NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, February 26, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-064 - Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - Search in Progress

On the morning of February 22nd, a multi-agency search was begun in 
the park for a helicopter missing since February 15th. G.W. and B.W. 
of Amarillo had visited their daughter in Gruver and were 
returning home when their helicopter disappeared. Three reliable 
reports placed it in the vicinity of the park around 10 p.m. It's 
believed that fog and rain may have caused the W.s to turn back. The 
search is being conducted on land and water and in the air and was 
expected to continue through the weekend. [Rhonda Terry, PIO, LAMR, 
2/23]

01-065 - Oklahoma City NM (OK) - Special Event

On Thursday, February 15th, the second component of the memorial 
opened for three days of previewing by family members, survivors and 
rescue workers involved in the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. 
The three-day ticketed event was well attended. Governor Frank Keating 
visited the site twice during the week; numerous members of federal, 
state and local legislatures visited during a special four-hour 
dignitary preview. Road closures, parking and traffic control support 
were provided by city police during the week. One person was arrested 
for stealing items from the memorial's symbolic fence, and a second 
was arrested for disorderly conduct. Both also had valid local 
warrants on them at the time of their arrests. On Monday, February 
19th, the Oklahoma City National Memorial Trust hosted the opening 
ceremony for the memorial center. President Bush was the keynote 
speaker; about 5,000 people attended. Over 200 federal, state and 
local law enforcement officials worked under a unified command to 
ensure the success of the event. Chickasaw NRA provided four rangers 
to assist with event management. Several minor incidents occurred 
prior to and during the ceremony, but all were quickly handled. Two 
visitors suffered acute medical conditions and were taken to the 
hospital, one person was detained for attempting to violate the secure 
perimeter, and a joint investigation was conducted by the Secret 
Service and NPS to locate a set of missing dedication credentials. 
[Scott Bentley, CR, OKCI, 2/23]

                  [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

The NPS national fire management conference - "People, Parks and Fire: 
Better Together" - opens on Tuesday in Reno, Nevada. Reports on the 
conference will appear in the Morning Report and on the Fire 
Management Program Center web site (www.fire.nps.gov). 

Park Fires

No fires reported.

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Olympic NP (WA) - Columbian Black-Tailed Deer 

Resource protection rangers recently assisted resource management 
staff with a research project involving the capture of 15 black-tailed 
deer as part of a study of the population and physical health of the 
park's deer herds. Marked animals provide researchers with data on 
winter distribution, migration patterns, population trends, and 
physical health of the deer. The research is being conducted as a 
collaborative effort by the park and the USGS Biological Resources 
Division's Olympic Field Station. Rangers under the direction of park 
wildlife biologist Patti Happe and USGS project leader Kurt Jenkins 
provided EMS support and acted as safety officers. The ranger/EMT's 
working with resource management staff also served on the capture 
teams and helped to dart deer, monitor vital signs, collect biological 
samples, and radio-collar deer. Rangers have worked with resource 
managers in the past on studies of park elk and bears. [Curt Sauer, 
CR, OLYM]

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Robert Roderick, who retired from the park in 
1990, passed away at the age of 74 on February 19th. Bob worked as a 
law enforcement ranger at the park from 1977 to 1990; before that, he 
worked at Antietam NB. He lived in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The 
funeral was held on February 22nd in Martinsburg. [Keith Whisenant, 
CR, CHOH]

                             *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed 
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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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