NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, May 5, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1960, the Netherlands Carillon, a gift from the 
Netherlands in gratitude for American aid received during and after 
World War II, was officially dedicated on the 15th anniversary of the 
liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi Germany.  It stands on George 
Washington Memorial Parkway land in Arlington, Virginia.

INCIDENTS

00-147 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Follow-up: Galax Poaching Arrest

On April 11th, rangers from Oteen Station concluded several days of 
intermittent surveillance with the arrest of three people - M.S., 
23, J.S., 28, and a juvenile female - and the 
seizure of over 47,000 galax plant stems that had been taken illegally 
from the park. On April 19th, the S.s both entered guilty pleas 
to misdemeanor Lacey Act violations. The magistrate judge sentenced 
them each to two months incarceration and two months of house arrest 
with electronic monitoring. During the course of the follow-up 
investigation, the retail value of the galax was established as over 
$11,000. [John Garrison, Protection Specialist, BLRI, 5/3]

00-186 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Galax Poaching Arrest

On April 29th, ranger Barry Lewis caught B.A., G.S. 
and five juvenile children taking galax from the park. The 
group had harvested over 15,000 stems with an estimated retail value 
of $3,750. B.A. was arrested; G.S. was cited, but allowed to 
remain with the children. Both adults are Mexican nationals. They have 
been charged with misdemeanor violations of the Lacey Act. [John 
Garrison, Protection Specialist, BLRI, 5/3]

00-187 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Carjacking; Robbery

Ranger John Anthony investigated a single-vehicle accident near 
milepost 401. The sole occupant told Anthony that he'd been carjacked 
in Asheville, North Carolina, and forced to drive to the park. His 
assailant then robbed him at gunpoint, hit him on the head, and pushed 
the vehicle off the road with him inside. The investigation continues 
and is being coordinated with Asheville PD. [John Garrison, Protection 
Specialist, BLRI, 5/3]

00-188 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Assault

On the evening of April 30th, park dispatch received a report of an 
attempted assault in the Highlands District. The complainants said 
that a vehicle had tailgated them for several miles and that the 
driver was apparently angry over their pace of travel. He attempted to 
overtake them and force them to stop in the road; the complainants had 
reason to believe that the man had a gun. A suspect has been 
identified. The investigation is continuing. Ranger Ken Gochenour is 
the case ranger. [John Garrison, Protection Specialist, BLRI, 5/3]

00-189 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Attempted Suicide; Life    
         Saved

On the evening of April 30th, ranger Steve Spanyer stopped to 
investigate a pickup truck parked along Laurel Creek Road near Cades 
Cove - an area where resource violations had previously occurred. 
Ranger Helen McNutt joined Spanyer as he searched the densely wooded 
area nearby. The rangers heard noises below their location on several 
occasions and Spanyer briefly saw the legs and feet of someone moving 
about. They continued surveillance of the area until the noise and 
movement stopped, then returned to the pickup truck. The rangers found 
the key in the ignition and a note taped to the steering wheel. Now 
suspecting a possible suicide, they hurried back into the woods. 
Spanyer took a different route and immediately saw a man hanging from 
a tree with a rope around his neck. The man's legs were draped across 
a fallen tree limb which partially supporting his weight; his face was 
blue and swollen. Spanyer ran down the hill and cut the rope.  The 
rangers then administered oxygen and intravenous liquids and summoned 
help. The man was transported to Blount Memorial Hospital and 
interviewed four hours later.  He told Spanyer that his wife had 
recently left him and filed a restraining order to keep him from his 
young daughter. He purchased the rope at a Walmart earlier in the day, 
then drove the eleven-mile Cades Cove loop road, making a tape 
recording to his family regarding his impending death and giving 
directions on what to do with his body.  Emergency room doctors 
estimated that the man would have died within five minutes had the 
rescue not occurred.  He was transferred to the psychiatric care unit 
on May 1st. [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 5/3]

00-190 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - MVA with Fatality

A fatal accident occurred near Peaks of Otter around 2 a.m. on April 
23rd. The vehicle went off the road after the driver hit a traffic 
island; it struck several trees, then caught fire. The driver is 
believed to have been T.R., 37, of Salem, Virginia. 
Confirmation was pending at the time of the report. Rangers Gene Park 
and Zeph Cunningham worked the accident. [John Garrison, Protection 
Specialist, BLRI, 4/25]

FIRE UPDATE

The extreme southern portions of the Gulf Coast states, west Texas, 
Florida and Georgia have received very little rain over the past 30 
days and the drought has intensified in several areas.  Southwestern 
Louisiana has received only 35% of normal precipitation so far this 
year and has a total rainfall deficit of approximately 20 inches since 
last July. Southern Louisiana, western Georgia, southeastern Alabama, 
and north and central Florida are all in severe drought.  In addition, 
San Juan, Puerto Rico year-to-date rainfall totals are only 53% of 
normal.  Despite the April rains, approximately 25% of the Southern 
Area is still 9 to 15 inches below normal in precipitation.

Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - A large wildfire was reported burning in 
Miller Woods on Wednesday. It had burned 104 acres and was 95% 
contained at the time of the report. Flame lengths of 30 to 40 feet 
were observed when burning in cattails. One firefighter was 
hospitalized due to heat exhaustion, but has since been released.

Big Bend NP (TX) - The park reports extreme fire danger in the 
mountains and high danger in the foothills. The mountains have 
received only a third of average precipitation over the last six 
months; the foothills have received about half of average over the 
same period.

[Mike Warren, NPS Fire Management Program Center, 5/4]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Director's Order 53 - DO-53 on special park uses was signed by the 
director and distributed electronically on April 4th. RM-53, the 
associated reference manual, has since been approved; it was printed 
and mailed on May 3rd. Each park will receive only one copy, so will 
need to make duplicates locally. Those parks that have not received a 
copy by mid-May should contact Dick Young at 757-898-7846. [Dick 
Young, COLO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

Sleeping Beard Dunes NL (MI) - The park is trying to answer a fairly 
persistent question regarding the legality of launching homemade 
solid-fuel rockets within the park. Although they appear to be a type 
of fireworks, this status is uncertain because CFR doesn't define 
fireworks. If you can provide guidance, please contact Tom Van Zoeren 
via cc:Mail at NP-SLBE.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

White Sands NM (NM) - The park is seeking a seasonal protection 
ranger. The incumbent will be involved in law enforcement, search and 
rescue, and emergency medical services in a desert environment.  
Occupancy of government quarters is required.  White Sands is located 
15 miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico and 85 miles north of El Paso, 
Texas.  The announcement will be open through 12th; the announcement 
number is WHSA-00-04R and can be found on USA Jobs. The season will 
run from late May to late September.  For more info, please contact 
chief ranger Cliff Spencer at 505-679-2599 x 220. 

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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