NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, July 18, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1938, Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan landed his plane in 
Dublin, Ireland, after taking off from Floyd Bennett Field the 
previous day, heading for the West Coast.  Corrigan blamed a faulty 
compass for his mistake.  Floyd Bennett Field is now part of Gateway 
National Recreation Area.

INCIDENTS

00-401 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Pursuit, Arrest

On the afternoon of July 15th, Gatlinburg police asked rangers to be 
on the lookout for a blue Honda Civic whose driver failed to stop for 
a bicycle officer who was trying to investigate an alcohol violation. 
Minutes later, ranger Kevin Moses spotted the car near Laurel Falls. 
The driver failed to respond to lights and siren and a lengthy pursuit 
ensued down Little River Road. Two other rangers joined the pursuit. 
The driver exceeded speeds of 80 mph and recklessly passed other cars 
on the narrow, low-speed road. Ranger Helen McNutt and Townsend police 
setup a roadblock; when McNutt motioned for the driver to stop, 
though, he attempted to run her down and kept on going. Townsend 
officers took over control of the pursuit when the car left the park 
and after it had rammed one of their patrol cars. The Honda finally 
stopped near Walland, about 30 miles from the point where the pursuit 
began. Rangers arrested the male driver and his female passenger. 
Numerous charges are pending, including a felony charge for reckless 
endangerment. [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 7/17]

00-402 - Big Thicket NP (TX) - Drowning

A 44-year-old woman drowned in the Neches River near the Confluence 
Boat Launch ramp around 6 p.m. on July 16th. She did not know how to 
swim and was wading in the river when she disappeared. Her body was 
found and recovered within 30 minutes. Intoxication was reportedly a 
contributing factor. [Bob Appling, CR, BITH, 7/17]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III

CURRENT SITUATION

Lightning ignited several new large range fires in the Great Basin and 
Northwest and led to extensive initial attack in Nevada, Utah and 
southern Idaho. A Type I team has been dispatched to a fire in Nevada. 
Crews continue to make significant progress on timber fires in Idaho 
and Montana, aided by cloud cover and scattered precipitation. 

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 170 crews (+ 28), 
724 overhead (- 205), 374 engines (+ 15), 81 helicopters (+ 16), and 
three air tankers (+ 2).

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

NPS FIRES

Wind Cave NP (SD) - The lightning-caused Highland Creek Fire, which 
burned a total of 1,136 acres, has been 100% contained and should be 
controlled by 6 p.m. on Thursday. 

Everglades NP (FL) - Thunderstorms started two new fires over the 
weekend. The Bay Fire had burned 931 acres as of yesterday; the other 
was only a quarter acre and has been suppressed. It's unlikely that 
the Bay Fire will spread significantly. 

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

Salmon-Challis NF (ID) - Clear Creek Fire (39,166 acres, 5% 
containment, Type I team assigned): The fire grew in size yesterday by 
almost 15,000 acres. It continues to pose a threat to residences. 

Salmon-Challis NF (ID) - Fenster Creek Fire (3,326 acres, 75% 
containment, Type II team assigned): A Type I team will take over 
management of the fire today. Crews have been able to make direct 
attacks on the fire in all divisions and have made significant 
progress. Current threats are to residences, historic cabins, mine 
outbuildings and the Salmon municipal watershed.

Payette NF (ID) - Burgdorf Junction Fire (2,991 acres, 16% 
containment, Type I team assigned): The fire was moderately active 
yesterday and continued to burn actively all night. The southeast edge 
of the fire is threatening the community of Secesh.

Winnemucca Field Office, BLM (NV) - Prince Royal Fire (13,000 acres, 
5% containment, Type II team assigned): The fire is burning in 
sagebrush and grass. It jumped Highway 400 last night and is 
threatening the towns of Imlay and Unionville. Five structures were 
saved during initial attack.

Winnemucca Field Office, BLM (NV) - Bilk Creek Complex (11,000 acres, 
5% containment, Type I team assigned): The complex includes six 
significant fires. Strong, erratic winds caused extreme rates of 
spread and intense fire behavior yesterday. Power lines were reported 
destroyed and a communications tower and several ranches are 
threatened.

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued a RED FLAG WARNING for dry lightning this afternoon in 
southeastern Oregon and northern and central Nevada.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/18; Mike Warren, NPS 
Fire Management Program Center, 7/17]

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

No submissions.

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, July 18 (9:30 a.m., 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 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.

Wednesday, July 19 (11:00 a.m., 1324 Longworth)

House Resources Committee (Young): Mark-up of the following:

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. 3745 (Nussle, IA), a bill to authorize the addition of 
        certain parcels to the Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa.
o       H.R. 4275, a bill to create Colorado Canyons National 
        Conservation Area.
o       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. 
o       H.R. 4583 (Hansen, UT), a bill to extend the authorization for 
        the Air Force Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial in 
        the District of Columbia or its environs.

Wednesday, July 19 (10:00 a.m., 210 Cannon)

House Budget Committee (Kasich): Oversight hearing on fire inspections 
and other infrastructure needs in the National Park Service.

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 20 (11:00 a.m., 1324 Longworth)

House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and 
Oceans (Saxton): Hearing on H.R. 4790, a bill to recognize hunting 
heritage and provide opportunities for continued hunting on public 
lands. 

Tuesday, July 25 (10:00 a.m., 485 Russell)

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

Wednesday, July 26 (10:00 a.m., 2203 Rayburn)

House Government Reform Subcommittee on Civil Service (Scarborough): 
Hearing on H.R. 2814, (Pombo, CA), a bill to amend chapter 55 of Title 
5, United States Code, to authorize equal overtime pay provisions for 
all Federal employees engaged in wildland fire suppression operations. 

Monday, August 14 (Albuquerque, NM)

House Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health 
(Chenoweth-Hage): Field oversight hearing on fire policy of federal 
land management agencies.

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): 

o       H.R. 4815 (Baldacci, ME), a bill to direct the Secretary of 
        the Interior to provide assistance in planning, constructing, 
        and operating a regional heritage center in Calais, Maine, to 
        facilitate the management and interpretation of the Saint 
        Croix Island International Historic Site. 
o       S. 2848 (Bingaman, NM), a bill to provide for a land exchange 
        to benefit the Pecos National Historical Park in New Mexico.
o       H.R. 4835 (Moran, VA), a bill to authorize the exchange of 
        land between the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of 
        Central Intelligence at the George Washington Memorial Parkway 
        in McLean, Virginia, and for other purposes.

NEW LAWS

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

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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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