NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, September 29, 1999

INCIDENTS

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

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

o     Moores Creek NB (NC) - Park employees were able to return to work for
      the first time on Friday, September 24th.  Much of the park remains
      underwater.  The top of the boardwalk handrail was more than a foot
      underwater on Friday.  Although water levels dropped some over the
      weekend, the park received more than four inches of rain over Monday
      and Tuesday, causing water levels to begin rising again.  Employees are
      working on cleanup and a damage assessment, but the park remains closed
      to visitors.

o     Canaveral NS (FL) - A damage assessment has been completed.  The total
      long-term reconstruction costs have been placed at just over $336,000. 
      About $230,000 of that sum will be needed to replace or repair the 21
      boardwalks that were moderately to severely damaged.  Much of the
      remainder will be needed to restore dunes, replace screens and stakes
      in an endangered sea turtle nesting area, fix park roads, and repair 14
      restrooms in the Playlinda section of the park.

[Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR, 9/28; Rosemary Williams, CANA, 9/22]

99-584 - Shenandoah NP (VA) - Resource Theft

On the afternoon of September 6th, rangers Ken Mehne and John Patmore came
upon a red Ford pickup parked at Turk Mountain overlook in the South District
that they'd both seen parked several miles away the previous day.  There were
freshly dug ferns and moss-covered rocks and several digging instruments in
the bed of the truck.  The driver, J.W., 29, of Richmond, emerged from
the woods a short time later.  He freely admitted to removing moss from the
park the previous day and also in August.  He'd also collected moss and ferns
earlier that day, and showed the two rangers the location where he'd gathered
them.  Mehne had J.W. replant 18 Christmas ferns that he'd unearthed several
miles south of Turk Gap.  J.W. admitted that he intended to use the ferns in
his landscape business.  Charges against him are pending at this time due to
the necessity of further discussions with an assistant U.S. attorney present. 
[Rick Childs, DR, South District, 9/6] 

99-585 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Rescue

Da.F. and De.F. of Scarbro, West Virginia, were traveling on
McKendree Road around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 26th, when their truck
went off the road on a sharp curve, flipped over, fell about 15 feet, and
landed upside down in the bed of Buffalo Creek.  Both F.s were
seriously injured and pinned in the cab.  A passing motorist saw the truck in
the creek at 8 a.m. and notified the park.  Rangers and a local volunteer
fire and rescue department responded.  It took about an hour to extricate the
pair.  They were flown to a trauma center in Charleston by two medical
helicopters.  Both remain hospitalized.  A joint investigation is underway
with state police.  Alcohol may have been a contributing factor.  [Rick
Brown, Protection Operations Leader, NERI, 9/26]

99-586 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Drowning

On September 25th, C.M., 20, of Bluefield, West Virginia,
drowned while kayaking on the Gauley River.  C.M. came to the park that
morning, where he met a group of kayakers from a Pennsylvania paddling club. 
He traveled with the group to the first major rapid, Koontz Flume, then
paddled into the eddy above the rapid just behind the group leader.  Strong
currents caused C.M. to flip over in his kayak; he was pulled into the
rapid and swept toward an undercut rock that was full of logs and other
debris.  He immediately went totally underwater but was soon able to get a
hand above water.  The trip leader threw a safety line, which C.M.
caught but could not hold on to.  Before a second throw attempt could be
made, C.M. was pulled down deeper under the rock and could not be seen
from above.  Members of the club made an unsuccessful attempt to reach him,
then flagged down a passing commercial outfitter who radioed out for NPS
assistance.   Rangers were able to get a rope around his leg, but were unable
to pull him free because of the high water and strong current (2800 cfs). 
The water flow was reduced at the Corps of Engineers' Summersville Dam
overnight, and rangers recovered the body without problems the following
morning.  [Rick Brown, Protection Operations Leader, NERI, 9/26]

99-587 - National Capital Parks East (DC) - Resource Violation

On September 10th, two plainclothes USPP officers saw a pickup truck loaded
with used tires pull into the parking lot of a school adjacent to Fort
Chaplin Park, back into the rear area, and dump a large pile of tires into
the park.  The operator was arrested and charged with illegal dumping.  He
admitted that he'd been paid to dump the tires, and that he'd ended up at the
park after the sanitation department declined to accept the tires for
disposal.  [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/23]

99-588 - Perry's Victory IPM (OH) - Special Event

The park hosted a commemoration of the 186th anniversary of the Battle of
Lake Erie on September 11th and 12th.  Activities included an American
military history timeline in which more than 100 reenactors represented
soldiers from ten American conflicts from the French and Indian War to Desert
Storm, a camporee attended by more than 1,200 Boy Scouts, a concert by the
Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and a formal ceremony honoring the men who fought
in the battle.  More than 7,000 people attended the two-day event.  [Gerry
Altoff, CR, PEVI, 9/17]

FIRE ACTIVITY

The fire report is not available this morning.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION 

Badlands NP (SD) - Prescribed Burn

On September 9th, 4,378 acres of mixed grass prairie were burned as part of
the park's approved burn plan.  Objectives for the fire were to reduce the
amount of dead vegetation, increase vigor of native species through an
infusion of nutrients following the burn, attempt to reduce some non-native
species, and replicate the natural condition of the ecosystem by
reintroducing fire.  The park worked with fire staff from Wind Cave NP, the
Forest Service, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and a local volunteer fire
department.  A much smaller burn was conducted near the main park visitor
center for the same purposes in mid-August.  [Marianne Mills, PIO, BADL]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Facility Management Software Systems Update - The facility management
software system project is moving into the pilot test phase.  The project web
site (http://165.83.218.50/FacMgmt) continues to be updated on a regular
basis and is one of the best places to find current information.  A temporary
database and software application architecture have been established in WASO
and employees are testing connectivity to field areas via ParkNet.  Regions
have identified 28 pilot parks to test software with the concurrence of park
superintendents.  A letter of agreement went to these superintendents two
weeks ago, and confirmation is expected by this Friday.  The first Maximo
training session for these parks should be completed by tomorrow.  A group
will meet in Washington next week to being the process of tailoring the
Maximo program and entering some standardized data into the system.  The
initial pilot test is scheduled to continue until next March.  For details on
all aspects of the program and answers to some frequently asked questions,
please check the web site.  [Betsy Dodson, Rich Shireman]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

Structural Fire Course - Organ Pipe Cactus NM has spaces left in the 40-hour
structural fire course being offered between November 8th and 12th.  Dorm
space is available.  Students need to provide their own turnouts and SCBA's. 
Interested parks should contact Karl Pearson or Susan Hughes at 520-387-7661
x7202.  [Karl Pearson, ORPI]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Glacier Bay NP - The park has issued to job announcements.  The first is a
two-year detail and temporary promotion opportunity for a GS-340-12/13
project manager in Juneau.  The incumbent will manage a commercial fishing
compensation program, and will be responsible for the design, development and
implementation of the program - with no precedent program available for
guidance.  The second is for a permanent, full-time GS-341-11/12
administrative officer who will serve at Bartlett Cove in Gustavus.  Contact
Teresa Wilson at NP-GLBA for further information.

                                *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests
pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub
coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

                                 --- ### ---