NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, January 4, 2001

INCIDENTS

00-777 - Obed NSR (MO) - Attempted Suicide; Exposure Fatality

On Saturday, December 30th, the park received a report of a missing 
person who might be in the park. The man had been missing since 
December 27th. His wife reported that he'd threatened to commit 
suicide, and that he was a manic depressive capable of extreme mood 
swings and aggressive behavior. Although he didn't say where he was 
going, she remembered him talking occasionally about a specific place 
thought to be near the river. Rangers began a search and soon found 
his vehicle. His body was discovered by the river about 50 yards away. 
Initial evidence suggests that he fell and struck his head and 
succumbed to exposure in temperatures that dropped to around 10 
degrees. It also appeared that he fell while entering the river, 
possibly in an effort to drown himself (he had a history of making 
such efforts). (CRO, OBRI, 1/2]

01-002 - Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Attempted Arson

Someone attempted to firebomb the park's ranger/resource operations 
building, location of a round-the-clock interagency communications 
center, around 5 a.m. on January 3rd. Some hate type graffiti was 
painted on the back street wall of the operations building, and an 
accelerant of unknown type was tossed against a nearby tree adjacent 
to the building, setting it on fire. Another device was thrown through 
a window, but went out before setting the building on fire. A third 
device was thrown at one of the dispatcher's vehicles in the parking 
lot. This device also failed to go off. ATF has taken over the 
investigation of the case, and has a substantial amount of evidence to 
work with. There were also six other identical attempted starts on 
parked vehicles in Boulder City - none were as radical, none with 
associated hate graffiti. ATF feels that the park building was the 
main target, and that the other attempts were diversions. Rangers and 
Boulder City police are assisting in the investigation. [Bruce Lennon, 
LAME, 1/3]

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

Yosemite NP (CA) - Final Yosemite Valley Plan 

On December 29th, the record of decision (ROD) on the final EIS for 
the park's Yosemite Valley Plan (YVP) was issued - an event that 
marked the conclusion of the planning process. The YVP is an 
implementation plan that provides direction for managing natural and 
cultural resources, facilities, and visitor experience in Yosemite 
Valley.  Certain projects are expected to begin early this year; the 
full plan will take 10 to 15 years to implement. The draft version of 
the plan was released in March. A series of public workshops in 
California and throughout the country made it possible for park staff 
to share the draft plan with the public. The four month comment period 
provided the public with an opportunity to comment on the changes 
proposed. Over 10,000 comments were received and analyzed. Park 
planners made changes based on the concerns raised by the public. The 
final plan was released in November. A "no action" period followed the 
release, which gave the public time to consider the final plan. The 
preferred alternative was selected from the five alternatives that 
appeared in the EIS. This alternative  will remove development from 
along the Merced River  and move facilities out of Yosemite Valley. 
The YVP is based on the broad goals of the 1980 GMP, including 
reclaiming priceless natural beauty and promoting visitor 
understanding. The final YVP is also available on the Internet at 
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planning/yvp. [Scott Gediman, PIO, YOSE, 1/2]

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Smoking Regulations - Ranger Activities has received an inquiry about 
smoking in NPS areas. Although there don't appear to be any 
park-specific (Part 7) regulations prohibiting smoking in parks, there 
may be compendium designations in individual areas or in concessions. 
If you have such a regulation in your park, please send a brief note 
to Kym Hall. [Kym Hall, RAD/WASO]

EMS/SAR Program Management - Randy Coffman, currently a district 
ranger at Kings Canyon National Park, has been selected as the program 
manager for EMS/SAR in the Ranger Activities Division. This position, 
which is an integral part of the division's operations, has been 
vacant for four years. Coffman, who will also be responsible for the 
uniform and diving programs, has been a ranger since 1973. He's worked 
at Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Glen Canyon, Glacier, and Sequoia-Kings 
Canyon, and has been involved in emergency operations throughout his 
entire career. He participated in his first search incident in 1973 
and spent 17 years as a paramedic. For his work in SAR, he has 
received a commendation medal from the Department of Army and a 
Congressional life-saving award. Coffman has instructed and 
coordinated numerous search and rescue, EMT-basic and park medic 
classes around the country and has served as the EMS coordinator at 
Glen Canyon, Sequoia-Kings Canyon and Glacier. In 1990, he was 
temporarily assigned to the Ranger Activities Division to help 
coordinate and draft an early revision of NPS-51. Coffman has also led 
climbing expeditions in Africa, South America, the Swiss and French 
Alps, New Zealand and the Himalayas. He will EOD on January 28th, and 
should arrive in Washington the week of February 12th. His telephone 
number will be 202-208-6380. Chris Andress would like to thank Sherry 
Collins and Ken Phillips for all their assistance over the past couple 
of years for helping carry the load in the EMS and SAR program areas. 
[Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Department of Interior (DC) - Irv Tubbs from DOI's law enforcement 
office was admitted to Arlington Hospital on December 19th after 
suffering an attack of acute pancreatitis. His heart also went into 
arrhythmia and his kidneys, liver, and lungs began to shut down. He is 
now out of intensive care and in a private room and will likely remain 
in the hospital for some time. Cards and messages of support can be 
sent to him at his home address: 1724 Margie Drive, McLean, VA 22101. 
[Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO)

Canyonlands NP (UT) - Larry Van Slyke, the park's chief ranger, 
retired on January 2nd after a long career with the NPS. The park is 
putting together a memory book for him and would appreciate any 
letters, photos, mementos or other items. Please send them to Adele 
Osusky, Canyonlands NP, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd., Moab, UT 84532. 
There's a great tribute to Larry in yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune, 
which can be found at the following web address:
http://www.sltrib.com/2001/Jan/01032001/utah/59193.htm. [Glenn 
Sherrill, GLCA; Tom Vines, 1/3]

Richmond NBP/Maggie L. Walker NHS (VA) - The park is recruiting for a 
GS-9 protection ranger. The job is posted on USAJobs under 
announcement number COLO-00-22, and closes on January 18th.  
Information is available from the Personnel Office at Colonial NHP 
(757-898-3400).  The position is permanent, full-time, and listed as a 
primary law enforcement position with 6c coverage.  Major duties 
include performing the entire range of law enforcement functions in an 
urban and rural environment, with special emphasis on cultural and 
natural resources. The park is expanding its legislative boundaries 
and is expected to more than triple in size in the future. The 
Richmond area boasts of a number of cultural and natural sites, along 
with outstanding amenities and a moderate cost of living. [Tim Mauch, 
RICH]

New River Gorge NR (WV) - Superintendent Pete Hart retired yesterday. 
Being Pete, he didn't want anything in the Morning Report except for 
this line: "It was a good run." A wholly appropriate metaphor for a 
guy who hasn't missed a day of running since 1981 (he'll hit 20 years 
without a miss this coming spring). As editor of this publication, I 
try to keep my editorial nose out of NPS business, but this passage 
warrants an exception to that rule. Over the last few years, Pete and 
his spouse, Sally, have traveled from West Virginia to Connecticut at 
Christmas to see their families. Each of the last three years, they've 
stopped along the way at a watering hole just off I-84 north of DEWA 
near Promised Land State Park called (I kid you not) The Old Ranger's 
Inn. This year, my colleague and fellow ranger Doyle Nelson and I 
joined them there for lunch and a glass of beer. Pete was ambivalent 
about leaving, being a green-blooded fellow and career ranger. But he 
made the choice and did it with his usual decisiveness. Pete's a heck 
of a ranger and we're going to miss him. Look for him on the 
Appalachian Trail this spring, somewhere between Springer Mountain and 
Katahdin. He'll be the guy going full throttle, wearing an Old 
Ranger's Inn baseball cap....

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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