NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Sunday, August 20, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1969, President Richard Nixon signed legislation 
creating Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado.  The 
area contains a wealth of fossil insects, seeds, and leaves and an 
unusual display of standing petrified sequoia stumps.

INCIDENTS

00-412 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - Follow-up on PWC Accident 

A Kawasaki jet ski collided with a 20-foot Bayliner in the Whiskey 
Creek arm of Whiskeytown Lake around 7:30 p.m. on July 15th, seriously 
injuring PWC operator G.M., 48, and his five-year-old 
daughter. G.M. remains hospitalized. The girl suffered a lacerated 
liver, two fractured arms, a head wound, and various contusions. 
Occupants of the Bayliner received only minor injuries. Investigators 
have determined that G.M. was traveling at high speed and jumping 
the wake of a third vessel when he collided with the Bayliner, which 
was traveling at less than 10 mph. The local DA issued a criminal 
complaint on August 18th, charging G.M. with one count of felony 
child endangerment and one count of reckless and negligent operation 
of a vessel. This was the first of three PWC accidents with injuries 
on the lake over the past 30 day. [Alan Foster, SA, WHIS, 8/18]

00-501 - Mount Rainier NP (WA) - Rescue

D.S., 47, began to suffer from the symptoms of high-altitude 
pulmonary edema (HAPE) while camped at 12,000 feet atop the Fuhrer 
Finger route on August 11th. D.S.'s condition continued to 
deteriorate through the night (gurgling sounds were heard in his 
lungs) and he was semi-conscious and non-ambulatory by the next 
morning. His partner employed a cell phone to call 911 and request a 
rescue. Rangers Craig Patterson, David Gottlieb, John Leonard and Matt 
Hendrikson were assembled as a climbing/rescue team and flown to the 
scene in an Army Chinook.  The location proved to be too steep for a 
landing, so the team was lowered to the mountain at 13,000 feet via 
the helicopter's jungle penetrator cable hoist. They climbed down to 
D.S.'s location and prepped him for evacuation. D.S., his 
partner and the rescue team were then hoisted back into the ship and 
flow directly to Madigan Hospital. D.S. was confirmed to be 
suffering from HAPE. [Mike Gauthier, IC, MORA, 8/17]

00-502 - Sequoia National Park (CA) - Search and Rescue

On August 13th, M.T. and C.T. of Tulare, California, 
hiked to the Muir Grove of giant sequoias from the Dorst Creek 
campground.  They agreed to meet at a designated location near the 
trail's entrance to the grove.  When she failed to arrive, he hiked 
back to the point where he'd last seen her, then out to their car. 
M.T. contacted ranger Rob Lewis and the two men made a fruitless 
hasty search of the area. A full search was begun the next day. Twelve 
rangers were assigned under IC Charlie Strickfaden. No sign of her was 
found that day or into the following morning, so the search effort 
escalated on the 14th. She was found that afternoon in the Dorst Creek 
drainage by an observer in the park's contract helicopter. She was in 
good condition and only mildly dehydrated. [Bob Wilson, Acting CR, 
SEKI, 8/18]

00-503 - Wolf Trap Farm Park (VA) - EMS Response; Life Saved

On the evening of August 17th, rangers were notified of a visitor 
having trouble breathing at the end of the evening's performance. 
National Capital Region's medical director, Dr. Steve Levin, who 
frequently volunteers at the park, responded to the incident along 
with the Wolf Trap ranger staff.  The 63-year-old female patient went 
into cardiac arrest shortly after the crew arrived.  While the park's 
AED was being set-up, Dr. Levin performed a precordial thump and jaw 
thrust which restored the patient's pulse and respirations.  She was 
transferred to a Fairfax County medic unit. [Chris Jones, CR, WOTR, 
8/18]

00-504 - Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD) - Carjacking Arrests

Park Police officer Rick Stewart saw a vehicle traveling at a high 
rate of speed on the parkway just after 4:30 a.m. on August 17th. 
Stewart stopped the car and found that both the vehicle and its 
occupants were wanted in conjunction with an armed carjacking that had 
taken place earlier in the evening in Baltimore. Stewart and backup 
officers took the trio into custody and seized a MAC 10 machine gun 
that was found inside the passenger compartment. [Dennis Maroney, 
USPP, 8/18]

00-505 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - MVA with Fatality

M.P., a firefighter from Marion, Ohio, died from injuries 
sustained in a motorcycle accident on the afternoon of August 17th. 
M.P. failed to make it through a turn and struck a rock wall. [John 
Garrison, Protection Specialist, BLRI, 8/18]

                    [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level V

CURRENT SITUATION

Saturday overview: Eleven new large fires were reported on Friday, but 
containment targets were reached on 11 other fires. Initial attack was 
moderate. Overall, 94 major fires - defined as those burning 100 acres 
or more - were reported for a total of 1,127,609 acres. In Montana and 
Idaho alone, 1,022,616 acres were burning. To date this season, 68,743 
fires have burned 5,381,276 acres. Saturday's problem was wind, 
including gusts up to 40 mph in parts of Idaho and Montana. A red flag 
warning was accordingly posted for all of both states. Two more 
military battalions were ordered, one from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 
and the other from Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.

Sunday overview: New large fires were reported yesterday in the South, 
Rockies and eastern Great Basin. Initial attack was moderate in the 
Great Basin and light elsewhere. The 327th Infantry from Fort Campbell 
is scheduled for training on August 24th and should be deployed the 
following day in the northern Rockies. The 2nd Marines from Camp 
LeJeune will be trained and deployed shortly thereafter. Red flag 
warnings are up for Montana and Wyoming.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from FRIDAY'S numbers in parentheses): 607 crews (- 84), 
5,441 overhead (- 87), 1,159 engines (- 138), and 199 helicopters (- 
13).

Very high to extreme fire danger indices were reported in North 
Dakota, Texas and all eleven Western states except New Mexico.

For more national fire news, go to www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html, 
which also provides links to web sites for specific fires.

NPS AND NPS-RELATED FIRES

Yellowstone NP (WY) - The Spruce Complex (2,190 acres, 0% containment, 
83 FF/OH) - The complex includes 11 fires. No major fire growth 
occurred yesterday. Old burns from 1988 are not burning in an 
organized way and should act as a good barrier until herbaceous fuels 
cure out. The park's South Entrance remains closed; structure 
protection continues at North Gate. The Crow Fire in the Shoshone NF 
could cross into the park near the East Gate. The Enos Fire (below) 
also threatens south Yellowstone. 

Grand Teton NP (WY) - The following fires are burning in the park:

o       Glade Fire (3,200 acres, 0% containment, Type II, 124 FF/OH) - 
        Light rain and cloud cover aided containment efforts 
        yesterday. Highway 89 remains closed.
o       Moran Fire (2,100 acres, 0% containment, 3 FF) - No new 
        information.
o       Wilcox Fire (600 acres, 0% containment, 3 FF) - The fire is 
        burning north in continuous heavy, dry fuels.

The Enos Fire, currently burning in Bridger-Teton NF about 33 miles 
northeast of Jackson, will be included in future reports with the 
Glade, Moran, Wilcox and Hechtman Fires as the Teton Complex.

Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The Dragon Fire (140 acres, 20% containment, 46 
FF/OH) received heavy rain showers yesterday, and more are forecast 
for today. High relative humidity and light winds have prevented any 
further fire spread.

For a listing of all fires, see www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html. 

OUTLOOK

NICC has posted three RED FLAG WARNINGS for today:

o       For gusty winds and scattered dry lightning in southeast and 
        south central Montana.
o       For low humidity and strong gusty winds in central Montana.
o       For low humidity, windy conditions, dry lightning, and very 
        high to extreme fire danger for western and central Wyoming.

A trough moving through the northern Rockies today will bring 
continued strong winds to parts of eastern Montana and western and 
central Wyoming. Dry lightning is also possible in this area. In 
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, winds will be west to northwest, but 
will be moderating from the last two days. Monsoon moisture will shift 
to the east as the westerly flow aloft is pushed to the south. As a 
result of this, wet thunderstorms are expected to occur in New Mexico 
and eastern Arizona. Cool and stable air over the northwest will drop 
the Haines Index down to very low levels in that area.

Temperatures in the Northwest will be in the 60's and 70's. 
Temperatures in the 80's and 90's will prevail elsewhere, with 100 to 
110 degrees common across the lowest elevations of the Utah, Arizona, 
and southern California deserts. Afternoon humidities will generally 
be in the teens and 20's. This will be an improvement over the past 
few days.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/20; NPS Fire Management 
Program Center, 8/19)

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Gulf Islands NS (MS/FL) - Turtles

Staff in the park's resource management division have attached 
satellite transmitters to two loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles 
that nested in the park this summer.  These transmitters will track 
the post-nesting migration routes used by the female turtles to their 
"feeding grounds", which is where the turtles will most likely  spend 
the next two to four years until they migrate back to northwest 
Florida to nest again. It's hoped the transmitters will last for up to 
a year.  The feeding grounds for this population of marine turtle is 
currently unknown. Meanwhile, the next of another species of turtle 
was found in the park. A volunteer for the division's turtle patrol 
located a "different" looking turtle nest on May 18th in the Fort 
Pickens area of the Florida District.  The eggs were relocated to 
nearby higher ground, as the nest was laid very close to the Gulf of 
Mexico.  The bottom layer of eggs were already in saltwater soaked 
sand at the time the nest was being relocated.  Biological technician 
Kerin Berry speculated that the nest might have been made by a 
leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), a first for the park.  A 
close watch was kept on the nest, and the tentative identification was 
confirmed. On the night of August 1st, 52 leatherback hatchlings made 
it into the Gulf of Mexico, followed by another 14 hatchlings over the 
next 48 hours.  Resource management staff were present at the time of 
the hatch in order to prevent hatchling disorientation.  This occurs 
when the hatchlings orient and crawl towards the brightest horizon, 
which historically was south over the Gulf but is now to the north due 
to artificial light from human development in nearby Pensacola.  
Disorientation events that go undetected typically end up with the 
hatchlings suffering up to 100% mortality. The Florida District has 58 
loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests this year (a new record) and one 
green (Chelonia mydas) turtle nest.[Mark Nicholas, Biologist, GUIS, 
8/18]

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

NPS Homepages - A new update system and design for all park homepages 
will be introduced on Founder's Day, August 25th. The new system is 
called "Park Profiles" and is the result of many months of work in 
WASO and the field. The new design will enable all parks to 
participate on www.nps.gov without having to have computer wiz's on 
their staffs. More information can be found at www.nps.gov/helpdesk or 
by contacting webmaster Steve Pittleman at 202-565-1053 or via 
cc:Mail. 

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Mammoth Cave NP (KY) - The park is seeking applicants for the vacant 
GS-13 chief ranger position.  The vacancy announcement for this 
position is available on USAJobs; it opened on August 16th and closes 
on September 6th.  This is a commissioned position, covered as a 
secondary law enforcement position under 6c.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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