NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT
   
   
   To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
   
   From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
   
   Day/Date:   Sunday, January 16, 2000
   
                              *** NOTICE ***
   
   There will be no Morning Reports this week. Morning Reports will resume on 
   Monday, January 24th. 
   
   ALMANAC
   
   On this day in 1908,  President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed land 
   containing spire-like rock formations and caves in Pinnacles National 
   Forest, California, as Pinnacles National Monument.
   
   INCIDENTS
   
   99-773 - Everglades NP (FL) - MVA with Serious Injuries
   
   A single-vehicle accident occurred on the main park road in Flamingo 
   around 2:50 a.m. on December 27th. A Chevy Camaro driven by B.N., 
   24, of Flamingo struck a 15-inch diameter tree. Rangers Tony 
   Terry, Kent Looney, Bill Raften and Bruce Gantt responded. They found that 
   both B.N. and his passenger, J.E., also of Flamingo, had 
   sustained severe traumatic injuries, and that J.E.'s dog had been 
   killed. Miami-Dade Fire Air Rescue flew both men to Miami's trauma center, 
   where both were admitted to intensive care. Florida Highway Patrol 
   officers assisted in the accident investigation. It appears that neither 
   B.N. nor J.E. was wearing a seatbelt. The car spun several times 
   before hitting the tree, entering the spins at a minimum speed of 92 miles 
   per hour and striking the tree at a minimum speed of 73 miles per hour. 
   Charges and pending; the investigation is continuing. [Phil Selleck, EVER, 
   1/14]
   
   CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
   
   Assateague Island NS (MD/VA) - New Exotic
   
   The first colony of nutria, a South American rodent, has been confirmed in 
   the park's salt marsh.  This is the first documented expansion of nutria 
   into the coastal watershed of the Delmarva peninsula.  Nutria were 
   initially introduced into the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland and in 
   many other states in the 1940's and 1950's to promote the fur industry.  
   They escaped into the wild and are now established in 22 states.  Nutria 
   graze on both wild and agricultural plants, but the major threat may be to 
   wetlands.  In marshes, nutria forage directly on the vegetative root mat, 
   resulting in eat-outs of barren unconsolidated mudflats, leaving them 
   pitted with digging sites and fragmented with deep swimming canals.  The 
   damage also accelerates the erosional processes associated with tidal 
   currents and wave action.  Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which is 
   across the peninsula from the park, has lost 7,000 acres of a 17,000-acre 
   salt marsh due primarily to nutria eat-outs.  Aggressive public trapping 
   has only been able to reduce and stabilize that nutria population at 
   35,000 to 50,000 animals.  A three-year pilot eradication and restoration 
   program at Blackwater will likely cost nearly $4 million.  Assateague will 
   begin to survey its wetlands in the immediate future to document the 
   extent of this initial colonization.  [Jack Kumer, NRS, ASIS]
   
   OPERATIONAL NOTES
   
   No submissions.
   
   MEMORANDA
   
   No submissions.
   
   INTERCHANGE
   
   No submissions.
   
   PARKS AND PEOPLE
   
   No submissions.
   
                                  *  *  *  *  *
   
   Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed 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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