21st due date.
      o     There are 47 parks partnering with the National Association of
            Service and Conservation Corps via the PLC program, funded by a
            total of $1.6 million in PLC and park funds.  A template has been
            provided to parks for cooperative agreements with NASCC.

7.0   RISK MANAGEMENT - Dick Powell

7.1   OSHA Agreement

      Director Bob Stanton and Department of Labor Assistant Secretary Charles
      Jeffress signed an agreement between the NPS and OSHA last November. 
      Through this agreement, ten parks will receive assistance from area OSHA
      offices to improve their safety programs.  The parks were selected on
      the basis of their high number of lost-time accidents, category of park,
      and geographical distribution.  The ten selected parks are Cape Cod NS,
      Fire Island NS, NCP Central, Rock Creek Park, Cape Hatteras NS, Isle
      Royale NP, Sleeping Bear Dunes NL, Padre Island NS, Golden Gate NRA, and
      Yosemite NP.  OSHA has also modified it's "Safety for Supervisors"
      course (OSHA 600) to specifically address NPS operations.

7.2   OWCP Case Investigations

      A new contract for the investigation of possible fraud and abuse of
      workers' compensation benefits has been awarded to US Investigation
      Services, Inc., based in Hyattsville, Maryland.  The company has an
      extensive network of offices throughout the United States to ensure
      prompt attention to reports of potential fraud and abuse of OWCP
      benefits.  This service is available to all parks and offices.  Requests
      for investigative services should be made through regional OWCP
      coordinators.

      Three new OWCP coordinator positions will be established to provide
      professional support assistance to the regions.  The offices will be
      located in the Pacific West, Midwest and National Capital regions, but
      will be available to other regions as well.  They will work with parks
      to establish effective case management programs, conduct training,
      coordinate case investigations, and work with the respective OSHA area
      offices.

7.3   Park Assistance Contract

      A contract to provide assistance to selected parks to develop effective
      safety and health programs will soon be awarded to three consulting
      firms.  The NPS has $800,000 per fiscal year available to fund this
      contract for each fiscal year through FY03; this funding has been made
      available to help parks meet their GPRA goals related to the reduction
      of employee accidents and related workers' compensation costs. Regions
      will be asked to nominate parks to participate.  The criteria for park
      selection will include accident history, size of the area, geographic
      distribution, and type of site; regions may also add other criteria. 
      Information on the process for a region to submit requests for
      nominations will be forthcoming in May.

7.4   Other Actions

      Other divisional actions include the selection of recipients for two
      safety awards.  The first is the new Andrew Clark Hecht Memorial Park
      Safety Achievement Award, established by the Hecht Foundation to
      recognize outstanding achievements in public safety.  Andrew Hecht
      perished as a result of an accidental fall into a thermal pool at
      Yellowstone in 1970.  Officer Louis Danner, a Park Police motorcycle
      patrolman in NCR, has been named the first recipient of the award. 
      Danner was selected for his outstanding safety contributions to the Park
      Police and the citizens who use Rock Creek Parkway and the connecting
      city streets. He displayed a keen sense of traffic problems and served
      as a liaison between the NPS and the city's traffic engineering
      department.  The second is the Director's Annual Employee Safety
      Achievement Award, which recognizes an employee or group of employees
      for an outstanding contribution to employee safety and health.  Gary
      Bornholdt, the park safety manager at Sequoia/Kings Canyon, received the
      1998 award.  He was recognized for his sustained superior achievements
      in both improving employee safety and contractor safety in Sequoia/Kings
      Canyon NP.  Danner and Bornholdt will each receive a plaque and $1,000.

8.0   PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE - John Hanley

8.1   Web Information Site

      PHS, which has a major focus on field support and education, has been
      developing its web site (www.nps.gov/public_health) as a primary source
      for public health information.  Currently available are the following:

      o     a directory of PHS staff, with information on who to contact;
      o     background information on PHS and its mission;
      o     almost a score of pamphlets which can be downloaded and printed
            locally, including publications on Lyme disease, ticks and
            disease, hantavirus, a check list for temporary food events, and
            backcountry precautions. 

      A number of the pamphlets are available in Spanish.

8.2   Health Education
     
      Work continues on development of standardized, Power Point public health
      presentations for use by field areas and offices.  Some are already
      available - hantavirus, Lyme disease, ticks and disease, immunization
      and vaccination, and food safety (to be revised) - and others are
      coming.  You can obtain these programs from your regional PHS contact or
      from the PHS web site as well.
     
8.3   Field Support
     
      As noted above, PHS's main responsibility is providing assistance to the
      field.  Throughout the first quarter of FY99, PHS officers conducted
      compliance visits at numerous parks (health risk and environmental
      compliance evaluations of food services, water treatment systems, hazmat
      facilities, etc.) and provided on-site technical assistance to many
      others (about 200 visits to provide guidance on everything from
      occupational health concerns to evaluation of construction plans and
      specifications).
     
8.4   Other Actions
     
      Other divisional actions include the following:
     
      o     The comment period on the draft DO-83 (public health) ended on
            October 12, 1998.  Once the comments have been assimilated and
            changes made, it will go to Policy for another review.  The final
            version should be out some time this year.
      o     The Office of Public Health recently participated in a public
            health evaluation meeting designed in an effort to redirect the
            PHS program and provide the NPS with the best quality service. 
            The meeting was attended by senior PHS officers and NPS WASO
            staffs.  During the meeting, the participants developed an
            implementation plan which outlines the needs of the NPS from the
            PHS program and will serve as an integral part of the memorandum
            of agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and the NPS.

9.0   RANGER ACTIVITIES 

9.1   Fee Program - Maureen Finnerty

      A new fee program manager is about to be selected.  Five candidates will
      be interviewed in Washington this week, and a selection will likely be
      made by Friday.  

      Work continues on a last call to the field for 80% fee projects for FY99
      and FY00 and a last call for 20% projects for FY99.  A concerted effort
      is being made to get agreement on particulars from all involved parties
      before the call goes out, including two assistant secretaries,
      Congressional staff, and WASO staff.  The call should be out by the end
      of May, and will also include a revised version of PMIS.  There will be
      a separate call next year for FY00 20% projects.

      There will be a meeting of the AD/Operations and Education and the
      regional ARDs/Operations in Denver during the second week of June to
      evaluate the fee demo program and recommend changes in policies and
      procedures to the National Leadership Council.

      Work also continues on the new National Park Passport program.  Dan
      Wenk, superintendent at Mount Rushmore, has been leading this effort. 
      Segments of the program will likely be launched by October. 
      Negotiations are underway with the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife
      Service and BLM on raising the price of the Golden Eagle Passport. 
      Since the price of the National Park Passport has been set by law at
      $50, the current $50 price for the Golden Eagle Passport needs to be
      revised to avoid confusion.  

      Fee demo parks need to remember to publicize fee demo projects in their
      areas with signs, pamphlets, news articles and other means for getting
      the word out.  Directions from Congress have been very specific on this
      point, and Congressional delegations will soon be out visiting the
      parks.  It is very important that parks show that they are promoting the
      program.

9.2   Personal Watercraft and Regulations - Chip Davis

      Progress continues on the draft PWC regulations, but has been slowed a
      bit due to requirements to reformat in a new style (see below).  The
      proposed regulation will establish a general PWC prohibition for
      protection of resources while allowing PWC use in some areas established
      in part for recreational values.  The NPS has worked on these draft regs
      with representatives from several parks, state governments, conservation
      groups, the PWC industry, and the public.  The proposed rule was
      published in the Federal Register last September; the public comment
      period closed on November 16th.  The NPS received over 20,000 comments. 
      A copy of the rule can be obtained by selecting "personal watercraft
      use" at www.nps.gov/refdesk/hotdocs.htm.

      The regs provide for a general servicewide prohibition, with exceptions
      by specific area designation.  The designation is approached in two
      ways.  A limited number of areas (ten NRAs) where enabling legislation
      stipulates that water-based recreation with substantial motorized boat
      use is a park purpose will be listed by name.  Superintendents in these
      areas would be able to open all or portions of the park to PWC use
      through compendium procedures in 36 CFR 1.5 and 1.7.  

      A second group of areas will be required to complete area-specific
      rulemakings, which will include nationwide notice and an opportunity to
      comment on any proposal to authorize PWC use.  This approach is similar
      to that used by other activities (snowmobiles, off road bicycles, etc.)
      that raise questions about resource impacts or visitor use conflicts or
      are otherwise controversial.  The proposed rule requires that the NPS
      determine that PWC use is consistent with a park's enabling legislation,
      resources, values, other visitor uses, and overall management objectives
      before it can be permitted.  The second group of 13 areas listed
      includes seashores, lakeshores, rivers and two NRAs.  A two-year grace
      period from the closure is available to both groups in order to finalize
      PWC management.

      There are about 40 regulations packages in Ranger Activities at present,
      and substantial revisions of 36 CFR Part 2 (Resource Protection, Public
      Use and Recreation) and 36 CFR Part 3 (Boating and Water Use Activities)
      are also in the works.  Only about a quarter of the former will be acted
      on this year due to staffing constraints and the recent addition of time
      consuming format and compliance procedures.  The latter two projects are
      on hold at present due to lack of funding for workgroups to complete
      their efforts and to an on-going evaluation for conversion to plain
      language.  President Clinton issued an executive memorandum last year
      directing all agencies to employ plain language in all documents.  The
      Department has stipulated that regulations must follow rules laid out by
      the Plain Language Action Network and that they must also be in a
      question and answer format.  For an example of the latter, see Cape
      Cod's special reg on ORVs (7.67) in the 1998 (brown) edition of 36 CFR,
      or at GPO's CFR web site (www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html).