NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, January 11, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-008 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Rescue

Late on the afternoon of January 3rd, Yosemite Valley rangers 
responded to a cell phone report of shouts for help coming from the 
cliffs above the Upper Yosemite Falls trail near Columbia Point.  A 
hasty team responded and just before dark located 23-year-old park 
visitor C.D. of Brooklyn, New York, stuck on a small ledge 
about 120 feet above the trail. C.D. was nervous, afraid of heights, 
and kept telling the rangers that he was slipping from his position. 
The rangers reached C.D. through a series of rappels from above. He 
was then lowered to the trail and was able to hike out on his own.  
Although he had taken an approximately 40 foot sliding fall, he had no 
significant injuries and declined medical treatment. C.D. stated 
that he stepped off trail to go to the bathroom and got disoriented. 
[Jim Tucker, Valley DR, YOSE, 1/10]

01-009 - Independence NHP (PA) - Fire

A three-year-old, high-power transformer ignited in the basement of 
the east wing of the Independence Hall complex on the evening of 
January 8th. The building's fire suppression system extinguished the 
flames. One law enforcement ranger was treated at the scene for smoke 
inhalation. Damage was confined by the electrical vault to the 
transformer and wiring. Visitor services were somewhat restricted 
while a temporary transformer was installed. The power outage affected 
the entire complex and lasted about 15 hours. Media interest was very 
high. [CRO, INDE, 1/10]

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.

Fire Management

DOI's burned area emergency rehabilitation (BAER) teams are recruiting 
to fill a number of positions. The BAER teams are interagency, 
interdisciplinary teams comprised of specialists who have two primary 
objectives associated with rehabilitation of fire impacts - to assess 
fire suppression impacts to cultural, natural and human values and 
resources, and to assess fire effects to cultural, natural and human 
values and resources. There are currently two national BAER teams. The 
Northern Team responds to fires within the states of Washington, 
Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, North Dakota, South 
Dakota, Alaska and northern California; the Southern Team responds to 
fires within the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and 
southern California. There are eleven core members on each of the two 
teams with alternates for each position. The minimum period of 
commitment to either team is a period of not less than two full fire 
seasons. Team members must also commit to the possibility of two 
assignments each year. Interested individuals must be professionally 
qualified for the position of interest at the GS-9 level and be red 
carded. Applications will be accepted for all positions. Team member 
positions include the following (the number in parentheses is the 
series for which the applicant must be able to qualify, but other 
series may qualify - contact the team leader for more information):

Team leader (401 or 025)
Soil scientist (457 or 470)
Operations specialist ( 401 or 025)
Biologist (486)
Forester (460)
Archeologist/cultural resource specialist (0193)
Vegetation specialist (454 or 430)
Environmental protection specialist (0028)
Hydrologist/geologist (1301 or 1315)
Documentation specialist (303)
Geographic information specialist (334)

For a copy of the full vacancy announcement, contact Erv Gasser via 
cc:Mail. Nominations are due by March 1st.

Park Fires

No fires reported.

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

Prince William FP (VA) - Funeral services were held for retired 
employee Don Cory and his son Samuel at Grace Bible Church in Bozeman, 
Montana, on Thursday, January 4th. Both were killed in an avalanche on 
News Year's Eve while climbing Emigrant Peak. Memorial contributions 
may be made in either Don or Samuel's name to: Friends of the 
Avalanche Center, P.O. Box 6799, Bozeman, MT 59717 or to Wycliffe 
Bible Translators, P.O. Box 628200 Orlando FL 32862-8200. (George 
Liffert, Acting Chief Ranger, PRWI)

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following is a continuation of the list of laws affecting the NPS 
from the 106th Congress that has appeared in the Morning Report this 
week. The list was prepared by Don Hellman, deputy assistant director 
of the Service's Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs. The 
relevant public law (P.L.) appears at the beginning of each entry.

Overflights of National Parks

P.L. 106-181 - Provides for management of air tours over units of the 
National Park System (included in the Federal Aviation Administration 
reauthorization Act as Title VIII)
P.L. 106-398 - Prohibits requiring an EIS as a precondition to the 
military performing low-level training flights over an airspace 
(included in Defense Authorization Act for FY 2001)
P.L. 106-528 - Technical amendment to P.L. 106-181 regarding park air 
tours

Filming in National Parks 

P.L. 106-206 - Provides for collection of fees for filming in national 
parks and other public lands

Visitor Centers and Interpretive Facilities

P.L. 106-86 - Authorizes the establishment of the Valley Forge Museum 
of the American Revolution in Valley Forge NHP, PA
P.L. 106-143 - Authorizes an interpretive center and related visitor 
facilities within the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park, CO
P.L. 106-119 - Authorizes the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational 
River Mongaup Visitor Center, NY
P.L. 106-131 - Authorizes building of Gateway Visitor Center at 
Independence National Historical Park, PA
P.L. 106-147 - Transfers land at Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt 
National Historic Site, NY, to Archivist of the United States for a 
visitor/archives center
P.L. 106-147 - Encourages National Park Service to provide planning 
for exhibits at Red Beach in the town of Calais, Maine, in 
commemoration of the 400th anniversary of settlement of Saint Croix 
Island (included in Department of Interior Appropriations Act for FY 
2000)
P.L. 106-291 - Authorizes NPS to enter into a cooperative agreement 
with the Golden Gate National Parks Association for the provision of 
fee-based education, interpretive, and visitor services at Crissy 
Field and Fort Point, GGNRA, CA (included in Department of the 
Interior Appropriations Act for FY 2001)
P.L. 106-529 - Authorizes Saint Croix Island regional heritage center 
in Calais, ME

Miscellaneous Authorities

P.L. 106-19 - Authorizes assistance to the New Jersey Coastal Heritage 
Trail
P.L. 106-45 - Provides for preservation of the Route 66 corridor
P.L. 106-65 - Affects base closing property; establishes a National 
Military Museum; and authorizes a study of Sonoran desert lands 
(included in Defense Authorization Act for FY 2000)
P.L. 106-291 - Exempts leases, concessions, permits and other 
agreements associated with properties administered by the Presidio 
Trust from taxes and special assessments by the State of California 
and its political subdivisions (included in Department of the Interior 
Appropriations Act for FY 2001)
P.L. 106-176 - Authorizes transfer of funds to South Dakota for 
acquisition of Spirit Mound; gives Park Service authority to enter 
into agreements, leases, contracts and other arrangements with the 
Presidio Trust that are necessary to carry out the Presidio Trust Act, 
and makes numerous technical corrections to Omnibus Parks and Public 
Lands Management Act of 1996 (included in the Omnibus Parks Technical 
Corrections Act )
P.L. 106-249 - Griffith Project Prepayment and Conveyance Act (affects 
lands in Lake Mead National Recreation Area)
P.L. 106-408 - Reauthorization of Fish and Wildlife Foundation (with 
language to assure it does not affect the work of the National Park 
Foundation)
P.L. 106-272 -Jackson Multi-Agency Campus Act of 1999, WY (allows 
development of center among various federal agencies, including NPS)
P.L. 106-353 - Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area and Black 
Ridge Canyons Wilderness Act (authorizes access to Glade Park, 
Colorado NM)
P.L. 106-353 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to convey 
Vancouver Barracks 602-676 in the Vancouver National Historic Reserve 
to the City of Vancouver, WA (included in Defense Authorization Act 
for FY 2001)
P.L. 106-291 - Authorizes $2.5 million in grants annually to preserve 
areas associated with the Underground Railroad; authorizes the 
Secretary to enter into leases at Fort Baker, GGNRA, CA and to retain 
the revenue from the leases (included in Department of the Interior 
Appropriations Act for FY 2001)
P.L. 106-486 - Requires a study of the feasibility of recovering costs 
from those involved with search and rescues at Denali NP, AK
P.L. 106-511 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the National Park 
Service should maintain a list and catalogue of military memorials 
(included in Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe compensation act)
P.L. 106-437 - Authorizes the payment of medical expenses for the U.S. 
Park Police directly by the NPS and authorizes indemnification 
agreements between NPS and state and local governments when required 
by state law
P.L. 106-527 - Authorizes completion of the Natchez Trace Parkway and 
use of a tract of land by the local government for park purposes, MS
P.L. 106-555 - Authorizes overtime pay for firefighters (included in 
Toiyabe National Forest legislation)
P.L. 106-554 - Provides for a pay increase for the United States Park 
Police (included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2001)

        [To be continued in the Friday Morning Report...]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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