NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, December 22, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1932, President Herbert Hoover proclaimed Grand Canyon 
National Monument, Arizona, to protect land adjoining Grand Canyon 
National Park.  Congress acted to incorporate it into the park in 
1975.

INCIDENTS

00-764 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Plant Poaching Arrests

Over the last several months, alert rangers have caught eight people 
illegally picking culinary and hallucinogenic mushrooms and ornamental 
plants within the park. On November 10th, ranger Dave Bauer caught 
Eureka residents S.C. and his wife in possession of a 
large plastic bag of mushrooms that weighed about twenty pounds. Bauer 
found another bag of mushrooms in the trunk of their car, along with 
evidence that they might have been collecting for commercial purposes. 
S.C. was issued a violation notice and all mushrooms were 
confiscated.  Later that same day, Bauer contacted J.D. of 
Loletta, who was loading a white box into his vehicle. Bauer found 
that it contained a variety of mushrooms that J.D. had picked in 
the park. The mushrooms were confiscated and violation notices were 
issued.  On December 2nd, ranger Kain Hanschke saw two men who were 
evidently picking up plants. State park ranger Richard French joined 
Hanschke and the two rangers contacted J.S. of Eureka and R.F. 
of Arcata. The pair had several species of plants in their 
possession, including cow parsnip, old man's beard, leatherleaf fern, 
douglas iris and small sitka spruce trees. The plants were confiscated 
and the two men were issued violation notices. And, on December 18th, 
ranger Dave Barland-Liles saw three men who were apparently picking 
psilocybin mushrooms, a fungi with a known hallucinogenic effect. All 
three fled when he approached. Barland-Liles and state ranger Javier 
Morales eventually caught up with one of them - J.R. of Orick - 
and found that he had 30 of the mushrooms in his possession. They were 
confiscated and Rome was cited for possession of a controlled 
substance and for disturbing plants in the park.  The identity of the 
two other pickers has not yet been determined. In all these cases, the 
park may seek reimbursement for damages and costs of the 
investigations under the National Park Resource Protection Act (16 USC 
19jj). [Bob Martin, CR, REDW, 12/21)

                    [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

Yellowstone NP (WY) - Final Bison Management Plan

The NPS and the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service  and Forest Service have agreed to a joint 
management plan for bison in Yellowstone National Park and Montana. 
The plan is designed to preserve the largest wild, free-ranging 
population of bison in the United States while minimizing the risk of 
brucellosis disease transmission (between bison and cattle) to protect 
the economic interest and viability of the livestock industry in the 
state of Montana. By allowing bison the opportunity to seek critical 
winter range outside the park, the plan reflects a commitment on the 
part of the agencies to end the unnecessary killing of bison outside 
of Yellowstone. It is the result of over eight years of negotiation 
and seven months of mediation between the federal agencies and the 
state of Montana. While the joint management plan is not intended to 
be a brucellosis eradication plan, it employs many tools to manage and 
reduce the potential risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to 
cattle. Limited numbers of bison will be allowed on public lands 
outside the park during winter when cattle are not present. Bison will 
not be allowed to intermingle with cattle and will be hazed back into 
the park when the weather typically moderates in the spring (mid-April 
on the north side and mid-May on the west side). The agencies will 
capture or remove bison still remaining outside the park that cannot 
be hazed. Any possible risk to cattle will be further minimized before 
cattle are allowed to return to public lands by waiting a sufficient 
amount of time to ensure that the bacteria which causes the disease is 
no longer alive outside the park. The agencies will further manage the 
risk of transmission of brucellosis to cattle by limiting the number 
of bison outside the park in the north (Reese Creek) and west (West 
Yellowstone) management areas through intensive monitoring and hazing, 
and when necessary, capture, test, and slaughter of seropositive 
bison.  Management activity will be increased as bison move toward the 
edges of management zones outside the park.  The plan also provides 
that the agencies will maintain a spring bison population of up to 
3,000 animals.  The agencies also agree to increase implementation of 
non-lethal management measures should severe winter conditions result 
in a large management removal or natural winter die off. In an effort 
to further reduce the risk of transmission and protect cattle, the 
agencies will require vaccination if 100% of all vaccination-eligible 
cattle in north and west management zones are not vaccinated within 
one year.  APHIS will pay for all direct vaccination costs.  Allowing 
untested bison outside the park in the north and west boundary 
management zones will begin after the agencies have had experience 
with seronegative bison in certain areas outside the park during 
winter and when the Service initiates vaccination of bison with a safe 
and effective vaccine utilizing a safe remote delivery system inside 
the park. The joint management plan is a slightly altered version of 
the existing plan presented in the federal agencies' final 
environmental impact statement (FEIS). The state of Montana 
incorporated and adopted the federal agencies' FEIS into its own FEIS 
for bison management and has recently signed its record of decision, 
which implements the same plan.  Employing an adaptive management 
approach, it allows the agencies to gain experience and knowledge 
before proceeding to the next management step, particularly with 
regard to managing bison on winter range outside Yellowstone National 
Park. [Public Affairs, YELL, 12/20]

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Theodore Roosevelt NP (ND) - Superintendent Noel Poe has been 
hospitalized with pneumonia and blood clots in the lung.  He will 
remain in the hospital for several days.  Get well cards and words of 
cheer may be sent to him in care of Theodore Roosevelt NP, P.O. Box 7, 
Medora, North Dakota 58645.  [Carolyn Barker, THRO]

Denali NP&P (AK) - The park is currently advertising for a GS-12 
wildlife biologist to oversee the large mammal and fur-bearer 
components of its wildlife program.  This is an opportunity for 
someone to participate in the development and implementation of a 
dynamic wildlife management and research program.  The announcement 
can be found on USAJobs under DENA-01-05.  If you have questions about 
the position, you may call or email Susanne Brown, personnel 
specialist (susanne_brown@nps.gov), or Gordon Olson, chief of 
resources (gordon_olson@nps.gov), at 907-683-2294. [Pat Owen, DENA]

                             *  *  *  *  *

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.

                              --- ### ---