NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, July 11, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1804, Alexander Hamilton was killed by Aaron Burr in a 
duel in Weehawken, New Jersey, only two years after The Grange, his 
house across the Hudson in upper Manhattan, was completed.  The house 
is now Hamilton Grange National Memorial.

INCIDENTS

00-383 - Gateway NRA (NJ/NY) - Follow-up on Special Event: OpSail 2000

The park's Fort Wadsworth Unit was also a focal point for visitors 
coming to New York to see OpSail 2000. Fort Wadsworth sits on the 
Narrows of New York Harbor, providing an ideal vantage point to see 
ships coming into port. More than 20,000 visitors watched the passage 
of the almost 200 naval and sailing ships taking part in the review 
and parade commemorating the millennium. Over 12,000 visitors entered 
on July 4th alone, with three parking lots filling early, emptying at 
mid-day, and refilling for evening fireworks. This was the first 
exposure to Fort Wadsworth for many visitors since it opened to the 
public in 1997. A major increase in facilities and services, such as 
toilets and concessions, was arranged; staffing levels were also 
increased during the week, with assistance coming from the other units 
of the park and from the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan Sites, 
Morristown and Edison. No significant incidents were reported. [Marty 
O'Toole, Site Manager, GATE, 7/10]

00-384 -  Yellowstone NP (WY) - Visitor Gored by Bison

A bull bison gored a 67-year-old man in the Old Faithful area on the 
morning of Sunday, July 9th. A.P., of Sidney, Australia, was 
visiting the park with a bus tour group.  He was standing with a group 
of people, including his wife, on the sidewalk about halfway between 
the Old Faithful Visitor Center and the Old Faithful Inn when a bison 
began running along the sidewalk.  The other people were able to climb 
or jump a log fence to get out of the path of the animal, but 
A.P. was unable to move as quickly and the bison gored him in the 
upper inner thigh.  The injury was very deep and may have cracked a 
bone and nicked an artery.  Rangers responded immediately, providing 
initial emergency medical care.  The victim was prepared for 
evacuation and taken by air ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional 
Medical Center of Idaho Falls, Idaho, for additional treatment.  
A.P. is currently listed in stable condition. [Public Affairs, 
YELL, 7/10]

00-385 - Joshua Tree NP (CA) - Resource Violation

On the afternoon of July 4th, rangers responded to a report of a 
wildfire in the Hidden Valley area of the park.  Ranger Tim Bertrand 
found smoke emanating from an area over 200 yards off the road near 
the Hall of Horrors rock formation.  About a quarter acre of land was 
actively burning.  Bertrand contacted W.E., 21, and 
W.K., 22, at the site of the fire. W.E. and W.K. had 
driven over 400 yards off-road to camp behind a rock formation, 
causing considerable resource damage.  Bertrand located the campsite 
and found an illegal campfire, loaded firearms, and several fireworks. 
W.E. admitted that the wildfire had been ignited by their 
fireworks. The fire was quickly suppressed by NPS and BLM fire crews, 
assisted by San Bernardino County Fire.  W.E. and W.K. were 
cited into magistrate's court and face several USC and CFR charges. 
Park vegetation specialists are working on a cost estimate for 
restitution. [Patrick Suddath, DR, JOTR, 7/10]
 
FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

CURRENT SITUATION

New large fires were reported yesterday in the Great Basin, South, 
Southwest and southern California. Initial attack was light to 
moderate nationwide. 

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 74 crews (- 18), 
307 overhead (- 145), 153 engines (- 28), 49 helicopters (+ 13), and 
three air tankers (no change).

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

NPS FIRES

Dinosaur NM (CO) - There was again no change in the size of the Buster 
Flats Fire yesterday. It is now 95% contained, and full containment is 
still forecast for today. Significant progress was made yesterday on 
construction of fire lines. Demobilization has begun.

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

No major problems were reported or forecast on existing large fires. 
Alaska currently has 20 unstaffed fires in limited protection areas 
for 330,266 acres.

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for dry lightning in southeast 
Oregon and southwest Idaho.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/11]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Firearms Disposition - The Firearms Disposition Center (FDC) at 
Springfield Armory NHS will reopen on July 14th. When shipping 
firearms to the FDC (only), transfers will no longer be initiated 
within the fixed assets subsystem. The FDC will initiate and accept 
all transfers within the system upon receipt of the signed DI-104 
transfer of property form and the firearm. [Property Management, WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - The park is actively recruiting for 
two engineers.  The first is an 801/810 GS-12 permanent position. The 
incumbent will provide engineering services for the park, including 
construction project management for road, septic, drinking water, and 
building construction and rehab.  The second position is a term 
801/810 GS-11 or 12.  Major duties include project management and 
engineering support on the construction of a 32-mile multi-use trial.  
If you are interested in a reassignment to either of these positions, 
please contact Kris Provenzano, chief of facility management, at 
570-588-2416.  Dual career applicants are welcome.  The jobs will be 
advertised in USA Jobs within the next month.

Alaska Region (AK) - A retirement dinner for Bob and Carol Barbee is 
planned for August 22nd at the Officer's Club, Elmendorf AFB, 
Anchorage. Bob is concluding a 41-year career on October 3rd and an 
appropriate send-off is planned. A book of memories - including 
letters, cards and stories - will be compiled and presented to the 
Barbees at the party. Please send your messages for Bob and Carol to 
Karen Weerheim, Alaska Regional Office, 2525 Gambell Street, Room 107, 
Anchorage, AK 99503 by August 14th. Information regarding the party 
will follow. 

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.

NOTE: Compilations of laws affecting the National Park Service are 
still available. Separate volumes for the 104th and 105th Congresses 
are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Sufficient copies 
have already been sent to regional offices to supply each park 
superintendent with his/her own copy.  Superintendents who haven't yet 
received copies of these books should first contact their regional 
offices. To obtain a copy, please contact Beverly Davenport, Office of 
Legislative and Congressional Affairs, via cc:Mail or at 202-208-3636. 
Please include your address if your copy needs to be sent via parcel 
post.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

Thursday, July 13  (2:30 p.m., 366 Dirksen)

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

o       S. 2294 (Feinstein, 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. 
o       S. 2231 (Hollings, SC), a bill to direct the Secretary of the 
        Interior to recalculate the franchise fee owed by Forth Sumter 
        Tours, Inc., a concessioner providing services to Fort Sumter 
        National Monument, South Carolina.

Thursday, July 13 (10:00 a.m., 1324 Longworth)

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

o       H.R. 4312, a bill to establish the Upper Housatonic Valley 
        National Heritage Area in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
o       H.R. 4613  (Souder, IN), a bill to amend the National Historic 
        Preservation Act for purposes of establishing a national 
        historic lighthouse preservation program.

Thursday, July 13 (9:30 a.m., 366 Dirksen)

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Markup of 
the following bills:

o       S. 340 (Allard, CO), a bill to amend the Cache La Poudre River 
        Corridor Act to make technical corrections, and for other 
        purposes.
o       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.
o       S. 819 (Graham, FL), a bill to provide funding for the 
        National Park System from outer Continental Shelf revenues. 
o       S. 1093 (Bingaman, NM), a bill to establish the Galisteo Basin 
        Archaeological Protection Sites, to provide for the protection 
        of archaeological sites in the Galisteo Basin of New Mexico, 
        and for other purposes. 
o       S. 930, a bill to provide for the conveyance of certain 
        Federal public lands in the Ivanpah Valley, Nevada, to Clark 
        County, Nevada, for the development of an airport facility, 
        and for other purposes. 
o       S. 1683 (Murkowski, AK), a bill to make technical changes to 
        the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and for 
        other purposes. 
o       S. 510 (Campbell, CO), a bill to preserve the sovereignty of 
        the United States over public lands and acquired lands owned 
        by the United States, and to preserve State sovereignty and 
        private property rights in non-Federal lands surrounding those 
        public lands and acquired lands. 
o       S. 1617 (DeWine, 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. 
o       H.R. 701 (Young, AK), a bill to provide outer continental 
        shelf impact assistance to state and local government, 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.
o       H.R. 1695 (Gibbons, NV), a bill to provide for the conveyance 
        of certain Federal public lands in the Ivanpah Valley, Nevada, 
        to Clark County, Nevada, for the development of an airport 
        facility, and for other purposes. 
o       S. 1643 (Grassley, IA), a bill to authorize the addition of 
        certain parcels to the Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa.
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. 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.
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.

Tuesday, July 18 (time TBA, 366 Dirksen)

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Rescheduled 
markup session for S. 2123/H.R. 701, LWCF Conservation and  
Reinvestment Act of 1991 and S. 25, LWCF Coastal Impact Assistance. 

Tuesday, July 18 (10:00 a.m., 1324 Longworth)

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

o       H.R. 2317 (Greenwood, PA), a bill to designate a portion of 
        the Delaware River and associated tributaries as a component 
        of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
o       H.R. __, the Steens Mountain Wilderness and Protection Act of 
        2000.

Thursday, July 20 (9:30 a.m., 366 Dirksen)

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Oversight 
hearing to receive testimony from representatives of GAO on their 
investigation of the Cerro Grande Fire and from federal agencies on 
that fire and their fire policies in general. 

Thursday, July 20 (10:00 a.m., 1334 Longworth)

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
(Hansen): Oversight hearing on general issues dealing with access to 
our national parks.

Thursday, July 27 (10:00 a.m., 485 Russell)

Senate Indian Affairs Committee (Campbell): Oversight hearing on the 
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. 

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 (July 6th): No new legislation.

NEW LAWS

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

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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