NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, November 7, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1910, the first airplane to carry freight departed for 
Columbus, Ohio, from Huffman Prairie Flying Field in Dayton, now part 
of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

INCIDENTS

00-687 - Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - Two Visitor Fatalities

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 5th, the park was notified that 
the bodies of two hikers had been found at the point where a lava flow 
enters the ocean about four miles west of the end of Chain of Craters 
Road. The two hikers were N.E., 41, from Volcano, Hawaii, and 
I.S.K., 42, from Washington D.C. Special agent Jeffrey Judd and 
ranger Jeff Kracht investigated. There was no indication of a bench 
collapse or explosion in the area.  Both hikers had severe burns and 
cuts and abrasions on their hands and knees.  Both were fully clothed 
and found in an area not far from where the lava enters the ocean. 
They had food, water, flashlights, and raingear with them.  The two 
had hiked out to the lava flow on the last day of a severe storm which 
hit the island of Hawaii especially hard and caused major flooding.  
There were reports of severe thunder and lightning in the coastal area 
that day. No foul play is suspected.  An autopsy will be performed to 
determine the cause of death.  [Gail Minami, Operations Supervisor, 
HAVO, 11/6]

00-688 - Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - Special Event

The 31st annual New York City marathon was run on November 5th. 
Approximately 30,000 runners gathered and staged inside Fort 
Wadsworth, which is located adjacent to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge 
on Staten Island. The event was managed under a special use permit to 
the New York Road Runners Club. The event was coordinated with 
Service's federal partners at Fort Wadsworth (the Coast Guard, Army 
Reserve, and Defense Contract Management Agency), NYPD, the 
Metropolitan Transit Authority's Bridges and Tunnels Division, and 
many other organizations. NBC again carried the event live. After an 
experiment last year that ran afoul with neighbors, all pre-race 
activities occurred within park boundaries. The event ran smoothly, 
with no reported injuries or significant damage. [Marty O'Toole, 
Site Manager, Fort Wadsworth, GATE, 11/6]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE SITUATION

Shenandoah NP (VA) - The Shenandoah Complex (19,172 acres, 60% 
contained) consists of the Pinnacles Fire and the Old Rag Fire. Fire 
containment lines were completed and strengthened Sunday on the west 
flank of the two fires, which are burning together. Higher winds 
pushed hard on the northeast portion of the blaze, challenging 
firefighters there. About 90 firefighters stayed on duty over Sunday 
night to hold lines and keep an eye on active areas. Today's actions 
will include holding and patrolling existing lines, completing 
bulldozer lines along the park's east boundary, and burnouts. A total 
of 831 firefighters and overhead are committed to the complex. Skyline 
Drive is closed from the Thornton Gap entrance (mile 31) to Skyland 
(mile 41).  Visitors can enter the park at Thornton Gap and travel 
north to Front Royal.  Visitors can also enter the park at Swift Run 
Gap (Highway 33) and travel north as far as Skyland or south to 
Waynesboro (I-64).  The Appalachian Trail is closed in the area of the 
fire. Many other trails in the general area of the fire are closed, 
including the Limberlost Trail, which was closed on Friday. The 
Passamaquoddy and Stonyman trails remain open. For more information:  
Call 540/999-3311 or check the website at www.shenandoahfires.com 
[Greg Stiles/Lyn Rothgeb, SHEN, 11/6]

Big South Fork NRRA (KY/TN) - The Big South Fork Complex (6,555 acres, 
90% contained) consists of the School House Fire, Poplar Springs 
Branch Fire, Darrow Ridge Fire, and Camp Branch Fire. Crews continue 
to make substantial progress on the fires. Rehabilitation efforts have 
already begun. More rain was forecast for yesterday afternoon. A total 
of 154 personnel are committed to the effort. Fire status:

o       School House Fire - The fire has been contained. It was 
        patrolled by one engine yesterday, looking for hot spots. The  
        burn area remains closed to visitors.
o       Camp Branch Fire - The fire has burned 1,098 acres - 775 in 
        the park and 313 on state land. A small amount of burnout was 
        completed on Sunday.  Yesterday, crews worked to improve the 
        fire line. A number of active and abandoned gas wells are 
        within the fire zone and pose a potential threat to 
        firefighters and the public. The area has been temporarily 
        closed to visitors
o       Darrow Ridge Fire - The fire has burned a total of 3,398 acres 
        on state and federal land. Two crews are assigned to the fire 
        today and will be improving the fire line and continuing 
        rehabilitation of dozer line. 

Fire areas within the park remain closed. There's a temporary ban on 
all open ground fires in the backcountry.  This ban applies to 
hunters, hikers, and campers alike.  Fires are allowed at any of the 
developed campgrounds where established fire grates exist. For more 
information on camping and fire restrictions, call park headquarters 
at 423-569-9778.

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

Department of Interior (DC) - On October 30th, the Department of 
Interior held its 60th honor awards convocation. Among the employees 
recognized with valor, distinguished service and conservation service 
awards were the following NPS employees (please note that the DOI 
citations do not specify the associated incidents in the valor award 
listing - those will appear in a future edition):

Valor Awards

o       Paul G. Crawford - For his skillful and heroic actions in 
        Boulder Basin at Lake Mead NRA that resulted in saving a life.
o       Loren Fazio - For his willingness to place himself at great 
        personal risk to protect the public and other National Parks   
        Service rangers at Yosemite NP.
o       Archie R. Ferguson - For skillful and heroic actions that 
        saved the life of another at Cape Krusenstern NM.
o       Robert L. Freeman - For his exceptional courage and quick,     
        determined actions during a traffic stop on Suitland Parkway, 
        during which he was shot at point blank range.
o       Gordon Gilbert - For his willingness to place himself at great 
        personal risk to protect other National Park Service rangers 
        at Yosemite NP.
o       Jeffrey W. Goad - For his skillful and heroic actions in 
        Boulder Basin at Lake Mead NRA that resulted in saving a life.
o       David Hajdik - For his willingness to place himself at great 
        personal risk to protect the public and other National Park 
        Service rangers at Yosemite NP.
o       Keith Lober (three valor awards) - For his heroic actions and 
        willingness to place himself at great personal risk to save 
        the lives of others at Yosemite NP.
o       Mary Hinson (two valor awards) - For her heroic actions and 
        willingness to place herself at great personal risk in order 
        to save the lives of others at Yosemite NP.
o       N. Scott Hinson - For his willingness to place himself at 
        great personal risk to protect the public and other National 
        Park Service rangers at Yosemite NP.
o       Robert Moelder - For his skillful and heroic actions in 
        Boulder Basin at Lake Mead NRA that resulted in saving a life.
o       Joseph Murphy - For skillful and heroic actions that saved the 
        life of another at Cape Krusenstern NM.
o       Kevin J. Nieves - For his exceptional courage in the face of 
        great personal danger the incident on the Suitland Parkway 
        noted above.
o       George Paiva - For his heroic actions performed near 
        Canyonlands NP, which resulted in saving a life.
o       William E. Shott - For his willingness to place himself at 
        great personal risk to perform two heroic and highly unusual 
        mountain rescues in the Denali area of Alaska under extreme 
        weather conditions.
o       James Tucker - For his willingness to place himself at great 
        personal risk to protect the public and other National Park 
        Service rangers at Yosemite NP.

Distinguished Service Awards

o       Martha B. Aikens - For her contributions as a manager, 
        trainer, enterprising leader, and administrator for the 
        National Park Service.
o       John J. Reynolds - For his significant accomplishments and 
        innovative leadership with the National Park Service.
o       Robert W. Reynolds - For his outstanding contributions to park 
        management and international cooperation.
o       John W. Wade - For his significant contributions to Department 
        of Interior programs.

Conservation Service Awards

o       Shirley Hunt Alexander - For her many contributions as a 
        partner with the Department of the Interior in preserving the 
        upper Mississippi River's recreation and natural resources.
o       Gary E. Machlis - For this extraordinary leadership in the 
        development and implementation of cooperative ecosystem 
        studies units, a compelling model for advancing cooperative 
        partnerships between federal, academic, private and minority 
        institutions.
o       Toby Rosenblatt - For his outstanding contributions to the 
        conservation and public enjoyment of Golden Gate NRA, Fort 
        Point NHS and Muir Woods, and his exceptional advancement and 
        support of these parklands.
o       Fred Stanback, Jr. - For his outstanding contributions to the 
        conservation and protection of natural and scenic resources at 
        the Blue Ridge Parkway.
o       Cuyahoga Valley Association - For its many contributions as a 
        partner with the Department of the Interior in the 
        establishment of Cuyahoga Valley NRA and the development of 
        major park programs.
o       Pew Charitable Trusts - For its outstanding contributions in 
        conserving and protecting this nation's founding documents and 
        making these historical treasures and the story of their 
        development accessible to all.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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