NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT
  
  
  To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
  
  From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
  
  Day/Date:   Wednesday, February 2, 2000
  
  ALMANAC
  
  On this date in 1848, Mexico, through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 
  ending the Mexican War, relinquished its claims to Texas above the Rio 
  Grande and ceded New Mexico and California to the U.S.  The first 
  battle of the war occurred on May 8, 1846, at what is now Palo Alto 
  Battlefield National Historic Site, Texas.
  
  INCIDENTS
  
  00-021 - Channel Islands NP (CA) - Follow-up: Airline Crash
  
  Search and rescue operations for victims of the Alaska Airlines crash 
  continue, but no survivors have been found. The park assisted the 
  Coast Guard in the rescue effort until late yesterday afternoon, when 
  park personnel were released due to fatigue.  Two park craft - the 
  vessel "Ocean Ranger" with a crew of seven and a rigid-hull inflatable 
  patrol boat with two employees - had been assigned to the incident; a 
  total of 17 park personnel were committed to the operation. NPS staff 
  collected materials in the search area in extreme seas, both inside 
  and outside the park and during daylight and darkness. They conducted 
  area grid searches at the crash site and recovered some human remains 
  and eight large cargo bags of aircraft debris and passengers' personal 
  effects. A critical incident stress debriefing will take place today 
  for all park personnel involved in the incident. The park employee who 
  witnessed the crash was debriefed by the NTSB and provided valuable 
  information. Park staff will likely be assisting with evidence 
  collection along the park shoreline over the next several days and may 
  also be asked to assist in the recovery phase of the operation. The 
  focus of on-scene operations will shift in the near future from search 
  and rescue to deep water recovery. A Coast Guard admiral is the 
  on-scene commander. [Jack Fitzgerald, CR, CHIS, 2/1]
  
  00-022 - Southern and Eastern Areas - Winter Storm II, the Sequel
  
  Several reports have been received on the impacts of the second major 
  ice storm/snow storm to strike the South and East over the past two 
  weeks:
  
  o     Little River Canyon NP (AL) - The park was hit by its second ice 
        storm in a week on Friday and Saturday. Some power outages were 
        reported. Many roads which had been cleared following the first 
        storm were again temporarily blocked. About half of the park's 
        Canyon Rim Drive and approximately 12 of the park's 35 miles of 
        management area roads have been reopened. 
  
  o     Appomattox Court House NHP (VA) - The park was struck by an ice 
        storm on Sunday that eventually deposited between two and three 
        inches of ice on the ground and other surfaces and forced the    
        park's closure at midday. It remained closed on Monday due to    
        extremely hazardous conditions. The visitor center and McLean    
        House reopened on Tuesday; all trails and waysides remain closed 
        but should reopen later this week, as rising temperatures are 
        forecast.
  
  o     Petersburg NB (VA) - The park was again closed on January 30th 
        due to snow changing over to freezing rain. Thousands of homes 
        in the area were without power on Sunday. Up to a half-inch of 
        ice formed on surfaces. There was no damage to park facilities. 
        Roads and walkways were cleared during the day, and the park 
        opened four hours late on Monday so that staff could complete 
        deicing and sanding.
  
  o     Richmond NBP/Maggie Walker NHS (VA) - The park closed on Sunday 
        and opened late on Monday due to the ice storm that hit the 
        area. As many as 200,000 residences in the area lost power; half 
        had not yet regained it by Monday morning. All park facilities 
        have power except for the maintenance office. Only minor damage 
        and flooding were reported.
  
  [Dwight Dixon, CR, LIRI, 1/31; Reed Johnson, Superintendent, APCO, 
  2/1; Mike Hill, Superintendent, PETE, 1/31; Cindy MacLeod, 
  Superintendent, RICH, 1/31]
  
  00-023 - Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (MO) - Special Events
  
  Following the St. Louis Rams' victory in the Super Bowl on Sunday, 
  thousands of jubilant fans converged on downtown St. Louis to 
  celebrate. Numerous bars in the LaClede's Landing area adjacent to the 
  park hosted Super Bowl and post-Super Bowl parties which were heavily 
  attended. City police closed the area to vehicles, forcing celebrants 
  into the Arch parking garage. Revelers continued partying until the 
  early hours of the morning. Nine custody arrests were made, all 
  alcohol related. By comparison, only seven arrests were made during 
  the entire three-day Fair Saint Louis last summer. On the afternoon of 
  January 31st, a parade and rally to honor the Rams was held 
  immediately adjacent to the Old Courthouse. Although the event was 
  attended by over 100,000 fans, problems were few and no arrests were 
  made. [Rod Danner, CR, JEFF, 2/1]
  
  00-024 - National Capital Parks Central (DC) - Oil Spill
  
  An abandoned vessel docked at James Creek marina sank on Friday, 
  January 28th, releasing oil and gasoline into the Anacostia River. 
  USPP investigator John Crichfield and Coast Guard personnel determined 
  the identity of the vessel's owner and found that it had been 
  assembled from other salvaged boats. The owner was contacted and 
  ordered to raise the vessel by Monday. Investigation revealed improper 
  registration and mistitling of the craft. Estimates of pollutant 
  release are incomplete due to the thickness of ice on the river. 
  Efforts were undertaken to contain the released oil and gasoline. 
  [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 1/31]
  
  CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
  
  Submissions pending.
  
  OPERATIONAL NOTES
  
  Fire Safety Web Site - A 1998 report on wildland firefighter safety 
  awareness identified 86 goals and 227 implementation strategies which 
  would improve wildland firefighter safety. The five wildland fire 
  management agencies subsequently launched a program called SAFE 
  (safety awareness in the fire environment). SAFE, which is managed by 
  Steve Holder of the NPS, is tracking all on-going and past efforts 
  addressing these goals and strategies. SAFE has established a database 
  and web site to assist in both this tracking endeavor and to make 
  information on the projects available to all employees and the public. 
  It can be found on the National Interagency Fire Center home page 
  (www.nifc.gov) under the heading "Safety." It can also be reached 
  through each agency's fire management home page. If you know of other 
  efforts which should be included in the database, contact Mike 
  Phillips of USFWS in Albuquerque at 505-248-6819 no later than March 
  15th. [Paul Broyles, NPS FMPC]
  
  MEMORANDA
  
  No submissions.
  
  INTERCHANGE
  
  No submissions.
  
  PARKS AND PEOPLE
  
  Everglades NP - Dr. William "Dr. Bill" Robertson died at home on the 
  night of January 27th, apparently of natural causes. He devoted more 
  than 46 years in the NPS and DOI to research the wildlife biology of 
  Everglades NP and Dry Tortugas NP and continued working after his 
  retirement in 1997 - still dedicated to the cause to which he devoted 
  his life's work. He was preceded in death by his wife, who passed away 
  last year. Arrangements are incomplete at this time. Further 
  information will be provided for those who wish to send messages to 
  the family. [Rick Cook, EVER]
  
  Gates of the Arctic NP&P - The park is seeking someone to serve on a 
  120 day detail or temporary promotion as GS-025-12 chief of 
  operations.  The duty station is in Bettles and the time period is 
  this coming spring. The main focus will be preparing for the summer 
  season - hiring seasonals, overseeing maintenance projects, 
  establishing summer patrol schedules, and similar duties. The position 
  will be advertised shortly, so the detail provides the opportunity to 
  "try out" the job. For further information, contact superintendent 
  Dave Mills at 907-456-0281 as soon as possible. [Robyn Burch, YUGA]
  
  Biscayne NP (FL) - On January 21st, rangers David Pharo and Steve 
  Stinnett (now at Point Reyes) were honored as outstanding law 
  enforcement officers of the year for the Southern District of Florida 
  by United States attorney Thomas Scott. The recognition was for their 
  efforts in investigating and prosecuting the case of U.S. v. Guy 
  Amodie (98-437). Amodie ran his vessel aground several times in the 
  park while under the influence of alcohol, causing extensive damage to 
  the fragile sea grass community. The case was presented in federal 
  district court and the government was successful in receiving guilty 
  findings on all five charges, with a total fine of $25,000 assessed 
  (the maximum possible).  Amodie was also ordered to pay $106,000 to 
  the park for the damage his vessel inflicted upon the resources.  
  Pharo and Stinnet were recognized for using statutes and regulations 
  not commonly employed in district court and for successfully involving 
  the defendant's insurance company, which accepted liability for its 
  client's criminal conduct. This settlement was worked out within seven 
  months of the incident.  Federal prosecutors worked closely throughout 
  the proceedings with the regional solicitors office and the Service to 
  insure that compensation was adequate to restore the damage to park 
  resources.  [Wayne Elliott, BISC]
  
                              *  *  *  *  *
  
  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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