NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, November 15, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the 
Articles of Confederation as the first constitution of the United 
States while meeting in Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania State House, 
later known as Independence Hall.  It is now the focal point of 
Independence National Historical Park.

INCIDENTS

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

On the afternoon of Sunday, November 5th, two hikers - N.E., 
41, from Volcano, Hawaii, and I.S.K., 42, from Washington, 
D.C. - were found dead near the point where a lava flow enters the 
ocean about four miles west of the end of Chain of Craters Road.  They 
had entered the eruption site early on the afternoon of Friday, 
November 3rd. An autopsy revealed that both suffered severe 
second-degree burns to much of their body from superheated steam, and 
that severe bronchial spasms were a compounding factor. A final report 
will be issued once lab results of lung tissue are analyzed. Special 
agent Jeffrey Judd flew members of N.E.'s family to the site on 
November 10th to provide them with some sense of closure. The cause of 
the deaths remains a mystery, and it's possible that the investigation 
may never really explain how the incident occurred. There have been 
two previous fatalities resulting from visitors getting too close to 
the point where the lava enters the ocean. In April, 1993, P.N.
disappeared when the half acre he was standing on collapsed into the 
sea. In April, 1998, S.-D.T. disappeared when he slid off a 
littoral cone to go body-surfing between the rivers of lava entering 
the ocean. Neither body was recovered. [Gail Minami, Operations 
Supervisor, HAVO, 11/14]

00-705 - Haleakala NP (HI) - Drowning

On the afternoon of November 11th, a Swiss visitor reported that he'd 
been involved in an accident just outside the park which had left his 
SUV balancing on the edge of a 50-foot sea cliff. Ranger Roger Mayo 
responded. While there, Mayo overhead a county fire and rescue unit 
being dispatched to a water rescue within three miles of Mayo's 
location. Since the fire and rescue unit was 30 minutes away, Mayo 
offered to help and arrived on-scene within five minutes of the 
initial call. He learned that T.J., 55, of Wyoming, had been 
swimming in a series of freshwater pools just above the ocean. He slid 
down a natural rock chute into a strong whirlpool, possibly hitting 
his head as he entered the pool. T.J. surfaced at least twice before 
being pushed below an undercut rock ledge by the current. Mayo and 
local officers searched for T.J. and found his body., which was 
recovered by Maui County FD. This is the fourth fatality Mayo has 
responded to in the Kipahulu area in the last 17 months. [Mark 
Tanaka-Sanders, DR, Kipahulu District, HALE, 11/13]

                  [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

No new information. Please check the NPS Fire Management Program 
Center web page (www.fire.nps.gov) for further information on fire 
plan projects.

Park Fires

No fires reported.

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Public Land Corps Funding - Director Stanton has officially renewed 
the Public Land Corps (PLC) for its fourth year. The PLC uses a 
portion of the 20% fee-demo funds pooled in Washington to fund repair 
and restoration projects performed by nonprofit youth-serving 
organizations throughout the country. The bulk of these projects are 
accomplished by interns and conservation work crews provided by the 
Student Conservation Association (SCA). This year, there is a very 
good probability that additional WASO fee-demo funds will be allocated 
to the PLC to provide even more assistance to currently participating 
parks and to implement the program in NPS units that have not had the 
opportunity to benefit from the program in the past. If you are new to 
the PLC, it is run as a grants program and the grant application form 
is a simple one-page document. You can receive this from the Youth 
Programs Division or by printing it and other program related 
information from the following web site address: 
http://www.sca-inc.org/staff/director.htm. The deadline for PLC grant 
applications is November 30th. [Anne Castellina, Superintendent, KEFJ]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Buffalo NR (AR) - Carl Hinrichs, the park's chief ranger, is retiring 
after 33 years of service. Carl worked at Grand Canyon in 1967, 
Olympic from 1967-1970, Sequoia from 1970-1971, Everglades from 
1972-1975, Great Smoky Mountains from 1975-1981, and Buffalo from 1981 
to the present. A retirement celebration will be held at 6 p.m. on 
December 15th at the Quail Tree Health and Racquet Club in Harrison. 
If you're interested in attending or sending along any thoughts, 
stories or messages, please contact Tonya Fell at 870-741-5446 x 111 
by December 6th. [Kevin McMurry]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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