NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, February 27, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-066 - Walnut Canyon NM (AZ) - Rescue

On the morning of February 23rd, SCAs Angela Saner and Ryan Boyson 
were shoveling snow off the Island trail when they heard a woman shout 
for help. The woman was at the bottom of Walnut Canyon, an area that 
is closed to the public. Saner notified the visitor center, then 
descended about 250 feet through snow and over slick rocks with Boyson 
to a point where they could contact the woman. District ranger John 
Portillo anchored a rope to a tree for use in a safe ascent from the 
canyon and hiked down to the woman, identified as M.W. 
Portillo employed seat harnesses and ascenders to help M.W. back 
to the main trail. M.W. was tired, but in good health. She told 
rangers that she had spent the night meditating, that she had not 
eaten for two days, and that she had intended to spend a second night 
at the bottom of the canyon meditating. She began calling for help 
when she felt that she could not make it out of the canyon on her own. 
The trail was not open to the public due to snow, and her calls would 
not have been heard if not for Saner and Boyson. She had no food, only 
one bottle of water, and was not dressed appropriately for winter 
weather. The overnight low was 28 degrees, with an accumulation of two 
inches of snow and a forecast for additional snow through the day. 
M.W. was aware that she was in violation of regulations and was 
cited for violation of closures and public use limits.  [Kim Watson, 
FLAG, 2/23]

01-067 - Moores Creek NB (NC) - Special Event; Vandalism

On February 24th and 25th, the park observed the 225th anniversary of 
the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. Nearly 7,000 people visited the 
87-acre site over the two-day period. A major act of vandalism on the 
night of the 23rd resulted in serious damage to a swivel cannon to be 
used in the weekend events. Park staff were able to get the gun safely 
operational just in time for the firing program. Staffing support for 
the weekend came from Kings Mountain, Ninety-Six, Cowpens, Cape 
Lookout, Guilford Courthouse and Fort Sumter. [Ann Childress, 
Superintendent, MOCR, 2/26]

01-068 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - MVA with Fatality

On the evening of February 18th, two 17-year old foreign-exchange 
students were southbound on the parkway in a 1992 Geo Tracker. The 
driver reported that he swerved to avoid an animal in the road, hit 
the shoulder, lost control of the vehicle, crossed both lanes of 
traffic, then became airborne and hit a large tree. The driver 
sustained minor injuries; the passenger was flown to North Mississippi 
Medical Center, where he died of his injuries on February 21st.  
[Jackie Henman, ACR, NATR, 2/22]

01-069 - Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - Body Found

A visitor reported a body in the surf at Riis Park's beach just after 
7 a.m. on February 21st. Park Police officer Jeff Jones responded and 
found city fire and EMS units removing the body of a 55-year old 
Rockaway Park woman from the surf. Some of her clothing was found in a 
neat pile nearby. Investigators determined that she had been suffering 
from terminal cancer and depression for several years, and that she'd 
been missing from her home since 8 p.m. the previous evening. It's not 
yet clear whether she fell off a nearby jetty or entered the water 
under her own volition. There's no indication of foul play. Detective 
Eddie Ramos is leading the investigation. [Lt. John Marigliano, GATE, 
2/22]

                  [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

Tim Hartzell, the Department of Interior's National Fire Plan 
interagency coordinator, and Lyle Laverty, National Fire Plan 
coordinator for the Forest Service, will conduct 41 briefings on 
Capitol Hill this week.

Last week's National Fire Plan collaboration coordinators' two-day 
meeting in Denver was attended by 155 representatives from Interior 
fire management agencies, the Forest Service, and various states. This 
was the first multi-agency meeting to discuss  "seamless" 
implementation of the National Fire Plan. Speakers included 
Intermountain regional director Karen Wade, who said that last year's 
fire season could be a watershed event that may change the way public 
land management is done in the West - for the best OR for the worst.  
"We were appropriated high sums of money," Wade said, "because we're 
expected to fix the problem."  She emphasized that the two departments 
are committed to restoring damaged communities and landscapes, and 
said that the National Fire Plan must be a collaborative effort. She 
said that agencies are being asked to do business in a way they've 
never done business before.  This is a time for renewed spirit, Wade 
added, "and a great opportunity for success, and, as a federal family, 
to be seen as relevant in our communities."

Fire Management

The NPS national fire management conference - "People, Parks and Fire: 
Better Together" - opens this morning here in Reno, Nevada. Over 350 
people from fire management operations Servicewide have registered for 
the three-day conference, which will provide a comprehensive update on 
current NPS fire management and on coming developments in fire 
programs.

Several pre-conference meetings were held on Monday, including a 
workshop on prescribed fire for burn bosses. The day-long session 
focused on the current status of the prescribed fire program, 
particularly the draft policy on fuels management in chapter 10 of the 
revised RM-18. That chapter has been thoroughly revised and should be 
released Servicewide in the very near future. It will be available to 
interested parties via the web and will be disseminated via other 
means as well. 

The agenda for today includes:

o       an opening presentation by Dr. Susan Dellinger entitled 
        "Communicating Beyond Our Differences";
o       a historical perspective on the NPS fire program;
o       a summary of the federal fire policy review;
o       a review of the NPS prescribed fire program; and
o       afternoon sessions on the FIREPRO analysis and budget cycle 
        process, structural fire, aviation, the 2000 fire season, 
        current strategies and proposals in fire management planning, 
        fire information on the web, business management, and 
        reporting on successes in fire management.

Reports on the conference will appear each day this week in the 
Morning Report and on the Fire Management Program Center web site 
(www.fire.nps.gov). Supplemental reports and the full text of a number 
of presentations will be posted at the site both this week and over 
coming weeks.

Park Fires

No fires reported.

[Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, WASO, 2/26; Bill Halainen, Dick 
Bahr, NPS Fire Management Conference, 2/27]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Supreme Court Ruling - On February 20th, the Supreme Court ruled that 
officers possessing probable cause to believe that there was marijuana 
hidden within a trailer lawfully prevented the owner from reentering 
the trailer for approximately two hours while a search warrant was 
obtained. The officers did allow the owner to retrieve cigarettes and 
make phone calls while being observed from the doorway. The court 
determined that the officers' actions were reasonable based on the 
existence of probable cause, the likelihood of the evidence being 
destroyed if the officers departed to get a warrant, the minimal 
intrusion into the trailer by officers, and the limited duration of 
the detention, which was no longer than the time needed to obtain the 
warrant.  Illinois v. McArthur, No. 99-1132, (U.S. Supreme Court, 
February 20, 2001). For more information on this case or other court 
decisions, contact NPS legal instructor Don Usher at FLETC via cc:Mail 
at NP-WASO. [Don Usher, FLETC]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Coronado NM [AZ) - The park is recruiting for a GS-025-11 chief 
ranger. The vacancy announcement number is SOAR-01-01 and it is open 
until March 16th. The chief ranger has a variety of responsibilities 
and this job provides a good opportunity to gain experience in 
border-related law enforcement, interpretation, and resource 
management. Applicants are being sought who have solid law enforcement 
skills, an interest in participating in interpretive activities and 
resource management projects, and good leadership skills.  Spanish 
speaking ability is desirable. Questions may be directed to 
superintendent Jim Bellamy at 520-366-5515 ext 21. [Jim Bellamy, CORO]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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