NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, June 21, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1843, the Dollar Newspaper published Edgar Allan Poe's
story, "The Gold Bug," for which he won a $100 prize.  Poe was then
living in a small brick house on North 7th Street in Philadelphia, now
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.

INCIDENTS

00-299 - Denali NP (AK) - Follow-up: Search for Missing Plane
and Employees

The burned wreckage of the missing Hudson Air Service Cessna 185 was
found yesterday afternoon near the confluence of the Kahiltna and Lacuna
glaciers.  All four people on board were killed in the crash --
seasonal ranger Cale Shaffer, 25, NPS volunteer patrol rangers Brian
Reagan, 27, and Adam Kolff, 27, and pilot Don Bowers, 52. Shaffer,
Reagan and Kolff were scheduled to be part of an NPS mountaineering
patrol on Mt. McKinley and were headed for the base camp at 7,200 feet.
The plane went down in what witnesses called one of the worst
thunderstorms they'd ever seen. Cale Shaffer was an experienced
mountaineer and was beginning his second season in the park. Before
that, he worked for two years at Grand Canyon NP, contacting visitors in
the park in an effort to reduce search and rescue incidents and
providing medical and other care to visitors in emergency situations.
Adam Kolff was an experienced mountaineer with extensive climbing and
backcountry experience and had recently returned from three years in
Peru, where he worked for The Mountain Institute. Brian Reagan had three
years of mountaineering experience in the Sierra Nevadas. Don Bowers was
the chief pilot for Hudson Air Service and a well-known sled-dog racer
in the Iditarod, which he ran five times. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 6/20;
Maureen Clark, Associated Press, 6/20]

00-304 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Houseboat Fire

On June 16th, a fire broke out on the 70-foot houseboat "Hi Priority,"
which was tied up in the buoy field in Wahweap Harbor. A caretaking crew
was on board at the time and immediately abandoned ship.  The fire
started in the area of the onboard refrigerators and propane tanks on
the top deck. Fifteen foot flames were emitted under pressure from the
propane tanks, and the fire spread to the kitchen and living room.
Concession employees at the marina immediately took their fireboat to
the scene and applied water to the exterior of the boat, helping to cool
the propane tanks but having no effect on suppressing the fire. The NPS
fireboat arrived and applied water to the propane tanks as it made its
approach. The fireboat was tied off at the rear deck of the houseboat
and park firefighters made an interior attack. The fire was suppressed
within eight minutes from time of ignition, limiting its spread to just
the kitchen and living room area. Overhaul operations continued while
the houseboat was towed to the Wahweap main launch ramp. The veneer and
cabinetry in the kitchen and living room was heavily charred, but the
structure and hull remain intact. Damage is estimated at $250,000. 
Later inspection showed there to be 250 gallons of fuel in after-market
tanks on the roof close to the propane tanks and approximately 600
gallons of fuel in the main below deck tanks. The investigation
continues.  Ranger Shawn McNally acted as incident commander, Jim Traub
was operations.  During the week prior to this incident, there was an
explosion subsequent to refueling a houseboat which resulted in property
damage estimated at  $75,000.  The specific cause is still under
investigation. [Brian O'Dea, Visitor Protection Specialist, GLCA, 6/20]

[Additional reports pending]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III

CURRENT SITUATION

New large fires were reported in the South and Northwest yesterday, but
initial attack activity was minimal nationwide.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 106 crews (- 31), 668
overhead (- 40), 133 engines (- 28), 45 helicopters (- 3), and four air
tankers (+ 2).

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California,
Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

NPS FIRES

Bandelier NM (NM) - Crews are nearing completion of rehabilitation
projects identified by the BAER team.

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

Most large fires are contained or near containment.

OUTLOOK

No red flag warnings or fire weather watches have been issued.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/21]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Submission pending.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Natchez NHP (MS) - The park is recruiting for a museum technician.
The incumbent is responsible for cataloguing and physical care of the
museum collection, mostly decorative arts and objects associated with
the antebellum suburban mansion "Melrose." The announcement number is
NATR00-36.

FILM AT 11...

The July issue of Reader's Digest has a feature by Steve Hendrix
entitled "Search and Rescue At Grand Canyon." The subtitle reads "Where
brutal heat, killer rapids and thousand-foot drops are just part of the
working day." It focuses on the park's SAR team and the gamut of rescue
operations it deals with; featured is ranger Ken Phillips, head of the
SAR team.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming
weeks on matters pertaining to the National Park Service or kindred
agencies.  For inquiries regarding legislation pertaining to the NPS,
please contact the main office at 202-208-5883/5656 and ask to be
forwarded to the appropriate legislative specialist.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

Tuesday, June 20th

House Resources Committee (Young): Markup of:

o	H.R. 2919 (Portman, OH), a bill to promote preservation and public
awareness of the history of the Underground Railroad by providing
financial assistance, to the Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
H.R. 3241, a bill on franchise fee calculations for tours at Fort Sumter NM.
H.R. 3661, the General Aviation Access Act.
H.R. 4063 (Miller, CA), a bill to establish the Rosie the Riveter-World
War II Home Front National Historical Park in the State of California,
and for other purposes.

The hearing will be at 11 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Thursday, June 22nd

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks,
Historic Preservation, and Recreation (Thomas): Hearing on:

o	S. 1643 (Grassley, IA), a bill to authorize the addition of certain
parcels to the Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa.

o	S. 2547 (Allard, CO), a bill to provide for the establishment of
the Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Great Sand Dunes National
Preserve in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands
(Hansen): Oversight hearing on Yosemite's new transportation plan and
access issues. The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Tuesday, June 27th

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands
(Hansen): Hearing on

H.R. 3190, a bill to establish the Oil Region National Heritage Area in
Pennsylvania.

H.R. 4521 (Hill, MT), a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
authorize and provide funding for rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun
Road in Glacier National Park, to authorize funds for maintenance of
utilities related to the Park, and for other purposes.

The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Mark-up of:

S. 2123 (Landrieu, LA) and H.R. 701 (Young, AK), bills to provide Outer
Continental Shelf Impact assistance to state and local governments, to
amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, the Urban Park
and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978, and the Federal Aid in Wildlife
Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act) to
establish a fund to meet the outdoor conservation and recreation needs
of the American people, and for other purposes.

S. 25 (Landrieu, LA), a bill to provide Coastal Impact Assistance to
State and local governments, to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands
Act Amendments of 1978, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of
1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act, and the Federal Aid in
Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson
Act) to establish a fund to meet the outdoor conservation and recreation
needs of the American people, and for other purposes.

The hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. in 366 Dirksen.

Wednesday, June 28th

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Continuation
of the above hearing.

Thursday, June 29th

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks,
Historic Preservation, and Recreation (Thomas): Hearing on:

o	S. 134 (Feingold, WI), a bill to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to study whether the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore should
be protected as a wilderness area.

o	S. 2051 (Feinstein, CA), a bill to revise the boundaries of the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and for other purposes.

o	H.R. 2279 (Farr, CA), a bill to expand the boundaries of Pinnacles
National Monument, and for other purposes.

o	S. 2512 (Moynihan, NY), a bill to convey certain federal properties
on Governors Island, New York.

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

The following bills either directly or indirectly pertaining to the NPS
have been introduced since the last Morning Report listing of new
legislation (June 14th):

S. 2736 (Domenici, NM), a bill to provide compensation for victims of
the fire initiated by the national Park Service at Bandelier National
Monument, NM.

NEW LAWS

The following bills have passed Congress and been signed into law: No
new laws.

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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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