NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, December 28, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1961, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed Buck Island 
Reef National Monument in the Virgin Islands.  The park has the finest 
marine garden in the Caribbean.

INCIDENTS

00-771 - Hot Springs NP (AR) - Storm Impacts

The park reported yesterday that it was in the midst of an extremely 
hazardous ice storm. Many trees and power and phone lines are down in 
both the park and city. The park is closed and operating in an 
emergency mode. Law enforcement rangers and maintenance crews remain 
on duty. [Steve Rudd, CR, HOSP, 12/27]

00-772 - National Capital Parks (DC) - Major Drug Operation            
         Indictments/Arrests

A long-term investigation into cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking 
activities by an organization that operated in Langdon Park and 
elsewhere in D.C. culminated this month with the unsealing of a 
71-count indictment charging 25 people with narcotics trafficking, 
conspiracy, and firearms violations. Eleven of the defendants were 
arrested on warrants on December 19th; another six were already in 
custody by that date. Eighteen search warrants were also executed. If 
convicted of the charges, all 25 defendants face the possibility of 
life imprisonment. The joint investigation, spearheaded by the FBI and 
Park Police and undertaken with the assistance of DC police, was begun 
in October, 1999. During the investigation, undercover agents and 
investigators purchased more than a kilogram of crack cocaine from 
various defendants named in the indictment. The investigation also 
lead to the seizure of more than nine kilograms of powder cocaine, two 
kilograms of crack cocaine, three pounds of marijuana, several 
firearms, and over $200,000 in cash. In announcing these actions, the 
U.S. attorney praised the efforts of those involved, including USPP 
investigators William Sepeck, Jr., and Paul Edwards and USPP sergeants 
Richard White and John Dowd. [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 12/20]

00-773 - George Washington Memorial Parkway (VA) - Homicide/Narcotics  
         Indictment

On December 20th, a four-count indictment was issued charging E.C., 
a fugitive from Panama, with operating a continuing criminal 
enterprise and with the drug-related first degree murder of A.L.-C., 
whose body was found in a vehicle at Theodore 
Roosevelt Island off the parkway in June, 1991. For the last ten 
years, E.C. managed an organization responsible for importing in 
excess of 1500 kilograms of cocaine from Panama for distribution along 
the East Coast. The investigation revealed that E.C.'s organization 
employed threats, violence, witness intimidation and murder to further 
the activities of his operation. E.C. was arrested in August on 
related charges and is currently being held in federal custody. E.C. 
and his associates are primary suspects in numerous unsolved 
drug-related homicides in New York, Atlanta, Miami and Washington. The 
case is being prosecuted by DEA and the Park Police. [Sgt. R. MacLean, 
USPP, NCR, 12/20]

00-774 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Drowning 

On December 22nd, rangers Bob Airey-Van Diem and Stephen Prokop 
responded to a report of a teenage boy drowning in 10 to 15 foot surf 
off Baker Beach. Witnesses told them that they'd lost sight of the boy 
just before the rangers arrived. The rangers began a hasty search 
while USPP officer Jason Raymos interviewed the witnesses and 
conducted a preliminary investigation. Coast Guard rescue boats and 
helicopters and San Francisco FD units were on scene within minutes 
and assisted in the search under a unified command. A grid search of 
the area was conducted over the next three hours but terminated at 
nightfall. A sea and land search the next day was equally fruitless. 
Investigators determined that the 13-year-old boy had gone to the 
beach with several friends and was standing in knee-deep water when a 
large wave swept him off his feet and carried him offshore. A second 
teenager attempted to help his friend and almost became a second 
victim. [Stephen Prokop, IC, GOGA, 12/23]

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

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

"Management Policies," signed by Director Stanton this week and sent 
to all employees. The full text of the memorandum follows. NOTE: All 
parks and regional offices will be sent hard copies of Management 
Policies as soon as it is printed. CD ROM versions will also be 
available. The text of these policies can be found on the NPS web site 
at www.nps.gov/refdesk/mp/index.html.

"It gives me great pleasure to announce my approval of the 2001 
edition of National Park Service Management Policies.  The policies 
are derived from the laws that have been enacted to establish and 
guide the administration of the national park system, and reflect the 
knowledge we have acquired in our 84 years of stewardship.  The 
policies will aid us immeasurably in our efforts to continue to be 
good stewards, and to be good neighbors as well. 

"This new edition of Management Policies was made possible through the 
efforts of hundreds of individuals who contributed their time and 
effort to write, or thoughtfully comment on, the three drafts that 
were circulated for review.  I sincerely appreciate those efforts.  

"In finalizing this document, we have taken into account all the 
comments we received-not only from our employees, but also from many 
individuals and organizations with a deep and abiding interest in the 
parks and programs of the National Park Service.  While we do not all 
agree on the specific ways to best accomplish the National Park 
Service mission, there can be no doubt that the public and Park 
Service employees passionately support that mission.  We will soon be 
publishing in the Federal Register our official response to the public 
review comments.   

"One thing we must all agree on is that we can best accomplish our 
mission when we speak with one voice.  That is how these Management 
Policies help us - they give us the tools to be consistent in our 
approach to decision making and problem solving.  I commend this 
document to you for constant reference, and suggest that you read it 
from cover to cover at least once a year.  In this new millennium, let 
us speak with one voice in support of park resources and values, and 
work together on the critical matters and questions that come before 
us.

"Thank you for your continued support and cooperation."

INTERCHANGE

EMT Training Opportunity - John Day Fossil Beds NM has had to withdraw 
an employee from a wilderness EMT course being held in Oakhurst, 
California, from January 8th to February 2nd. The park paid a 
non-refundable $600 deposit and would like to transfer the space to 
another NPS employee. The accepting park will need to pay the 
remainder of the tuition ($1,415).  The tuition includes all lodging 
and meals (seven days per week) during the four-week course.  If you 
have an employee needing EMT certification and are interested, please 
call Jeannine McElveen at 541-987-2333 extension 10 by noon PST on 
December 29th.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

No submissions.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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