NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT
  
  
  To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
  
  From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
  
  Day/Date:   Tuesday, February 1, 2000
  
  ALMANAC
  
  On this date in 1904, William Howard Taft took office as Theodore 
  Roosevelt's secretary of war, the last public office he would hold 
  before succeeding Roosevelt as president.  William Howard Taft 
  National Historic Site preserves his birthplace and boyhood home in 
  Cincinnati, Ohio.
  
  INCIDENTS
  
  00-016 - Haleakala NP (HI) - Follow-up: Assault on Ranger
  
  Corrections to errors in the Morning Report are normally posted in the 
  "Operational Notes" section, but this one needs to be highlighted. 
  Last week's report of the assault at Haleakala was garbled during the 
  editing process. It noted at the outset that rangers Roger Mayo and 
  Erik Larson arrested one S.S. for drug possession, then said 
  that Larson was uncooperative and assaulted Mayo while being 
  handcuffed. It should have said that S.S. was the one who assaulted 
  Mayo. We have no indications that rangers Mayo and Larson are on 
  anything but the best of terms and regret the error. [Editor]
  
  00-021 - Channel Islands NP (CA) - Airline Crash
  
  An Alaska Airlines MD-80 passenger jet with 83 passengers and five 
  crew members aboard crashed into Santa Barbara Channel about 
  two-and-a-half miles north of the lighthouse on Anacapa Island around 
  4:25 p.m. yesterday afternoon. The crash was first observed and 
  reported by an NPS employee working on the island, then relayed by 
  dispatch to the Coast Guard. The crash site is a mile-and-a-half 
  outside the park's boundary. The Coast Guard is in charge of search 
  and rescue efforts; the park is assisting with its 100-foot vessel, 
  Ocean Ranger. The park is managing its response under ICS, with 14 
  people assigned to the incident when the report was transmitted late 
  last night. Winds at the time were out of the northwest and blowing at 
  20 mph; swells were running from six to ten feet, with wind waves two 
  to three feet high. The aircraft hit the ocean at a steep angle, nose 
  first. There is a large debris field and the odor of fuel was evident 
  in the impact area. The ocean is between 600 and 700 feet deep at that 
  location. No survivors have yet been found, but the remains of some 
  passengers have been recovered. The park employee who witnessed the 
  crash is being kept from press interviews until NTSB and FAA 
  investigators can complete a debriefing. IC for the incident is chief 
  ranger Jack Fitzgerald. [Jack Fitzgerald, CR, CHIS, 1/31]
  
  CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
  
  Submission pending.
  
  OPERATIONAL NOTES
  
  Law Enforcement Study Update - On January 14th, the director mandated 
  a study of the Service's law enforcement program. Chairing the study 
  is Mike Finley, superintendent of Yellowstone NP. He has sent along 
  the following update:
  
  "On January 13, 2000, I was asked by Director Stanton to chair a study 
  team to review the National Park Service law enforcement program.  In 
  his memorandum the Director provided general direction relating to the 
  review.  First, the review was to be conducted by a respected external 
  organization, such as the International Association of Chiefs of 
  Police (IACP).  The Service has entered into negotiations with the 
  IACP, but the contract has not yet been signed.  Second, the Director 
  provided that the Law Enforcement Study Team was to be supplemented by 
  two experienced senior law enforcement officials from other land 
  management agencies.  We have selected Mr. Monty Holcomb, Special 
  Agent in charge of the Southeast Region for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
  Service and Special Agent Gary White with the Bureau of Land 
  Management in Boise, Idaho.  Both of these individuals have a deep 
  commitment to public lands law enforcement and will be valuable 
  members of the team.  In addition, we have asked Chief Rangers Cindy 
  Ott-Jones and Cheto Olais to serve on the study team. FLETC 
  Superintendent Paul Henry will serve as a liaison to the IACP team.
  
  "The Director's memorandum established objectives for the study and 
  identified twelve study components.   I believe we should consider 
  these twelve components as the minimum to be addressed by the study 
  team.  The scoping process, including document reviews, employee 
  meeting and comments, external contacts, and various other forms of 
  input may identify other issues.  To begin this process, members of 
  the study team will meet with a group of NPS employees previously 
  scheduled for training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center 
  during the week of February 7, 2000.  This particular scoping meeting 
  was identified as timely and demonstrated fiscal responsibility by 
  meeting with employees already assembled for another purpose.  This is 
  only the first of many opportunities to participate in the scoping 
  process and other study components.  This will be the philosophy I 
  intend to follow during this study.  We will attempt to utilize 
  existing meetings to provide a forum for communication to the extent 
  practicable.  Members of the study team, including an IACP 
  representative, will attend as many of the scoping sessions as 
  possible.  I ask that members of the NPS that desire to participate in 
  these scoping meetings be fiscally responsible and look for efficient 
  opportunities to facilitate dialogue with the study team.  To that 
  end, we have scheduled a session with the chief rangers and other 
  officials at the 'Envision' Conference in San Diego on February 18.  
  Additionally, members of the team will meet with the Chief Rangers of 
  the Northeast and National Capital Region on March 1, 2000, in 
  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We will meet with the National Ranger 
  Advisory Council in Denver in mid-April.  Due to space limitations and 
  manageability, please clear or coordinate your attendance with the 
  appropriate meeting managers or regional officials. We will meet with 
  additional groups, including superintendents, regional directors, 
  unions, and other officials as opportunities occur.
  
  "The team has not yet developed a work plan.  In fact, we have not yet 
  had our first organizational meeting.  My initial thoughts are to 
  conduct a series of forums with a broad spectrum of NPS employees 
  representing field law enforcement rangers, law enforcement 
  supervisors, investigators, other park work units, and 
  superintendents.  In addition, we will seek input from prosecutors, 
  concessionaires, public defenders, cooperating law enforcement 
  agencies, the courts, and others that may provide information valuable 
  to the study.  The team will also rely heavily on existing studies and 
  reviews to the extent applicable to fulfill our responsibilities. We 
  see our activities as complimenting rather than duplicating previous 
  initiatives.
  
  "I believe it is important for the IACP and other agency members of 
  the team to participate in some site visits.  To the extent possible, 
  we will select areas or groups of areas that represent the full range 
  of NPS law enforcement activities, diversity of mission, size, 
  complexity, location and environments.  In order to reduce costs we 
  will look to areas of the country that meet as many of the above 
  objectives as possible.  I would appreciate your thoughts on four or 
  five site visits that would provide the maximum exposure to the 
  greater numbers of the NPS units, while minimizing travel time and 
  logistics.  Please send your suggestions to Superintendent Paul Henry 
  at FLETC.  
  
  "Due to the comprehensive nature of the task and the team's commitment 
  of a quality product, I have asked for - and the Director has 
  approved - an extension of the completion date to September 30, 2000.
   
  "This study is an important undertaking.  My goals are to be 
  inclusive, comprehensive, efficient, practical, and disciplined.  The 
  team will provide updates on the Morning Report as necessary and 
  appropriate to ensure timely and adequate communication.  Your 
  thoughtful participation is invited and appreciated."
  
  MEMORANDA
  
  No submissions.
  
  INTERCHANGE
  
  No submissions.
  
  PARKS AND PEOPLE
  
  Submission pending.
  
                              *  *  *  *  *
  
  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.
  
                               --- ### ---