4.2   Transportation - Lou DeLorme

      A good deal is happening in the transportation arena, partly due to the
      1998 passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-
      21), partly due to other initiatives:

      o     DOI and DOT signed an MOU in 1997 to improve public transportation
            in the national parks through use of "innovative transportation
            planning compatible with the protection and preservation of the
            nation's cultural and natural resources."  Five parks are
            specifically mentioned in the MOU (YOSE, ZION, GRCA, ACAD, GOGA),
            but the MOU is intended to benefit all areas.
      o     The NPS has hired a contractor to help develop a guidebook for NPS
            managers on transportation planning issues and options.  The
            guidebook, which should be completed this fall, will contain
            sections on the role and purpose of transportation in national
            parks, an explanation of transportation planning and tools,
            transportation analysis and management techniques, and other
            related information.
      o     Regional transportation training conferences are being developed
            that will use the above guidebook. Current plans call for two-day
            conferences followed by half-day planning sessions on specific
            transportation management issues facing parks or partnership
            projects.  The conferences will be held in Philadelphia, Atlanta,
            Denver and Seattle.  Funding for the training is being provided by
            funds appropriated to DOT for implementation of the MOU with the
            Service.
      o     A transportation web site (www.nps.gov/transportation/) has been
            developed.  It contains information on NPS and DOT transportation
            planning initiatives and includes the MOU, info on TEA-21, NPS and
            DOT contacts, frequently asked questions, related links, etc.
      o     The FY99 DOT appropriations bill contains funds for a
            comprehensive study to determine alternative transportation system
            (ATS) needs for the NPS, FWS, and BLM - including ATS' that
            operate completely within the public lands and those that provide
            access to the public lands from adjacent gateway communities,
            urban environs, adjacent federal lands, or transit centers located
            outside of public land boundaries.  
 
4.3   Fee Demonstration Projects - Tim Harvey

      The FY99 DOI Appropriations Act extended the recreational fee
      demonstration program for an additional two years, through September 30,
      2001.  

      Procedures were refined this summer for review and approval of fee
      demonstration projects.  Projects follow one of three tracks, depending
      on the cost:

      o     $100K or less - The regional director approves all projects.  A
            list of approved projects is forwarded by the region to WASO. 
            There are four steps in this process.
      o     $100K to $500K - The regional director approves all projects that
            are replacement in kind, or treatments that protect prior
            investments.  The Director or Assistant Secretary, Fish, Wildlife
            and Parks, must approve all projects in this category that meet
            any of the following criteria: 1) Projects that increase the
            square footage of a building by more than 10%, require significant
            design, or result in a new facility; 2) historic preservations
            projects that require research; 3) water or wastewater treatment
            projects that change the method of treatment; 4) road and trail
            projects that depart from the current alignment by more than 10%;
            and 5) parking facilities that are increased in size.  Any project
            that falls in the latter five categories must go through a ten-
            step approval process.
      o     Over $500K - All projects recommended by the WASO Directorate are
            forwarded to the Development Advisory Board (DAB) for
            review/approval.  If a complete DAB review and approval is
            required, as determined by the Associate Director for Professional
            Services, then the submitting park or regional office needs to
            follow pre-DAB requirements.  There can be up to 15 steps in this
            process.

      The overall status of the projects, as of this week, was as follows:

      o     Fee demo 20% projects - A total of 360 projects valued at $47.4
            million have been submitted.  Of these, 338 valued at $33.6
            million have been approved.
      o     Fee demo 80% projects - A total of 1,701 projects valued at $260.1
            million have been submitted.  Of these, 1,564 valued at $180.5
            million have been approved.
      o     Golden Eagle projects - A total of 41 Golden Eagle projects valued
            at $768,000 have been submitted.  Of these, 37 valued at $406,000
            have been approved.

      A memo recently went out calling for additional projects with a reply
      due date of October 15th.  This will be the last call for 80% projects
      unless there's a further extension of the current authority, but
      additional calls for 20% projects will be issued annually for FY00 and
      FY01.  The memo defines the eligibility criteria for use of additional
      funds received through the fee demo program extension, identifies
      procedures for the submission and approval of projects, identifies
      procedures of the submission of cost of collection requests by fee demo
      parks, and identifies accounting and monitoring procedures for approved
      fee demo projects.

5.0   HARPERS FERRY CENTER

5.1   Media Inventory - Dave Nathanson

      The audiovisual portion of the interpretive media inventory is complete
      and all parks have responded.  That portion of the inventory was
      launched by itself over a year ago.  The other three components of the
      inventory - wayside exhibits, exhibits, and historic furnishings - were
      launched together via an introductory memo in February.  To date, 247
      parks have responded to the survey.  HFC has received 533 forms for
      exhibits, 4951 forms for waysides and 250 forms for historic
      furnishings.  The deadline for response was June 1st, but forms are
      still coming in.  The project received $280,000 from the 20% fee money. 
      HFC has used money from that source for temporary personnel and
      equipment for the project, and has contracted for the development of an
      Oracle database system to maintain the data.  The center has also
      purchased a server for that purpose and plans plan to have an intranet
      web site available for parks to view, update, and query the inventory
      information they have provided within the next month or two.

6.0   YOUTH PROGRAMS - Bill Jones

6.1   Job Corps

      Plans are underway to renovate two men's dorms and construct a new
      business technology building at the Harpers Ferry Job Corps' Civilian
      Conservation Center (JCCCC).  The center's capacity will remain at 158
      until the dormitory reservations are complete.  The JCCCC men's dorms at
      Oconaluftee will also be renovated.  

6.2   Public Land Corps Program

      Most of the parks that received grants from the PLC program went ahead
      with planned work this summer.  One park returned funds due to lack of
      staff to supervise the program; that money was reallocated to five parks
      that had requested funding.

6.3   Student Conservation Association

      Revisions are being made to the agreement with SCA for the new
      "Conservation Stewards" youth program.  This is a program in which adult
      volunteers, who have to be at least 18 years old, serve in parks for one
      to four weeks.  The parks furnish housing where and when possible.  

6.4   Youth Conservation Corps

      Approved budgets for the YCC program were sent to the regions early this
      summer.  Congress has mandated that the NPS spend no less than a million
      dollars for the program each year, and that target will again be met in
      FY99.  YCC handbooks are being printed and disseminated this summer,  

7.0   RISK MANAGEMENT - Dick Powell, Shirley Rowley

7.1   OSHA Agreement

      As part of the on-going NPS-OSHA agreement, regional OSHA offices have
      conducted comprehensive inspections of most of the parks that are
      participating in the agreement.  Parks are proceeding with abatement of
      hazards identified in the inspections, and are working on developing/
      updating written programs evaluated by OSHA.  Some parks have received
      specific training on topics such as confined space entry.  Most OSHA
      regional offices are planning follow-up visits to their "partner" parks
      this fall or next season.

7.2   OWCP Case Investigations

      Director's Order 50-A, "Workers Compensation Case Management," was
      recently revised to reflect changes consistent with the new amendment
      changes to the Federal Employees Compensation Act (Effective, January 4,
      1999).  These changes include a requirement for timely submission of
      OWCP forms and a stipulation that communication with case physicians is
      to be in writing only.  Further questions may be directed to JoAnn Pena,
      OWCP Manager, 202-565-1105.

      Three new OWCP regional coordinators have been selected.  Mary Chandler
      will be located in Midwest Regional Office and will EOD on September
      12th.  She will also handle Intermountain and Southeast Region OWCP
      cases.  Karlyn Payton EOD's in National Capital Region on August 30th,
      and will handle cases there and in Northeast Region.  And Steve Rosen
      begins in Pacific West on September 12th.  He will handle cases in that
      region and in Alaska.  The new coordinators will work with parks to
      establish effective case management programs, conduct training,
      coordinate case investigations, and work with respective Department of
      Labor Offices.

7.3   Park Assistance Contract

      The three contractors who will provide assistance to designated parks to
      help them develop successful safety and occupational health plans were 
      announced on July 2nd.  They are DuPont Safety Resources, Harding Lawson
      Associates, and Keystone International.  Each NPS region has submitted a
      list of parks for consideration for inclusion in this project.  The
      parks selected to participate in the contract this year were Chickamauga
      and Chattanooga NMP, Apostle Island NL, Denali NP, Fort Sumter NM,
      Montezuma Castle NM/Tuzigoot NM, Pinnacles NM, White House Park/Liaison
      Office, and Wolf Trap Farms Park.  Those selected for FY 2000 are
      Cumberland Island NS, Gateway NRA, Haleakala NP, Independence NHP, and
      Redwood N&SP.

7.4   Public Safety Initiative

      A multi-disciplinary team of NPS employees met June 22-24 in Denver
      Colorado to develop a public safety plan, vision and mission statement. 
      This new initiative will focus on visitor safety in the parks.  The team
      will also continue work on development of a public safety strategic plan
      for the NPS that will include risk reduction methods, intervention
      strategies, and an implementation plan that includes time lines and
      responsibilities.

      A social science national visitor safety perception survey will be
      conducted next fiscal year.  Information gathered from the survey will
      be integrated into the strategic plan.  Gary Machlis, visiting chief
      social scientist, will coordinate the survey.

7.5   Risk Management Executive Leadership Training

      Eleven regional executive leadership training sessions, entitled
      "Leadership in Safety Excellence," have been scheduled through FY99
      using risk management training funds.  About 350 superintendents and
      managers will be trained in the elements of safety management excellence
      and in understanding the ways that managers can exert safety management
      leadership to continuously improve standards, involve employees, and
      improve performance.  Most of the training has been completed; the
      remaining sessions will be held in Boston (September 14-15),
      Philadelphia (September 21-22), Washington (September 8) and Albuquerque
      (September 28-29).

7.6   Other Actions - Dick Powell, program manager, has relocated from Denver
      to Washington, D.C.  His phone number is 202-208-6350, and he is located
      in Room 7422, Main Interior Building.

8.0   PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE - John Hanley, Sonya Coakley

8.1   Web Information Site

      PHS has several new pamphlets in Spanish available at its web site
      (www.nps.gov/public_health) in addition to those listed in the last
      quarterly update.  Those pamphlets cover temporary food events,
      hantavirus, Lyme disease, and poison ivy.

      Also available - and in great demand - is a pamphlet entitled
      "Mechanical Rodent Proofing Techniques."  

8.2   Health Education
     
      Work has been completed on standardized, Power Point public health
      presentations for use by field areas and offices, including hantavirus,
      Lyme disease, ticks and disease, and food safety.  You can obtain these
      programs from your regional PHS contact or from the PHS web site.
   
8.3   Other Actions
     
      Other divisional actions include the following:
     
      o     DO-83 on public health went out for final review this summer.  It
            has since been signed by the director and disseminated to the
            field.
      o     Senior PHS officers and NPS WASO staffs recently developed an
            implementation plan for the Office of Public Health 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.  The plan was sent out to all
            associate regional directors for operations for review; comments
            were submitted in July and are being incorporated into the text.
      o     President Clinton's Memorial Day weekend radio address directed
            the National Park Service to expand public health protection on
            federally managed beaches.  A series of meetings have been held
            this summer within WASO and between the NPS and EPA to work out a
            course of action.  

9.0   RANGER ACTIVITIES 

9.1   Fee Program - Meg Leffel

      Jane Moore came on board in Ranger Activities on August 9th as the
      Service's new recreation fee program manager.  Meg Leffel continues as
      the deputy.  Also involved in fee program management are Cathy Burdett,
      who is the NPS reservation system coordinator for advance campground and
      tour reservations; Kathy Hiett, who is the program assistant; and Jack
      Roberts in the Facility Management Division, who is the fee demo project
      manager (see 4.3).  

      The call for FY99 recreational fee demonstration 20% projects and
      remaining 80% projects was issued on August 6th.  Replies from regions
      are due to WASO by October 15th.  Please contact your regional office
      for further details and instructions.

      Dan Wenk, superintendent of Mount Rushmore NM, is on detail to WASO to
      work on the new National Park Passport.  Discussions are underway with
      prospective design companies on the development of the passport, and a
      meeting will be held with a group of fee managers to determine both
      design specifics and criteria for its use.  The passport will not be
      launched until January.  Meanwhile, a letter has been drafted to the
      Secretary of Interior on raising the cost of the Golden Eagle Passport. 
      The NPS, Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service have reached an
      agreement that it must go up - 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.  The exact
      amount of the increase has not yet been determined.  

      The rewrite of DO-22, the directive on fee program management, remains
      tabled indefinitely.  Interim guidance may be forthcoming, but not this
      year.