NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT
  
  
  To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
  
  From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
  
  Day/Date:   Wednesday, February 9, 2000
  
  ALMANAC
  
  On this day in 1906, black poet Paul Laurence Dunbar died at his 
  Dayton, Ohio, home.  Dunbar's home and sites associated with his 
  friends Wilbur and Orville Wright now compose Dayton Aviation Heritage 
  National Historical Park.
  
  INCIDENTS
  
  99-695 - San Juan NHS (PR) - Follow-up: Ship Grounding
  
  The 564-foot Russian-flagged freighter Sergo Zakariadze remains hard 
  aground on the eastern side of the entrance to the San Juan Harbor 
  ship channel. The ship's cargo of cement is being removed. At the time 
  of the report, incident managers were awaiting EPA approval of a 
  proposed ocean dumping operation, scheduled to begin this week. The 
  ship is still holding together; no structural damage has been detected 
  in the hold, main deck, engine room or upper wing ballast tank, and 
  previously reported structural cracks and buckling are not 
  propagating. The operation has cost just over $872,000 to date. [Mark 
  Hardgrove, Deputy Superintendent, SAJU, 2/8]
  
  00-036 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Carjacking
  
  A visitor from South Dakota was approached by a 17-year-old male from 
  Missouri in the parking lot at Malaquite Beach around 7:30 p.m. on the 
  evening of Friday, February 4th. The boy aimed a gun at him and took 
  his van. Two other men fled with the minor - J.W., 20, and 
  J.M., 19. A "be on the lookout" message was broadcast to 
  local agencies. The threesome was spotted and stopped within the city 
  limits of Corpus Christi. Since the assailant is under 18, he was 
  charged with aggravated robbery under state law. An enhancement was 
  added to the felony since the victim was over 65 years old. J.W. and 
  J.M. have also been charged with aggravated robbery. Federal 
  charges are pending. The three have been linked to a stolen vehicle 
  from Missouri which they burned on the beach when they got it stuck 20 
  miles down the island. [Gus Martinez, PAIS, 2/7]
  
  FIRE ACTIVITY
  
  The winter storms that have struck most of the country over the past 
  few weeks have reduced fire danger appreciably in most areas, but 
  significant portions of the country remain very dry. Grand Canyon NP 
  is reporting very low large fuel moisture (20 to 23 percent) on the 
  North Rim; these fuels should be snow-covered at this time of the 
  year. Big Thicket NP has had numerous small fires and one that reached 
  375 acres. Big Cypress NP and Everglades NP continue to report 
  considerable activity. [Mike Warren, NPS Fire Management Program 
  Center, 2/8]
  
  CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
  
  Dinosaur NM (CO/UT] - Bighorn Sheep Reintroduction
  
  During the morning of Thursday, January 27th,  27 bighorn sheep were 
  released along the Yampa Bench Road below Tanks Peak within the park.  
  The sheep had been trapped the day before by Colorado Division of 
  Wildlife (CDW) personnel near Georgetown, Colorado, then transported 
  to the release site in a large horse trailer.  There were ten rams, 
  thirteen ewes and four lambs in the group.  Ten of the animals have 
  radio collars so that NPS and CDW employees can monitor them.  The 
  last release of sheep in the park was in 1997.  The objective of the 
  program is to establish a sheep population in the historic habitat 
  along the Yampa River corridor.  CDW estimates there are already 150 
  sheep in the park.  Sheep are often observed by river runners along 
  the Green and Yampa Rivers. [Dave Panebaker, DINO, 2/8]
  
  OPERATIONAL NOTES
  
  AOC Move - The Accounting Operations Center (AOC) will move to a new 
  building between Friday, February 18th, and Monday, February 21st. AOC 
  staff will complete packing on the morning of the 18th and will 
  probably be dismissed around noon so that movers can begin their work. 
  AOC will therefore effectively cease its service operations at the 
  close of business on the 17th. Staff will unpack and set up their new 
  offices on Sunday and Monday (a holiday), with the intent of being as 
  close to fully operational as possible on the morning of Tuesday, 
  February 22nd. AOC's new mailing address is: PO Box 10000, Herndon, VA 
  20171-9988. The street address is: 2180 Fox Mill Road, Suite 201, 
  Herndon, VA 20171. Most employee and office telephone numbers in the 
  new building will be the same as current numbers. An organizational 
  and alphabetic telephone listing will be distributed soon after the 
  move is completed. The move date may change, as it is contingent on 
  completion of work by the owner and management companies for the new 
  building, who are slightly behind schedule at present. If the move is 
  delayed, a notice will appear on the admin bulletin board. [C. Bruce 
  Sheaffer, Comptroller, 2/3]
  
  MEMORANDA
  
  No submissions.
  
  PARKS AND PEOPLE
  
  Amistad NRA (TX) - The park is currently accepting applications for 
  two GS-025-11 district ranger positions at Amistad, which is a 
  58,000-acre, water-based recreation area with an 80-mile-long 
  international water border with Mexico. Each district ranger directly 
  supervise three to four GS-9 protection rangers. The incumbents will 
  work closely with cultural and natural resource managers, 
  concessionaires, and local, state, federal, and international 
  officials. These are 6(c) covered positions that require law 
  enforcement commissions. The vacancy announcement (IMSF-00-24) is 
  available at www.usajobs.opm.gov and closes on February 28th. Contact 
  chief ranger Todd Brindle at 830-775-7491 x 213 for more information. 
  [Todd Brindle, AMIS]
  
  Intermountain SO (CO) - The office is currently accepting applications 
  for a full-time, permanent, GS-408-12 ecologist [inventory and 
  monitoring coordinator]. The job will be listed on USA Jobs until 
  March 2nd. The announcement number for applicants with status is 
  IMDE-00-14 (it's been advertised government-wide); the announcement 
  number for non-status (all source) applicants is IMDE-00-15. Duties: 
  Staff specialist in ecological inventory, monitoring, analysis, and 
  evaluation. Coordinates the inventory and monitoring program of the 
  Intermountain Region among more than 80 parks, eight monitoring 
  networks, other National Park Service offices, and cooperating 
  organizations. Also provides related professional advice, guidance, 
  and services to the parks in the Intermountain Region. Member of a 
  multi-disciplinary natural resource staff, which is responsible for 
  directly serving the parks of the Intermountain Region. (Tom Wylie, 
  IMDE-NT)
  
  Sleeping Bear Dunes NL (MI) - The park is currently advertising for a 
  GS-025-5/7/9 STF subdistrict park ranger (LE).  The position is open 
  to all applicants currently within and outside of the government.  It 
  is listed on USA Jobs under announcement numbers CMLH-0-0089 or 0106.  
  The incumbent is stationed on 15,000-acre North Manitou Island from 
  May until November each year.  This is a backcountry/wilderness 
  position; responsibilities include hiking, boating on Lake Michigan, 
  and fire, SAR and EMS. Questions should be directed to district ranger 
  Chris Johnson via cc:Mail or at 231-325-5562 x 460. All application 
  materials must be received by the closing date of February 28th.
  
                               *  *  *  *  *
  
  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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