NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, November 21, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Lava Beds 
National Monument, California.  Lava and molten rock from volcanic 
activity here created a natural fortress used by the Modoc Indians in 
the Modoc War of 1872-73.

INCIDENTS

99-594 - Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD) - Follow-up: Homicide

On September 6, 1999, USPP officers responded to the FDA building in 
Beltsville, Maryland, to investigate a shooting (USPP is responsible 
for enforcement there under the terms of an MOU with FDA).  They found 
that security guard T.M. had shot an unarmed supervisor in the 
head.  The shooting was precipitated by an argument between the two 
men over career development. Another security guard witnessed the 
incident. On November 16th, T.M. pled guilty to second-degree murder 
in federal court in Beltsville. The plea was entered after a jury was 
unable to reach a unanimous decision on various charges related to the 
killing. T.M. admitted that he committed perjury during his trial, 
in which he said that his supervisor had attacked him and grabbed the 
gun and that the gun had gone off by accident or in self-defense. 
T.M. will be sentenced on February 2nd and faces a maximum sentence 
of life in prison. [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 11/17]

00-714 - Cumberland Gap NHP (KY/TN/VA) - Arson

A park volunteer conducting a tour of the remote historic Hensley 
Settlement on the morning of November 18th discovered that the Willie 
Gibbons Cabin had burned during the night. Rangers KK Stuart and Bill 
Stoner responded. They found the remains of the cabin still 
smoldering. The lock which secured the cabin door was found in the 
ashes; preliminary indications are that the cabin had been forcibly 
entered. Rangers and Kentucky State Police arson investigators are 
continuing the investigation. [Charlie Chadwell, CR, CUGA, 11/20]

00-715 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Forced Aircraft Landing

Local pilot P.K. walked away from his Piper 180 after landing it 
on the soft sand beach of Shackelford Banks early on the afternoon of 
November 17th. P.K. was returning to Beaufort Airport when his plane's 
engine shut down and he was forced to land. The Piper's engine cowling 
and prop were damaged and the front landing gear broke. P.K. was 
airlifted to Carteret General Hospital and treated for a broken nose. 
Ranger Kevin Wyrick was first on scene at the accident site. Further 
investigation led to the discovery that both of the plane's gas tanks 
were empty. The plane was loaded on a barged and towed to Beaufort. 
[Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 11/20]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

The Fire Management Program Center and the IMT overseeing National 
Fire Plan and appropriations implementation projects has issued it's 
second NFP update, entitled "Workforce Issues Resulting from the 
National Fire Plan." The text follows:

An immediate result of the DOI Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 
2001 is increased funding for wildland fire preparedness, the wildland 
urban interface initiative, and rural fire department assistance.  To 
assure that the NPS can successfully implement the National Fire Plan, 
increased staffing will be necessary in our workforce, including a 
strong potential for new positions in a variety of fire management 
disciplines.  As these changes and opportunities are known, they will 
be communicated to the field. 

The FIREPRO goal is to fund each park so that it can successfully 
initial attack at least 95% of wildland fires that are suppressed.  In 
FY 2001, 100% of normal year readiness funding will be achieved for 
the first time.  We were previously funded at 80-85%.  

The new Congressional 2001 funding initiative focuses also include:

o       A greatly expanded fuels treatment program that places primary 
        emphasis on community protection.
o       Accelerated fire facilities construction - $30 million for 
        DOI, $3.6 million for the NPS.
o       Accelerated fire research - an additional $4 million to the 
        joint fire science program.
o       Rural fire assistance funding for DOI - $10 million.
o       Expanded scope of burned area rehabilitation for DOI - $101 
        million.

In the funding appropriations bill, the agencies are encouraged to 
consider enhancing local and small business employment opportunities 
for rural communities, through established partnerships with local 
non-profit groups, the Youth Conservation Corps or other local or 
state entities.  To achieve this goal, the agencies are encouraged to 
use contracts, grants or cooperative agreements to accomplish hazard 
fuels reduction projects on federal land or on adjacent non-federal 
lands.

Specific numbers of new NPS fire-related positions - as well as 
conversions to career seasonals -  will be forthcoming when this 
information is available.  A task group is part of the incident 
management team, which includes personnel specialists and recruitment 
and contracting officers to assist with associated issues such as 
position description development and classification, 6c firefighter 
retirement, and contracting issues.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call your 
regional fire management officer.

Park Fires

No reports.

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

Submissions pending.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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