NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, June 28, 2000

                           *** NOTICE ***

Flags in NPS areas that were lowered to half staff last week in 
commemoration of those who died in the plane crash at Denali NP on 
June 19th should be returned to full staff on the morning of Thursday, 
June 29th.

ALMANAC

On this date in 1865, two-and-a-half months after General Robert E. 
Lee's surrender at Appomattox, the Confederate ship Shenandoah 
committed the last offensive action of the Civil War by seizing eleven 
American whaling vessels in the Bering Strait, 75 miles west of what 
is now Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska.

INCIDENTS

00-320 - Glacier NP (MT) - Bear Attack

J.S., 24, of Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, was injured in a 
black bear attack on the south shore trail at Two Medicine Lake near 
East Glacier on the afternoon of June 26th. J.S. and his wife Ja.S. 
were returning from a day hike when they encountered two black bears, 
both ahead of them on the trail. Although they moved off the trail 
when they saw the S.s, one bear began to circle the couple. The 
S.s retreated back up the trail and started yelling and throwing 
rocks at the bear (neither was carrying bear spray, which is 
recommended by the park). It did not respond to these actions, 
continued to draw closer, then charged J.S. He dropped to the 
ground and covered his head with his hands. The bear sniffed him, 
grabbed one of his boots and pulled it off, and bit the upper area of 
both of J.S.'s arms. At this point, J.S. decided to fight back. He 
lunged at the bear with his car keys in his hand, striking the animal. 
The bear backed off, giving J.S. time to stand up and retreat down 
the trail. The bear disappeared. During the attack, Ja.S. ran 
up the trail to the concession boat dock at the head of Two Medicine 
Lake and sought help. The park was immediately notified and a ranger, 
a volunteer and a boat concession paramedic responded. The puncture 
wounds on Ja.S.'s arms were treated; he was taken to a hospital in 
Browning, where he received further treatment and was released. 
Rangers could find neither of the bears, but will continue to patrol 
the area and search for evidence of bears. If found, a decision on 
appropriate action will be made based on the bear's behavior. [Amy 
Vanderbilt, PIO, GLAC, 6/27]

00-321 - Appalachian NST (Georgia-Maine) - Closure of Segment of Trail

Chief Richard Velky of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation has sent a 
letter to the secretary announcing that the tribe will be closing a 
portion of the Appalachian Trail near Kent, Connecticut, from 8 a.m. 
on Saturday, July 1st, to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4th. The action is 
reportedly in response to long-pending land claims and federal 
recognition of the tribe. A temporary detour will be posted through 
the area on a town-owned road. Media interest has been high. [Robert 
Gray, CR, ANST, 6/27]

00-322 - Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Fatality; Overdose

J.N., 37, and several friends went to Boxcar Cove on July 24th 
to jet ski. His companions report that he was on the water all day, 
that he'd been drinking heavily, and that he was taking prescription 
pain pills in the evening. When his friends went to bed, he was still 
up and "partying." When they checked on him in his tent the next 
morning, they found that he had died. The death has been ruled an 
overdose. [Cate Cleary, Dispatch, LAME, 6/27]

                  [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

CURRENT SITUATION

New large fires were reported yesterday in Alaska, the Northwest and 
the Great Basin. Initial attack was moderate in the Northwest, eastern 
Great Basin, California and the South. Hot and dry weather and 
lightning in the Northwest and Great Basin today will increase the 
potential for fires.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 83 crews (+ 2), 544 
overhead (+ 79), 145 engines (+ 1), 37 helicopters (- 5), and no air 
tankers (- 2).

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Oregon, 
Washington, California, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and 
Mississippi.

NPS FIRES

Bandelier NM (NM) - The NPS Midwest-Rocky Mountain incident management 
team (Ziemann, IC) took over responsibilities for the Cerro Grande 
Fire at 6 a.m. on Friday, June 23rd.  Later that day, two Type II fire 
teams were demobilized, as was the south fire camp.  The area command 
team was demobilized over the weekend.  Volunteer rehab efforts are 
continuing. About 500 volunteers undertook rehab projects on 
Saturday - the fifth weekend that volunteers have been organized into 
groups and taken into the burn to mulch, rake, seed, sandbag and rehab 
fireline, trails and roads.  Prior to last weekend, over 7,780 hours 
had been contributed by 2,000 volunteers. Results have been 
impressive - 22,000 sand bags have been filled, 1,860 feet of wall 
have been built, and nearly 400 acres have been raked, mulched and/or 
hand seeded, requiring over 12,500 bales of straw.  This outstanding 
cooperative effort has been led by Los Alamos County and the Natural 
Resources Conservation Service.  Cooperates include the USFS, NPS and 
Los Alamos National Laboratory.  [Larry Frederick, IO, IMT, 6/27]

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

Alaska State - The state has four large fires - the Clear Fire (2,000 
acres), Natlaratlen River Fire (1,520 acres), Tolovana Dome Fire (700 
acres) and Bearpaw Mountain Fire (10,000 acres) - that are receiving 
particular attention. No containment dates are estimated for any of 
them. The latter three are BLM fires.

Carson City Field Office, BLM (NV) - The China Fire is being managed 
by a Type II team. It's burned 600 acres in cheatgrass, sagebrush and 
pinyon-juniper forest. Eight residents and a commercial building are 
threatened.

OUTLOOK

NICC has not issued any watches or warnings today.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/28]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Flag Etiquette and Protocol - It has been brought to the attention of 
the National Park Service that agency employees sometimes fail to 
demonstrate proper flag etiquette. The imminent arrival of the Fourth 
of July weekend suggests that this is a good time to review proper 
procedures and etiquette, including proper folding of the flag, 
protocol for raising and lowering it, and appropriate circumstances 
and means for retiring and destroying flags. The necessary information 
can be found at the American Legion web site at 
http://www.legion.org/flagtoc.htm. Staffs at all parks should take the 
time to review this information and keep it on file. [RAD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Gettysburg NMP (PA) - Mac Heebner, the park's computer specialist, 
will be retiring on August 2nd after 35 years of government service. 
Mac began his NPS career as an intake trainee in 1969 at areas in the 
New York City Group (Statue of Liberty, Fire Island, Roosevelt/ 
Vanderbilt) and at Isle Royale. He moved to Shiloh in 1971, then 
worked at Natchez Trace, Lava Beds, Haleakala, and LBJ before becoming 
chief ranger at Gettysburg in 1988. During his years there, he also 
served as chief of resource management and as the park's computer 
specialist. A retirement party will be held on July 19th. For more 
information - or if you would like to send a note - write to 
Gettysburg NMP, ATTN: Pat Cipolla, 1000 Biglerville Road, Gettysburg, 
PA 17325, or call her at 717-334-6460.

FILM AT 11...

The Discovery Channel will be airing a documentary on the Washington 
Monument focusing on the two-year restoration project. It will air on 
July 3rd (8 and 11 p.m.), July 9th (7 p.m.), July 12th (midnight and 9 
p.m.), and July 15th (3 p.m.). All times are Eastern and Pacific. 

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

Wednesday, June 28th

House Resources Committee (Young): Markup of the following bills:

o       S. 1705 (Craig, ID), a bill to direct the Secretary of the 
        Interior to enter into land exchanges to acquire from the 
        private owner and to convey to the State of Idaho 
        approximately 1,240 acres of land near the City of Rocks 
        National Reserve, Idaho, and for other purposes. 
o       H.R. 3033 (Ros-Lehtinen, FL), a bill to direct the Secretary 
        of the Interior to make certain adjustments to the boundaries 
        of Biscayne National Park in the State of Florida, and for 
        other purposes.  
o       H.R. 3241, a bill on franchise fee calculations for tours at 
        Fort Sumter NM.
o       H.R. 3693 (Simpson, ID), a bill to provide for the acquisition 
        of Castle Rock Ranch in the state of Idaho and to authorize 
        the use of the acquired ranch in a series of land exchanges 
        involving lands within the boundaries of the City of Rocks 
        National Reserve and the Hagerman Fossil Beds National 
        Monument.
o       H.R. 4275, a bill to create Colorado Canyons National 
        Conservation Area.
o       H.R. 4404 (Hansen, UT), a bill to permit the payment of 
        medical expenses incurred by the United States Park Police in 
        the performance of duty to be made directly by the National 
        Park Service, to allow for waiver and indemnification in 
        mutual law enforcement agreements between the National Park 
        Service and a State or political subdivision when required by 
        State law, and for other purposes.

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

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 2:30 p.m. in 366 Dirksen.

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 21st): 

o       S. 2750 (Reid, NV), a bill to direct the Administrator of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of the Army, 
        the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the 
        Interior to participate constructively in the implementation 
        of the Las Vegas Wash Wetland Restoration and Lake Mead Water 
        Quality Improvement Project, Nevada.
o       H.R. 4692 (Berkley, NV), a bill to direct the Secretary of the 
        Army, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the 
        Interior to participate in the implementation of the Las Vegas 
        Wash Wetland Restoration and Lake Mead Water Quality 
        Improvement Project, Nevada.

NEW LAWS

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

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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