NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT
  
  
  To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
  
  From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
  
  Day/Date:   Friday, March 3, 2000
  
  ALMANAC
  
  On this day in 1931, President Herbert Hoover approved an act of 
  Congress making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem.  
  Francis Scott Key had written the lyrics after observing the British 
  bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor in September 1814.  
  Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine preserves the site 
  and tells the story.
  
  INCIDENTS
  
  No incident reports received.
  
  FIRE ACTIVITY
  
  Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - A winter storm last week dropped about five 
  inches of wet snow from the 6,000-foot elevation up, but the park is 
  still way below normal precipitation.
  
  Carlsbad Caverns NP (NM) - The park reports two 40,000-acre plus fires 
  on state lands to its east. The joint Carlsbad Caverns/Guadalupe 
  Mountains engine crew has been to several BLM fires recently.
  
  Guadalupe Mountains NP (TX) - Fire danger continues to be extreme. 
  Resources are few; emergency hires are being used to provide initial 
  response staff.
  
  Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - The park has not received measurable 
  precipitation since last November and is in a drought situation. Fire 
  dangers are high to extreme. On February 22nd and 23rd, the park 
  responded with two engines to a 20,000-acre fire; on the 25th, they 
  responded with one engine to a 14,000-acre fire. Twenty-five 
  departments responded to the first fire, and 32 to the second. Burn 
  bans have been issued for all counties surrounding the park.
  
  Hawaii Volcanoes NP (TX) - The park has received no significant rain 
  in the past two weeks and has seen relative humidity readings in the 
  single numbers.
  
  [Mike Warren, NPS Fire Management Program Center, 3/2]
  
  CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
  
  Big Bend NP (TX) - Significant Dinosaur Fossil Discovered
  
  A recent article in the Austin American Statesman reports that 
  fossilized backbones of a gargantuan plant-eating dinosaur, discovered 
  in the park by scientists from the University of Texas, are the most 
  complete yet found. The creature probably was about 100 feet long and 
  weighed as much as 100 tons when it roamed the Earth about 67 million 
  years ago, making it among the world's largest four-legged dinosaurs 
  from the late Cretaceous period. James Carter of the university's 
  department of geosciences found the first fossilized fragments of the 
  animal's neck in 1995 and unearthed more remains beginning last 
  November. According to Carter, the bones are either those of an 
  unusually large member of a dinosaur family known as alamosaurus or a 
  new species. Carter says that he expects excavation to resume by this 
  summer after Big Bend NP conducts an environmental impact study. 
  [Austin American Statesman, via "Intermountain Morning Line," 3/2]
  
  OPERATIONAL NOTES
  
  Leave No Trace - The NPS is currently recruiting seven regional 
  collateral duty Leave No Trace program coordinators to help promote 
  and expand the NPS involvement in the national Leave No Trace outdoor 
  skills and ethics program. A detailed announcement and nomination form 
  has been posted on the following bulletin boards - wilderness, natural 
  resources, interpretation, administrative issues, and maintenance. For 
  additional information, contact Roger Semler at Glacier NP at 
  406-888-7837.
  
  Facility Management Software System (FMSS) Update - The facility 
  management software team brought two more parks into the pilot test of 
  Maximo, the new facility management software, in order to address the 
  needs of business plans.  Those parks are Santa Monica Mountains NRA 
  and Point Reyes NS.  Training was provide for these parks at the 
  beginning of January.  At the end of January, a meeting was held at 
  Albright Training Center to introduce Maximo to program managers of 
  other software systems currently in use or being developed within the 
  NPS to encourage seamless connections where applicable.  At the same 
  time, a group worked on clarifying asset management and condition 
  assessment needs to develop a workable program within Maximo to meet 
  the Congressional request for this information.  A meeting was held in 
  late February to complete the director's orders and guidelines 
  statement and make changes and additions to the asset templates and 
  condition assessment tools so that they can be put to use.  The date 
  on that goal was March 1st. The tailoring group met from February 28th 
  to March 2nd to address additional tailoring needs based on response 
  from the pilot parks. Members of the FMSS team have and will make 
  presentations at a number of regional chiefs of maintenance meetings 
  to keep all participants updated on the progress of this program. 
  
  MEMORANDA
  
  No submissions.
  
  PARKS AND PEOPLE
  
  Bandelier NM (NM) - The park is currently advertising for applicants 
  to lateral into a subject-to-furlough GS-9 park ranger (resource 
  protection/LE) position. Medical qualification standards and a Level I 
  commission are required; the position is 6c covered. Government 
  housing is required and cost of living is high. Several other 
  permanent and seasonal positions for dual career interested candidates 
  may be available for qualified spouses. If interested, contact Carl 
  Newman via cc:Mail, or phone 505-672-3861 x 530. Applications will be 
  accepted until March 14th.
  
  Joshua Tree NP (CA) - The park is seeking a commissioned ranger for a 
  60-day detail during the months of March, April and possibly extending 
  into May. This is the busiest time of the year at Joshua Tree and will 
  provide a good experience, particularly in frontcountry campground 
  patrols and technical SAR. Joshua Tree is willing to pick up all cost 
  incurred. Government housing may be available, so per diem would be 
  reduced accordingly, but base salary,  travel and related costs will 
  be paid. Due to the urgency, logistics and cost, a ranger within 
  reasonable travel distance is preferred. Please contact district 
  ranger Keith Kelly at 760-367-5543 if interested.
  
                             *  *  *  *  *
  
  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.
  
                              --- ### ---