NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT
     
     
     To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
     
     From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
     
     Day/Date:   Friday, November 19, 1999
     
     INCIDENTS
     
     99-680 - Biscayne NP (FL) - Special Boating Operation
     
     Over the Columbus Day holiday weekend, a  boating safety operation - 
     Operation SWAMP (Safer Waterways Alcohol Monitoring Patrols) - was put 
     into action in the Elliott Key area of the park.  Rangers from 
     Biscayne, Everglades, and Big Cypress conducted the operation in 
     conjunction with representatives from the Miami Dade Police 
     Department, Miami Dade Fire and Rescue, Coast Guard, U.S. Attorneys 
     Office and the Customs Service.  The objective was to maintain law and 
     order among those attending the traditional party that always seems to 
     form in this area during the holiday weekend.  Special regulations 
     were put in place for the weekend in order to help minimize damage to 
     natural resources and to provide emergency law enforcement and medical 
     services to the thousands of park visitors recreating around Elliott 
     Key.   During the weekend, there were 1,480 violations of the special 
     regulations; 188 boating safety violations; 16 vessel registration 
     violations; 31 littering or water pollution violations; nine assaults; 
     46 instances of disorderly conduct, lewd and lascivious behavior or 
     open sex acts; two controlled substance violations; eight persons 
     arrested and transported to jail for operating a vessel while under 
     the influence of alcohol and/or drugs;  four boat accidents; and 12 
     medicals, five of which required advanced life support and air rescue. 
     Even though BUI enforcement was the major focus of this operation and 
     law enforcement rangers and officers were doing their best, a vessel 
     accident occurred in the area of the operation one night.  A 23-foot 
     powerboat with four occupants ran into a 50-foot sailing vessel at 
     anchor.  The violent collision resulted in one person being ejected 
     from the power vessel and the remaining three persons on board 
     suffering injuries requiring advanced life support and medivac by air 
     rescue to the nearest trauma center.  All four persons on board the 
     sailing vessel were asleep at the time of the accident and were not 
     injured.  The person ejected from the power vessel was recovered by 
     police divers near the point of impact and pronounced dead at the 
     scene.  A blood sample obtained from the powerboat's operator at the 
     scene before he was airlifted to the trauma center.  Toxicology 
     results of the blood sample reveal that his blood alcohol level was 
     .20, well above the legal limit.  Manslaughter and BUI charges will 
     likely be pursued.  Ranger David Pharo coordinated the multi-agency 
     operation and was IC for the incident.  [David Pharo, CR, BISC, 11/7]
     
     99-681 - Rock Creek Parkway (DC) - DUI Operation
     
     The USPP traffic safety unit ran a sobriety checkpoint on the parkway 
     from 8 p.m. on October 30th to 4 a.m. on the following morning.  The 
     operation led to a dozen arrests for driving while impaired, two 
     arrests for crack cocaine possession, and the recovery of a small 
     amount of marijuana.  A Park Police blood alcohol testing vehicle was 
     used to facilitate the processing of impaired drivers.  About a 
     thousand Washington Wizards basketball tickets were given to 
     unimpaired, safe drivers.  The tickets were donated by the Washington 
     Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP).  [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 11/3]
     
     99-682 - Zion NP (UT) - Rescue
     
     On the afternoon of November 13th, rangers received a report of a 
     rappelling accident at the Great Arch.  Responding rangers hiked to 
     the scene and found a 17-year-old boy at the base of the cliff.  He 
     was conscious and breathing, but had suffered multiple fractures and 
     contusions.  Investigation revealed that the young man and his party 
     had tied a 400-foot rope and a 200-foot rope together with an overhand 
     bend in an attempt to reach the bottom. One member of the party 
     successfully rappelled past the knot with a figure eight descending 
     device.  The second member was passing the knot when it came untied 
     and he fell 20 to 30 feet to the ground.  The park's technical rescue 
     team lowered park medic Cindy Purcell 450 feet down to the victim.  He 
     was treated and raised to the rim, then transported by ambulance to a 
     local hospital.  (Scott Brown,  PR,  ZION, 11/14)
     
     99-683 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - Hunter Accidentally Shot
     
     R.N., 24, of Red Bluff, California, was wounded by a 
     single .300 magnum rifle round while bear hunting in the Whiskey Creek 
     area of the park on November 14th (hunting is permitted in the park).  
     R.N. and a companion reportedly had returned to their truck late 
     in the day; he was attempting to unload his weapon when it discharged. 
     The bullet struck R.N.'s upper right leg, breaking the femur, 
     then exited through a sizable wound in the gluteal region.  He was 
     driven out of the park to a convenience store, where medical aid was 
     summoned.  At the time of the report, he was in stable condition in a 
     local hospital's intensive care unit.  [Alan Foster, SA, WHIS, 11/15]
     
     99-684 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - MVA with Fatality
     
     On November 12th, W.B., seven, of Memphis, Tennessee, was 
     killed in an accident on the parkway.  The vehicle his father was 
     driving left the roadway and hit a bridge.  The father sustained 
     internal injuries and two broken legs and was taken to Memphis for 
     further treatment.  The investigation is continuing.  [Tim Francis, 
     ACR, NATR, 11/15]
     
     RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
     
     Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - Abandoned Auto Removal
     
     Park maintenance staff members recently spearheaded an innovative site 
     restoration project.  Several vehicles and large appliances had been 
     abandoned in a large roadless area before the park was created.  The 
     area is prime habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly. 
     Typical manual removal methods would have severely impacted the wild 
     lupine, which is the sole food source for the butterfly larvae. 
     Instead, the scattered debris was gathered up by hand and packaged for 
     removal by air by a contract helicopter.  Maintenance and resource 
     management staff cooperatively managed the aerial operation.  The 
     nearly 14,000 pounds of material removed during two dozen flights was 
     hauled away by a local recycling firm.  The event received extensive 
     regional media coverage focusing on the resource management benefits 
     of the project. [Al Nash, INDU, 11/12]
     
     OPERATIONAL NOTES
     
     Submission pending.
     
     MEMORANDA
     
     "National Park Service Diversity Plan Requirement for Accessibility 
     Evaluations," signed on November 1st by the director and sent 
     electronically to all regional directors.  The text follows:
     
     "Over the past several years, much discussion has been held throughout 
     the National Park Service (NPS) regarding the need to conduct 
     comprehensive accessibility assessments in parks to identify barriers 
     that might prevent visitors or employees with disabilities from having 
     an equal opportunity in our facilities and programs.  These 
     evaluations are required by the Secretary of the Interior's 
     regulations regarding 'Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis 
     of Disability in Department of the Interior Programs' (43 CFR 17).  It 
     is important that we evaluate our facilities in relationship to 
     current design standards in order to clearly identify where we have 
     deficiencies and to realistically plan appropriate modifications.
     
     "The NPS Diversity Action Plan and the subsequent Director's Order 
     (DO)16a, 'Reasonable Accommodation for Applicants and Employees with 
     Disabilities,' require that we conduct accessibility evaluations each 
     year beginning in FY 1999. 
     
     "The WASO Accessibility Management Program, with the assistance of the 
     Servicewide Accessibility Coordinating Committee, is currently 
     developing comprehensive guidance and direction on the most effective 
     way to conduct these evaluations. This is being done in a manner to 
     ensure that the inventory instrument used is comprehensive, effective, 
     and can be incorporated into the overall Park Facility Management 
     Asset Management Program.  A memorandum from Associate Director 
     Finnerty on this subject...has recently been sent to you.  In light of 
     these ongoing developments, I will relieve you of the imposed 
     timelines for those evaluations for FY 1999.
     
     "I have asked that the WASO Accessibility Management Program 
     Coordinator issue guidance on accessibility assessments within 30 
     days, and that the more comprehensive guidance be completed and issued 
     by October 1, 2000.  Both the interim and comprehensive guidance will 
     include annual 504 self-evaluations and transition plan updates at 
     parks and other sites as established by DO 16a.
     
     "Several parks have already initiated accessibility evaluations.  I 
     encourage all parks to continue these efforts to the extent possible 
     to identify barriers to equal opportunity for employees and visitors 
     with disabilities, and to continue to program appropriate 
     modifications that eliminate those barriers.  Federal law and our own 
     management policies mandate that the NPS improve the accessibility of 
     our buildings, facilities and programs.  One of the most effective 
     ways of accomplishing this is to ensure that accessibility is an 
     integral component of all repair- rehabilitation, construction, and 
     major maintenance projects we undertake.
     
     "Questions or comments can be directed to David Park, WASO 
     Accessibility Program Coordinator, Park Facility Management Division, 
     at 202/565-1255."
     
     INTERCHANGE
     
     No submissions.
     
     PARKS AND PEOPLE
     
     Chickasaw NRA  - District ranger Allen "Butch" Hill will be retiring 
     in January following 33 years of government service.  A retirement 
     dinner is planned for Saturday, January 8th, at Goddard Youth Camp.  
     If you would like to send cards, photos, or memorabilia to be 
     presented to Butch at the party, please send it to Chickasaw National 
     Recreation Area, P.O. Box 201, Sulphur, OK 73086, Attn. John 
     Bandurski.  Email messages can be sent to John Bandurski via cc:Mail.  
     Butch returned to work in November after a lengthy absence due to 
     injuries suffered in a falling accident in October, 1998.  He has 
     worked as a law enforcement park ranger at Chickasaw National 
     Recreation Area most of his career.  He also worked at Lake Meredith 
     NRA and as a smoke jumper.  Butch will retire to an active involvement 
     in his local church and community.
     
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     by park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please 
     address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your 
     servicing hub coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on 
     the web at http://www.nps.gov/morningreport
     
     Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
     cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
     
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