NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, October 22, 1999

                               *** NOTICE ***

            There was no Morning Report on Tuesday, October 21st.

INCIDENTS

99-543 - Southeast/Northeast Region Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Floyd

The following updates have been received from parks affected by Hurricane
Floyd:

o     Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - All three units of the park are conducting damage
      assessments and working towards resuming full operations as soon as
      possible:

      *     Sandy Hook - Extensive beach erosion has been reported at Sandy
            Hook, particularly in the "critical zone," where a significant
            amount of sand was lost.  There are trees and limbs down
            throughout the area, particularly at Fort Hancock.  Roof damage,
            flooding and water infiltration also occurred, and there's a
            significant accumulation of flotsam and jetsam along the beach
            front.
      *     Staten Island - Surveys are underway to assess damage to
            structures and to the seawall at Battery Weed.  
      *     Jamaica Bay - The unit reports damage to heavy equipment and
            emergency equipment, and broken windows, downed signs, damaged
            roofs and doors, flooding, and water infiltration.  A number of
            boats have washed ashore.

o     Morristown NHP (NJ) - The park received ten inches of rain from the
      hurricane.  It closed at noon on Thursday to give park staff time to
      get home.  Park headquarters and roads in Jockey Hollow reopened on
      Friday morning, but the VC at Jockey Hollow remained closed until
      Monday due to a power outage.  Several park residences suffered power
      and water outages lasting from one to four days.  Damage included trees
      down on park roads and trails.  All roads have been reopened, but
      trails are still being cleared by staff and volunteers.  Trails
      suffered extensive erosion and will take considerable time to repair. 
      A 20-foot wooden bridge which spans the Passaic River was washed away. 
      This same bridge washed away during the flood in October, 1996; it was
      rebuilt and raised in hopes that it would survive a similar event.

o     Moores Creek NB (NC) - The park remains closed.  Power is still out and
      the historic area remains flooded with about six feet of water.  Most
      employees now have power and telephone service, but several remain
      trapped in their communities by flood waters.  All have food and
      drinking water.  NC Highway 210, the only access road, is washed out
      just west of the park.  Flood waters receded some on Sunday, but the
      Corps of Engineers was planning to release some water from areas above
      the park on Monday to prevent flooding of more homes.  Rain is again
      falling in the area.

o     Cape Lookout NS (NC) - The park experienced a storm surge of from four
      to seven feet; four inches of rain fell, and peak winds reached 91 mph. 
      Overwash damaged dunes, added at least a foot of sand on the roads in
      the concession area, and dug out and flooded sections of the back road
      that runs the length of North Core and South Core Banks.  Old Drum
      inlet, opened by Hurricane Dennis, has become wider.  The park reopened
      last Friday, allowing concessions to operate and to rent cabins not
      affected by the storm.  The repaired concessioner docks, damaged by
      Dennis, were unaffected.  Portsmouth Village remains closed due to
      flooding and downed trees.  Cape Point also remains closed, as the two
      roads that detour around a turtle closure area are under three to four
      feet of water.  Damage to the water system at the lighthouse will cost
      about $5,000 to repair.  Headquarters structures survived with minimal
      damage, but the boat basin received severe damage to docks, ramp and
      sea walls.  The entire basin will have to be dredged to remove debris
      and silt.  Heavy erosion of the administrative site shoreline occurred,
      with damage to about 1,500 feet of seawall.  Electricity to
      headquarters and the surrounding communities was restored on Saturday. 
      A complete turtle nest damage assessment will be forthcoming.

o     Fort Sumter NM/Charles Pinckney NHS (SC) - Forts Sumter and Moultrie
      have reopened.  Charles Pinckney has been closed so that downed trees
      and debris could be removed, but should resume normal operations today.

o     Fort Frederica NM (SC) - The park reopened on Friday.  

[Ken Garvey and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/20-21; Ann Childress, Superintendent,
MOCR, 9/20; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/20; Jose Rosario, CR,
GATE, 9/20; Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 9/20; Greg Smith, SPR, MORR, 9/21]

99-565 - Southeast Region Areas - Tropical Storm Harvey

The following reports have been received from parks affected by Tropical
Storm Harvey:

o     DeSoto NM (FL) - The park closed on Monday afternoon in anticipation of
      the storm's arrival.  Heavy rain, a storm surge of from five to seven
      feet, and sustained winds of up to 60 mph were forecast for the area. 
      It reopened yesterday morning.  There was no damage to structures or
      roads, but the nature trail was completely submerged due to overwash
      caused by storm surge.  Portions of the boardwalk were also covered. 
      The trail and boardwalk remain closed.  Damage is estimated at $15,000. 
      Paul Carson is the IC.

o     Big Cypress NP (FL) - The park closed on Tuesday when the tropical
      storm made an unexpected turn to the southeast.  It will reopen today.

[Ken Garvey and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/20-21; Paul Carson, CR, DESO, 9/20-21;
Ken McLaughlin, BICY, 9/21]

99-566 - Zion NP (UT) - Flooding

The park received two-and-a-half inches of rain on August 30th, causing a 30-
fold increase in the flow of the Virgin River.  Dozens of visitors were
unaccounted for in the Narrows of the Virgin River for up to 36 hours. 
Debris and damage caused the park to close roads for an hour while crews
cleared and checked them.  No visitor or employee injuries were reported. 
[Aniceto Olais, CR, ZION, 9/7]

99-567 - Coronado NM (AZ) - Drug Seizure

During a multi-agency counter-narcotics operation on September 13th, rangers
spotted smugglers backpacking drugs into the U.S. near the park's eastern
boundary.  This information was relayed to Border Patrol agents, who
intercepted the group and seized just under 300 pounds of processed
marijuana.  The smugglers were preceded and followed by large groups of
illegal aliens traveling over the same route.  Smuggling organizations
commonly employ this tactic in an attempt to divert law enforcement agencies
from the contraband.  [Fred Moosman, CR, CORO, 9/15]

99-568 - Richmond NBP (VA) - Archeological Resources Violation

On July 8th, ranger Leslie Winston contacted C.H. and J.B. as
they were walking on the earthworks in the park's Cold Harbor unit.  Both had
metal detectors lying on the ground on private property adjacent to the
battlefield about 40 feet away.  Both had mini-balls in their possession.  A
partial hole was discovered on park property near their location.  They were
charged and appeared in court.  The judged fined each of them $500 for
traversing earthworks, placed them on a year's probation, and banned them
from all national parks for a year.  There was not enough evidence for
conviction on the more serious charges pertaining to archeological resources. 
[Tim Mauch, SPR, RICH, 9/17]

99-569 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Poaching Apprehensions

During the night of August 21st, park rangers from Balsam Gap and a state
wildlife officer contacted six people involved in an illegal bear hunt in the
park.  The action culminated several weeks of investigation and electronic
surveillance of a series of bait sites that had been found in the park.  The
six men had routinely baited the sites and placed an electronic monitor on
one of them to alert them when an animal entered the area.  Following
interviews with the six, a kill site from the previous night was found on the
boundary of the Cherokee reservation and Great Smoky Mountains NP.  Charges
have not yet been filed, but an investigation is underway in conjunction with
U.S. Fish and Wildlife.  The apprehension detail was led by ranger Tony
Welch.  [John Garrison, Protection specialist, BLRI, 9/13]

99-570 - Great Sand Dunes NM (CO) - Assist; Airplane Crash, Two Fatalities

During the first week of September, rangers assisted county SAR personnel in
the difficult retrieval of two bodies from an airplane which crashed in the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  An FBI-certified pilot and a flight instructor
were killed when the Piper Cherokee in which they were conducting high
altitude flying lessons crashed into Hunter's Peak and burned in the early
morning hours of September 1st.  The plane was on an FBI training flight. 
[Stuart Schneider, GRSA, 9/4]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

The preparedness level has gone down one step.  Preparedness Level II goes
into effect when the following conditions are met: One geographic area
experiencing high fire danger.  Numerous Class A, B, and C fires occurring
and a potential exists for escapes to larger (project) fires.  Minimal
mobilization of resources from other geographic areas occurring.  The
potential exists for mobilizing additional resources from other geographic
areas. 

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Sun      Tue    %  Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT     9/19     9/21  Con Con
 
CA    Shasta-Trinity NF      Big Bar Cx      T1/2  47,199   51,707   43 UNK 
      Los Padres NF          Kirk Cx         T1/2  25,200   32,023   16 UNK 

TX    State                * Williamsn Ranch --         -   11,000   85 UNK
                           * Breckenridge    --         -      450   95 9/22
                           * Spurger         --         -      200  100 CND

OR    Siskiyou NF          * Sebastopol      --         -      120   NR 9/25

IN    State                * New Washington  --         -      664  100 CND 

NV    Battle Mtn. District * Ryepatch        --         -      300  100 CND 

ID    Nez Perce NF         * Low Roller      --         -      185    0 RBF 

SC    Shaw AFB               Hurricane Floyd T1       Receiving/distribution 
                                                      center operations

NJ    McGuire AFB            Hurricane Floyd T2       Receiving/distribution 
                                                      center operations

                                  Heading Notes

Unit        Agency or Area Office = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA
            state resource or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; FO =
            BLM field office; District = BLM district; NWR = USFWS wildlife
            refuge
Fire        * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex 
IMT         T1 = Type I Team; T2 = Type II Team; T3 = Type III Team; ST =
            State Team; FUM = Fire Use Management Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained: UNK = unknown; NR = no report
Est Con     Estimated containment date: NEC = no estimated date of
            containment; CND = fully contained; UNK = unknown; NR = no
            report; RBF = resource benefit fire, no containment action being
            taken; LR = last report unless significant activity occurs

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Saturday, 9/18       2      3        23       0      175     58       261
Sunday, 9/19         2      4        14       2      215     38       275
Monday, 9/20         2      1         8       0      289     28       328
Tuesday, 9/21        4      6         2       1      193     27       233

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Saturday, 9/18     164        239          76             2         3,481
Sunday, 9/19       173        244          74             2         3,521
Monday, 9/20       229        282          65             0         1,560
Tuesday, 9/21      241        257          69             0         1,419

CURRENT SITUATION

Initial attack was moderate in the East, South, Northwest and northern
California yesterday, but minimal elsewhere.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, Nevada,
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Texas,
Georgia and Indiana.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/21-22]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION 

Great Sand Dunes NM (CO) - California Condors

Botanists working along the western boundary of the park in early September
spotted a California condor flying above the park.  This is the first known
condor sighting in the park and may be the first east of the San Juan
Mountains.  [Stuart Schneider, GRSA, 9/4]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Type II Team Recruitment - Northeast Region, Southeast Region, National
Capital Region and the Park Police recently signed an agreement to create a
single Type II all-risk incident management team for the East Coast.  Each
position on the team will be staffed three people deep to assure that someone
will be available at all times.  Two of the three IC's are Bob Panko and
Gordon Wissinger; the third, Skip Brooks, recently became an IC on the
national team.  A successor is accordingly being sought.  All qualified
employees from the three regions and USPP will be considered.  The individual
selected must serve for at least one three-year period.  Applications must
include supervisory approval to serve on the team.  Interested applicants
should forward a resume, including a detailed summary of incident management
experience, training and qualifications, to Greg Stiles, Shenandoah NP, 3655
U.S. Highway 211 East, Luray, VA 22835.  Applications should be received by
October 18th.  [Greg Stiles, SHEN]

Uniform Update - A number of people have pointed out that employees pictured
in the new uniform catalogue are not wearing appropriate personal protective
equipment (PPE).  The intent was to show people in uniform in work
situations, rather than studio shots as in prior years.  Employee safety
remains a priority concern, however; staging the shots with a focus on
uniforms does not excuse the safety oversight.  Future shipments of the
catalogue will have an appropriate PPE message added.  In the meantime, help
reenforce the need for safety and PPE in the pictures on pages 2, 8. 9, and
11 (appropriate ear and eye protection, gloves, hard hats), page six (vest
and stance), and page 11 (the above plus chaps).  On other matters:  R&R does
not anticipate any price changes for FY00, based on contract requirements for
adjusting prices.  And two minor modifications will be phased in as current
stocks are depleted - thinner laces for hatbands in order to facilitate
lacing them together, and a change to unisex sizes in the turtlenecks.  [Ken
Mabery, RAD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

Forty Hour Refresher - Vicksburg NMP has spaces open in its annual LE
refresher, which will take place on the week of October 18th.  Interested
parks should contact Patricia Montague via cc:Mail or at 601-636-0583 x8055. 
[Patricia Montague, VICK]

Safety in Resource Management - Gordon Olsen, chief of research and resource
protection at Denali NP, is a member of the Servicewide Risk Management
Advisory Group and is interested in hearing from resource managers on
concerns, issues and ideas pertaining to health and safety.  Are there
Servicewide policies or programs that should be established?  Is safety
adequately addressed in your operations?  Do you have serious safety issues
that keep surfacing and never seem to be resolved that others may also be
facing?  He's also interested in hearing about resource based hazards -
avalanches, flash floods, fires, etc.  What public hazards do your resources
present, and how do you protect the public from them?  Gordon will collect
and collate responses, share them with the advisory group, and distribute the
summaries and other safety information to the field.  He can be reached on
cc:Mail by name at NP-DENA. [Gordon Olsen, DENA]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

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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