NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, October 2, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1672, Spanish colonial officials broke ground for the 
Castillo de San Marcos, a coquina fort in St. Augustine, Florida, that 
would be largely completed by 1695.  Later a U.S. Army post, it is now 
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.

INCIDENTS

00-617 - Shenandoah NP (VA) - Follow-up on Search in Progress

On Tuesday, September 26th, R.B., 68, of Graves Mill, Virginia, 
left his residence to search for ginseng plants. When he failed to 
return that evening, a search for him was begun. About 100 people were 
involved in the operation each day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 
That number increased to 250 searchers on Saturday and 200 on Sunday. 
Investigative information and some significant clues led searchers to 
focus on an area about a quarter mile outside the park. On Sunday 
afternoon, a search team consisting of community volunteers and led by 
ranger Bob Kreiling found R.B.'s body in that area. The cause of 
death was not apparent. An investigation is being conducted by the 
county sheriff's office. [Greg Stiles, Acting CR, SHEN, 10/1]

00-620 - Badlands NP (SD) - Significant Fossil Theft

While off-duty on Sunday, September 24th, ranger Mark Gorman saw a 
woman digging in a known fossil area near Sheep Mountain. Gorman 
contacted her, found that she was part of a group collecting fossils 
in that area, and determined that group members were aware that they 
were within the park and that their activities were illegal. Gorman 
then identified himself as a ranger and found that the woman had a 
fossil in her possession. He found items in her car that caused him to 
believe that the collectors might be part of a commercial operation. 
He issued a warning, then left the area to seek additional help and 
mount a surveillance operation. When rangers Scott Hall and Beth Kolb 
arrived, the three rangers contacted the four collectors and found 
that they had over 1,700 fossil specimens in their possession. One of 
the offenders was a geology student from the University of Wisconsin. 
Evidence seized included geology ledgers and disassembled, fossilized 
turtle shells. The ranger also learned that the foursome had been 
collecting fossils in the park for two days. During follow-up 
interviews, critical information was obtained regarding the illegal 
sale and trade of fossils within areas surrounding the park. Charges 
are pending. The U.S. Attorney's Office will prosecute. [Mark Gorman, 
Acting CR, BADL, 9/29]

00-621 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Mountain Lion Poaching

Biologists for a timber company near the park notified staff of a dead 
mountain lion a quarter mile outside park boundaries on Bald Hills 
Road on September 20th. Rangers and resource managers found the 
remains of a lion known as "Blue," dead from a gunshot wound. "Blue" 
was the first lion to be collared in 1998 as part of an interagency 
mountain lion research project and was providing researchers with 
valuable information on the area's mountain lion population and 
habits. Scientists are investigating the animal's behavioral 
interactions with humans and determining the home range and 
distribution patterns of mountain lions within the Redwood Creek 
watershed. Three of the nine collared lions have been killed to 
date - two by poachers and a third by a neighboring landowner 
reportedly protecting his dog when the lion appeared on his property. 
Hunting of mountain lions is illegal in California. A reward of $1,000 
has been offered for information on the killing. [Bob Martin, CR, 
REDW, 9/26]

00-622 - Jean Lafitte NHP&P (LA) - Search and Rescue

N.K. and M.C. rented a canoe from a local business 
on September 27th and went canoeing in the park. They were due back at 
6 p.m. and were reported overdue at 9:15 p.m. Rangers Leigh Zahm and 
Eric Ulitalo began a search of the waterway and found the couple at 11 
p.m. N.K. and M.C. told the rangers that they'd become lost when 
they attempted to return by an alternate route and that their canoe 
had almost been swamped by a large alligator. During all of this, 
M.C., a diabetic, managed to break his glasses and lose his cell 
phone. The rangers guided them back to the Twin Canals launch area. 
They were tired and hungry but otherwise unscathed. [Jim Carson, CR, 
JELA, 9/28]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

CURRENT SITUATION

Four new large fires were reported in Oklahoma yesterday; one large 
fire in Oklahoma was contained. Initial attack was moderate in 
California and the South and light elsewhere. Continued hot and dry 
conditions will keep fire danger high in Texas and Oklahoma. 

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Oregon, Washington, 
California, North Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, 
Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from Friday's numbers in parentheses): 122 crews (+ 79), 617 
overhead (+ 114), 185 engines (+ 126), and 30 helicopters (+ 20).

NPS AND NPS-RELATED FIRES

No reports.

OUTLOOK

NICC has posted a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for a high dispersion index and 
relative humidity below 35% in the inland counties of the Florida 
Panhandle.

 [NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/2]

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

Yosemite NP (CA) - The park is looking for a GS-9 ranger to work in 
its Media Relations Office. The job has been announced as YOSE-00-76 
and closes on October 11th. The person hired will handle media 
relations on a day-to-day basis, conduct interviews, write news 
releases, plan media events, compile press kits, and undertake related 
activities. Please contact Scott Gediman for further information. 
[Scott Gediman, YOSE]

Coronado NM (AZ) - The park is seeking a commissioned ranger to work a 
detail of up to five pay periods. The park will fund base salary, 
travel, per diem and overtime expenses, and will provided shared 
housing. Rangers at the park work in a high-intensity drug trafficking 
area and are frequently involved in border-related incidents, 
including drug interdiction, surveillance, special operations, and 
immigration violations. The detail will coincide with hunting season 
in the vicinity of the park. Responsibilities may also include limited 
visitor center duties and project work. Ability to speak Spanish is 
helpful but not required. Interested parties should provide a brief 
description of their experience and training, including law 
enforcement, to acting chief anger Mike Hardin or superintendent Jim 
Bellamy, either by cc:Mail or at 520-3266-5515 ext. 33 or 21 
(respectively) by October 6th. [Jim Bellamy, CORO]

Illinois and Michigan NHC (IL) - The I&M Canal, the nation's first 
national heritage area, is recruiting for a GS-11 community planner. 
The corridor is an affiliated area, with a federal commission; it's 
located in north-central Illinois between Chicago and LaSalle. Please 
see the vacancy announcement on USAJobs. It opened on September 29th 
and closes on October 27th. [Administration, LIHO]

FOOTNOTE

The September 29th "Almanac" entry noted that 14 African-American 
soldiers won the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the assault on Fort 
Harrison south of Richmond on that date in 1864. Cindy MacLeod, 
superintendent of Richmond NBP, has provided some additional details. 
The Medals of Honor were actually won at the battle of New Market 
Heights, which was fought earlier on the same day. Both battles were 
part of the larger battle of Chaffin's Farm. 

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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