NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, October 11, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1809, Meriwether Lewis, co-leader of the famous 
transcontinental expedition of 1803-06, committed suicide at Grinder's 
Inn on the Natchez Trace in Tennessee.  His grave lies within the 
Natchez Trace Parkway.

INCIDENTS

00-375 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Follow-up: Assault with Deadly Weapon

On July 3rd, rangers Paige Ritterbusch, Jeff Roberts and Russ 
Brautigam responded to a report of a man holding a knife to a woman's 
throat at the Freshwater Spit campground. Witnesses confirmed that 
D.B., 37, had held a large bowie knife to the throat of the 
woman he lived with. He was arrested and charged under state codes for 
assault and battery and inflicting corporal injury on a cohabitant. On 
October 2nd, D.B. plead guilty in county superior court and was 
convicted of disturbing the peace. He was sentenced to 15 days in 
jail. [Bob Martin, CR, REDW, 10/10]

00-635 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Resource Violations

On October 9th, ranger Mike Boxx received a report of illegal 
"scrapers" in the remote Owl's Head area of the park. Scrapers are 
people who illegally enter military live fire ranges to steel metal, 
unexploded ordnance and wire. They base their operations on park or 
BLM land and often destroy historical and archeological sites and 
commit other resource violations in the course of their activities. 
Many scrapers have criminal records and are armed, thereby posing a 
considerable risk to both visitors and employees. Boxx, ranger Nancy 
Wizner, and a BLM ranger contacted the county sheriff's office and the 
Army and coordinated a joint response. NPS and BLM rangers approached 
the scraper's camp from the ground while an Army helicopter flew air 
cover. Two scrapers were arrested without incident due to the strong 
show of force. [CRO, DEVA, 10/9]

00-636 - Zion NP (UT) - Pursuit; Arrests

Rangers Tim Havens and Randy Fisher attempted to stop two dirt bikes 
on the Kolob Terrace Road on October 7th. Both operators fled at high 
speed. They were pursued for a short distance, but the rangers broke 
off the chase because of the speeds involved and the winding nature of 
the road. They eventually tracked the motorcycles up a hiking trail to 
the point where they'd been ditched. Additional rangers arrived on 
scene and a search was begun for the pair. They soon came out of 
hiding and turned themselves in; they were arrested for a variety of 
offenses, including an outstanding state drug warrant. [Ray O'Neil, 
IC, ZION, 10/8]

00-637 - Fort McHenry NM&HS (MD) - Special Event

On September 30th, the park was the site of both a First Amendment 
rally and an Army tattoo. The rally was sponsored by Maryland ADAPT, a 
handicapped awareness group, which was showing support for the 
Americans with Disabilities Act. The rally was attended by about 50 
people. The tattoo is a military retreat ceremony featuring the Army 
Drum and Bugle Corps and the Fort McHenry Guard. Director Stanton was 
named honorary colonel of the guard. The ceremony was attended by over 
1400 visitors. There were no incidents. Catoctin Mountain Park 
assisted by providing additional personnel. [Hugh Manar, Acting CR, 
FOMC, 10/6]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Yellowstone NP/Grand Teton NP (WY) - Final Winter Use EIS

The final winter use plan/EIS for the two parks and John D. 
Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway is now available to the public.  The 
document contains a range of winter use management alternatives for 
the parks, including a revised preferred alternative that emphasizes 
cleaner, quieter, NPS-managed, over-snow mass transit access to the 
parks using existing transportation technologies.  The final decision 
on how winter use will be managed and how changes will be implemented 
in the three parks will be determined in the record of decision (ROD). 
Pursuant to a court-ordered deadline, the ROD is scheduled to be 
signed in November. The revised preferred alternative (Alternative G 
in the draft EIS) addresses a full range of issues regarding safety, 
natural resource impacts, and visitor experience and access.  Under 
this alternative, motorized visitor access to the parks will be via 
NPS-managed snowcoaches beginning in the winter of 2003-2004.  The 
three-year implementation period will allow existing snowcoach 
operators to increase their fleet size and encourages snowmobile and 
other new operators to purchase coaches and reduce snowmobile numbers. 
The alternative would implement strategies that provide a reasonable 
level of affordable access to winter park visitors.  Snowcoaches would 
be required to meet the best available emission standards and 
established sound levels. For safety reasons, over-snow travel would 
be prohibited from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.  Scientific and monitoring 
studies would continue to determine possible impacts on park 
resources. The winter use planning process is the result of a May 1997 
lawsuit filed by several conservation and animal rights organizations 
and individuals.  If the plaintiffs had prevailed, all winter use of 
the parks could have been halted until an EIS was completed.  The 
Service opted instead to pursue a settlement agreement with the 
plaintiffs which allowed activities to continue under the existing 
winter use plan while the EIS was prepared according to a prescribed 
schedule. During the public comment period on the draft EIS (August 15 
to December 15, 1999), 46,500 public comments were received, including 
6,300 unique letters.  This final EIS addresses those comments and 
concerns. After the final EIS is published, there will be a 30-day 
waiting period before the ROD is signed.  The NPS will accept written 
comments on the document from the day the final EIS is released until 
October 31st. The NPS encourages comments on the final EIS preferred 
alternative since it is different from the preferred alternative 
proposed in the draft EIS.  Written comments can be addressed to: 
Clifford Hawkes, National Park Service, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, 
Lakewood, CO 80228, or submitted through the internet to 
yell_winter_use@nps.gov.   Comments transmitted by facsimile machine 
will not be considered.  Written comments must be postmarked on or 
before October 31st. The document is available at 
www.nps.gov/planning. Written requests for full copies of the document 
(paper copy or CD ROM) should be directed to Clifford Hawkes at the 
address above. [Public Affairs, YELL, 10/10]

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Springfield Armory NHS (MA) - The park is recruiting for a GS-1104-7/9 
property disposal specialist. Major duties include serving as overall 
administrative coordinator and property manager for the Service's 
Firearms Disposition Center. The incumbent will also assist the park's 
administrative officer with procurement, property management, budget 
and finance. The announcement number is BOS-00-14 and closes on 
October 13th. [Doug Cuillard, SPAR]

Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs (CA) - District ranger Tom Tschol is retiring 
on November 3rd after serving more than 32 years with the NPS. Tom 
began his career as a seasonal ranger at Glacier and also worked as a 
seasonal at Joshua Tree before accepting a permanent position at Point 
Reyes in 1973. He came to Sequoia in 1978, where he served as the 
subdistrict ranger in Giant Forest and district ranger for the Kaweah 
District before moving to his current position as district ranger for 
the Sequoia District. There will be a retirement party to honor him at 
the Ash Mountain Recreation Hall on the evening of Saturday, November 
4th. If you have any photographs or other mementos of Tom that you 
would be willing to part with, please send them to Bob Wilson or Peter 
Stephens at Sequoia National Park, 47050 Generals Highway, Three 
Rivers, CA 93271.  For more information about the retirement party, 
call Bob at 559-565-3112 or Peter at 559-565-3764. [Bob Wilson, SEKI]

Haleakala NP (HI) - The park is looking at hiring a lateral GS-9 law 
enforcement/EMT ranger as soon as possible. The position is located in 
the Summit District and will be working shifts varying from 4 a.m. to 
6 p.m. The main emphasis is on commercial operations and law 
enforcement and EMS incidents on the top of the volcano at 10,000 
feet. No park housing is available at this time; local housing 
averages over $800/month. All employees on Maui receive a 23.75% COLA. 
For more information, contact acting chief ranger Greg Moss via 
cc:Mail or at 808-572-4431. [Greg Moss, HALE]

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

No hearings or mark-ups scheduled.

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 (October 3rd): 

o       S. 3142 (Warner, VA), a bill to expand the boundary of the 
        George Washington Birthplace National Monument, and for other 
        purposes.
o       S. 3146 (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. 3147 (Robb, VA), a bill to authorize the establishment, on 
        land of the Department of the Interior in the District of 
        Columbia or its environs, of a memorial and gardens in honor 
        and commemoration of Frederick Douglass. 
o       H.R. 5371 (Schaffer, CO), a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        the Interior to establish the Sand Creek Massacre National 
        Historic Site in the state of Colorado.
o       H.R. 5375 (Walsh, NY), a bill to establish the Erie Canalway 
        National Heritage Corridor in the state of New York, and for 
        other purposes.
o       S. 3154 (Moynihan, NY), a bill to establish the Erie Canalway 
        National Heritage Corridor in the State of New York, and for 
        other purposes.
o       S. 3160 (Lautenberg, NJ), a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
        designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House, Elsinboro 
        Township, Salem County, New Jersey, as a unit of the National 
        Park System, and for other purposes.
o       H.R. 5399 (LoBiondo, NJ), a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
        designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House located in 
        Elsinboro Township, Salem County, New Jersey, as a unit of the 
        National Park System, and for other purposes.
o       H.R. 5402 (Morella, MD), a bill to amend the Chesapeake and 
        Ohio Canal Development Act to extend to the Chesapeake and 
        Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission.

NEW LAWS

The following bills have passed Congress and been signed into law by 
the President: 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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