NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, June 22, 2000

                           *** NOTICE ***

Per authority of existing regulations and decision of the deputy 
director, all National Park Service areas are to lower flags to half 
staff today in commemoration of those who died in the plane crash at 
Denali NP on June 19th. Notification on the date to return them to 
full staff will appear in the Morning Report.

ALMANAC

On this date in 1564, French Huguenots led by Ren%eacute; de Laudonnière 
landed near the mouth of the St. Johns River in Florida and began 
building a fortified settlement.  Spain, which also claimed the 
region, retaliated the next year by establishing St. Augustine and 
dislodging the French.  Fort Caroline National Memorial commemorates 
the short-lived colony near its site.

INCIDENTS

00-299 - Denali NP (AK) - Follow-up: Plane Crash, Employee Fatalities

The bodies of the four victims of the crash - seasonal ranger Cale 
Shaffer, 25, NPS volunteer patrol rangers Brian Reagan, 27, and Adam 
Kolff, 27, and pilot Don Bowers, 52 - were recovered from the wreckage 
of the plane yesterday afternoon. The National Transportation Safety 
Board is investigating the cause of the accident and will report its 
findings at a later date. A National Park Service support team is en 
route to the park to provide support to all those affected by the four 
deaths. As noted above, the NPS has authorized the lowering of all 
flags to half staff until interment; Ranger Activities has also 
authorized the wearing of black bands on NPS badges during the same 
period. Those wishing to send condolences may send them to the 
following addresses:

o       Don Bowers - Don and Sally Bowers, 6400 South Lake wood Drive, 
        Van Buren, AR 72956
o       Cale Shaffer - Carol and Ronald Shaffer, PO Box 77, 
        Madisonburg, PA 16852
o       Brian Reagan - Brian Reagan, 11005 West Cameo, Sun City, AZ 
        85351
o       Adam Kolff - Helen and Case Kolff, 510 35th Street, Port 
        Townsend, WA 98368

Details on funeral arrangements and memorial fund contributions will 
be posted in the Morning Report as soon as they are available.  [Jane 
Tranel, PIO, DENA, 6/21]

00-305 - Monocacy NB (MD) - Storm Impacts

Severe thunderstorms struck central Maryland on May 15th, causing 
extensive damage throughout the region. According to the National 
Weather Service, the storms were accompanied by micro-bursts with wind 
speeds up to 100 mph. Some of these hit the park. A 19th century corn 
crib/wagon shed on the Lewis Farm, currently the focus of park 
preservation efforts, was lifted from its piers and moved several 
feet, causing extensive damage to the structure. Tree damage was also 
extensive. Maintenance personnel from the park and from Antietam NB 
were able to open the visitor center area and Gambrill Mill trail on 
may 16th. Cleanup continues in other areas of the park. [Tom Kopczyk, 
MONO, 6/20]

00-306 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Drowning

On the afternoon of June 19th, a 34-year-old Japanese woman slipped on 
the sloping wet granite on Silver Apron and slid into the Merced River 
at the point where it cascades into the Emerald Pool two-and-a-half 
miles up the trail at the top of Vernal Fall. She was swept down the 
cascade and into the recirculating water at the head of the pool. 
Witnesses lost sight of her for many seconds, then saw her resurface 
downstream, float briefly facedown, then sink out of sight. Rangers 
Keith Lober, Steve Yu and John Dill heli-rappelled into the area with 
swift water rescue gear and searched for about 30 minutes before 
locating her at the bottom of a pool in about 15 feet of water. She 
had been submerged for about 90 minutes, but resuscitation efforts 
were begun because she'd been in cold water. These efforts included 
chest compressions, ventilation by bag-valve mask, insertion of an 
endotrachial tube, administration of drugs, and defibrillation with an 
automatic external defibrillator. She was then flown to Yosemite 
Valley, where she was pronounced dead at the Yosemite Medical Clinic. 
[Dan Horner, SA, YOSE, 6/20]

                [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III

CURRENT SITUATION

One new large fire was reported in the Northwest yesterday. Fires in 
the Southwest, Northwest, Great Basin and South were contained. Alaska 
is monitoring 21 unstaffed fires for 20,685 acres.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 71 crews (- 35),467 
overhead (- 201), 131 engines (- 2), 36 helicopters (- 9), and three 
air tankers (- 1).

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

NPS FIRES

No reports. 

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

No significant fires.

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for widely scattered dry 
lightning this afternoon and evening in southern Utah.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/22]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Cape Hatteras NS (NC) - The park is still seeking one commissioned 
ranger to serve on a detail over July 4th. Travel will be on July 3rd, 
work on July 4th, return home on July 5th. The park will cover travel, 
housing, per diem and backfill overtime. Call Anita Race at 
252-473-2111 x 118 by June 28th if you're interested/available.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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