NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, May 17, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1954, the Supreme Court declared racial segregation of 
public schools unconstitutional.  The segregated Monroe School in 
Topeka, Kansas, attended by Linda Brown, the plaintiff's daughter, is 
now Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

INCIDENTS

00-144 - National Capital Parks (DC) - Follow-up: Shooting of USPP    
         Officer

On May 10th, D.E.A. was indicted on numerous charges in 
the April 13th shooting of Park Police officer Jon Daniels - 
assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon (18 USC 111 (a) 
and (b)), attempted murder of a federal officer (18 USC 114), 
discharging a firearm during a crime of violence (18 USC 
924(c)(1)(A)(iii)), and unlawful possession of a firearm by a 
convicted felon (19 USC 922(g), 924(a)(2)). D.E.A. is currently 
being held without bond awaiting trial. Detective sergeant Tim Moser 
is lead investigator on this case. [Dennis M Maroney, USPP, NCR, 5/16]

00-208 - Haleakala NP (HI) - Non-permitted Event

Early in May, rangers learned from sources in the local New Age 
community that a gathering was planned on the mountain for the night 
of May 4th in conjunction with the planetary alignment that evening. 
Posters advertised meditation, dancing and live music at the summit 
overlook. In 1986, a similar gathering was held on the mountain, but 
was so large it required a regional SET team with support from rangers 
throughout the Pacific islands. This event proved to be much smaller. 
Rangers Michael Grate and Greg Moss worked through the night, 
contacting people who arrived in a few dozen cars. Their presence 
apparently served as a deterrent - neither the live music nor the 
dancing took place and there were no incidents. [Karen Ardoin, CR, 
HALE, 5/12]

00-209 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Suicide

On the morning of May 15th, a visitor reported a vehicle parked in the 
middle of the parkway with a single occupant with a gunshot wound to 
the head. Rangers found at a 59-year-old Virginia man had shot 
himself. A note was found. Rangers Ed Clark and Katherine Brett 
investigated. [John Garrison, Protection Specialist, BLRI, 5/15]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III

CURRENT SITUATION

New large fires were again reported yesterday in the Southwest and 
South. Crews made progress toward containment objectives on all 
Southwestern large fires despite strong winds throughout the region. 

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday: 142 
crews (down from 162 yesterday),  1,157 overhead personnel (down from 
1,254 yesterday), 222 engines, 37 helicopters, and 30 air tankers.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, New 
Mexico, Utah, California, Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado and Montana.

NPS FIRES

Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Containment of the 310-acre Cedar Ridge 
fire was expected late last night.  Seven crews, nine engines and two 
helicopters are committed.

Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - A Type I incident management team (Frye) has 
been assigned to the Outlet fire, which is burning in designated and 
proposed wilderness 25 miles south of Jacob Lake. The fire has burned 
13,350 acres and is 42% contained. Strong winds caused air operations 
to be suspended yesterday and spread the fire through the Saddle 
Mountain wilderness area. Despite the winds, crews were able to hold 
existing fireline and to complete some new lines. Currently committed 
are 1,127 firefighters and overhead personnel, 33 engines and seven 
helicopters.

Bandelier NM (NM) - An area command team (Meuchel) and two Type I 
incident management teams (Humphrey and Bateman) are assigned to the 
Cerro Grande fire. The fire has burned 46,925 acres and is 45% 
contained. No major problems were encountered yesterday despite steady 
strong winds. Crews are positioned to suppress any spot fires which may 
occur. Patrol and mop-up operations continue on the south side of the 
fire. Currently committed are 1,289 firefighters, 27 engines and four 
helicopters.

The Intermountain Regional Support Office and the Intermountain 
Region - Midwest Region all risk management team continue to provide 
support to park staff and acting superintendent Alan Cox.  Park staff 
will return to work at the park Wednesday morning for the first time 
since evacuating the park and the nearby communities of White Rock and 
Los Alamos last week.  Los Alamos was reopened for 80% of the 
residents to return to their homes late Monday; many park staff have 
also returned to their homes.  The park will remain closed, with a 
possible opening at the end of the week.  An NPS critical incident 
stress team (Wizner) is on hand assisting staff.  Special events team 
members are providing security at the park and the SO in Santa Fe.   

The investigation team has begun work.  The fact-gathering phase is 
well underway; a preliminary report is scheduled for completion on May 
18th. The team has been directed to investigate the planning and 
implementation of the prescribed fire and the initial wildfire 
situation up to May 8th, which is when the Type I team took command of 
the fire. The team's objectives are to determine if the prescribed fire 
plan was adequate, if the plan was followed, and if the personnel 
involved were qualified. Data has been collected, about 30 interviews 
have been conducted, and all documents associated with the fire are 
being reviewed. Yesterday, a team of technical fire specialists was on 
the ground at the site of the prescribed burn, reviewing the events 
associated with the ignition and the fire's escape with members of the 
involved staff.  An independent review board will be appointed by the 
Secretary of the Interior.  The board will analyze the data, determine 
what happened and why, and make further recommendations to the 
secretary. The investigation team is an interagency team made up of 
representatives of the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park 
Service, the Forest Service, the National Weather Service, the 
Department of Energy, and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural 
Resources Department's Forestry Division. The team is also working with 
local counties and tribal governments, who are serving as liaisons to 
the team.

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES

Lincoln NF (NM) - The Scott Able fire has burned 20,717 acres. It's 
65% contained and is forecast to be fully contained today.

Apalachicola NF (FL) - The 4,088-acre Long Bay fire is burning 40 
miles south of Tallahassee. The size of the fire increased yesterday 
due to spotting. Drought conditions are hampering containment efforts.

Florida State - The Flowers fire has burned 1,900 acres ten miles 
northwest of Port Charlotte. The fire jumped I-75 yesterday and is 
moving toward North Port.

OUTLOOK

NICC has posted a RED FLAG WARNING for strong southwest winds and low 
relative humidity for the north, east and central portions of New 
Mexico.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 5/17; Larry Frederick, IO, 
ARM, 5/16; Joan Anzelmo, IO, Investigative Team, 5/16]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

East Coast Areas - Bird Conservation Plan

On March 24th, the National Park Service became an official member of 
the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV), a Multi-agency/multi- 
organization partnership dedicated to the conservation of "all birds in 
all habitats." The action took place at the 65th North American 
Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The 
ACJV will establish a position for an NPS employee to serve on both the 
management board and the technical committee, providing agency input on 
policy and management decisions for bird conservation in the Atlantic 
flyway. This action marks a renewed commitment by the Service to 
participation in the long-term conservation of bird species in all 
habitats.  Originally dedicated to waterfowl conservation, the ACJV has 
now adopted the philosophy of the North American bird conservation 
initiative, which calls for continental strategies to conserve "all 
birds in all habitats."  The ACJV has embraced the efforts of other 
formal efforts to conserve land birds, shore birds, colonial water 
birds and waterfowl. The joint venture concept was brought about by the 
advent of the North American waterfowl management plan in 1986, an 
international agreement among Canada, Mexico, and the United States to 
restore continental waterfowl populations to 1970s levels.  To achieve 
this goal, partnerships known as "joint ventures" were developed among 
federal, state, local, and tribal governments, non-governmental 
organizations, industry, and private landowners. The ACJV, established 
in 1988, covers a 17-state area from Maine to Florida and coordinates 
efforts in the Caribbean. It covers three National Park Service regions 
and includes 144 units that collectively contain approximately four 
million acres and account for about half of the annual visitors to the 
national parks. The National Park Service shares many common goals with 
the ACJV and this new partnership will provide the basis for 
strengthening bird conservation in the 17 states and the parks within 
them. For further information, contact ACJV coordinator Joseph McCauley 
at Joseph_McCauley@fws.gov  (413-253-8269) or Keith Watson via cc:Mail 
(252-473-2111 x 132).  Assistant coordinators Craig Watson and Chuck 
Hayes can be reached at Craig_Watson@fws.gov (South Atlantic) and 
Chuck_Hayes@fws.gov (North Atlantic). [Keith Watson, NRS, Outer Banks 
Group]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

No submissions.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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