NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, March 7, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-078 - Northeast Areas - Winter Storm Impacts

Several reports have been received regarding the impacts of the major 
winter storm that struck the Northeast over the past three days:

o       Cape Cod NS (MA) - High winds (sustained at 40 to 50 mph) and 
        heavy surf were reported yesterday. High tides will be coming 
        in the mornings over the next few days and are expected to 
        affect shoreline areas. Preliminary damage assessments show 
        some undermining of stairways at beach access points, 
        undermining of supports for the Nauset Marsh bike/foot bridge, 
        and heavy accumulations of blowing sand in parking areas. 
        Heavy rains on Tuesday night turned to have snow late on 
        Tuesday afternoon. Damage assessments will be completed as 
        weather and conditions safely permit.
o       Fire Island NS (NY) - Initial reports indicate moderate beach 
        loss after the wind shifted and reduced ocean wave heights. 
        There was some undermining of dune crossings, two- to 
        three-foot scarps, and snow accumulations up to a foot. The 
        beach has been closed for two days. High tides and north winds 
        of 20 to 30 mph in the bay have caused some damage to docks at 
        the Fire Island Lighthouse, Sailors Haven and Watch Hill 
        marinas.
o       Roosevelt/Vanderbilt NHS (NY) - The park was closed from 
        Monday afternoon through Tuesday. As of Tuesday noon, a total 
        of about a foot of snow had fallen, with some drifting and 
        visibility problems. The park reopened this morning.
o       Delaware Water Gap NRA (PA/NJ) - The park put ICS into effect 
        on Sunday in anticipation of arrival of the storm. Operations 
        focused primarily on keeping as many of the park's 200 miles 
        of roads open as possible, maintaining facilities, and 
        assuring employee and visitor safety. About 55 people were 
        committed to the operation. The park was closed all day on 
        Monday, but resumed normal operations Tuesday morning. Much 
        less snow fell than was forecast. Ed Whitaker was IC.

[Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CACO, 3/6; Bruce Edmonston, CR, ROVA, 3/6; Dave 
Griese, CR, FIIS, 3/6; Bill Halainen, IO, IMT, DEWA, 3/6]

01-079 - Mojave NP (CA) - Drug Lab

On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 28th, rangers Tim Duncan and 
Kirk Gebicke were checking an old miners cabin in the Ivanpah 
Mountains when they came upon evidence that indicated recent illegal 
methamphetamine lab operations. The San Bernadino county sheriff's 
drug task force joined them at the scene and determined that there had 
in fact been a meth lab operating at the site. Rangers monitored the 
area during the night. On Thursday, they were joined by members of the 
drug task force and the county sheriff's scientific investigation 
team. While searching for evidence, they found bottles and containers 
containing methamphetamine byproducts buried underground in front of 
the cabin and under the wood porch. Also discovered was a five-gallon 
container of unprocessed methamphetamine oil with an estimated street 
value of $25,000. The county contracted for a hazardous waste disposal 
company to remove all the contaminated soil and items from the site. 
The task force is actively pursuing several identified suspects 
believed to be involved in this operation. [Christopher Jefferson, 
ACR, MOJA, 3/2]

01-080 - Coronado NM (AZ) - Drug Seizure

While conducting a foot patrol on a heavily-used smuggling trail on 
February 25th, one of the park's rangers encountered a man sitting on 
a burlap bundle. Another man was heard fleeing the area toward the 
Mexican border. Three more identical bundles lay on the ground nearby. 
The area smelled of marijuana, and the bundles were immediately 
recognizable as classic marijuana bale packaging. The man, a Mexican 
national, was placed under arrest and the 80 pounds of marijuana were 
seized. The estimated street value is $80,000. He has been charged 
with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. 
The park is pursuing prosecution of the case with assistance from 
Customs. [Mike Hardin, ACR, CORO, 2/27]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

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

Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - The park reports a 120-acre fire that has 
been contained in the Devil's Canyon area. The fire started on Sunday 
morning when a private oil field consultant got his pickup stuck on a 
muddy section of well access road and his catalytic converter ignited 
the grass. The Chevy Z-71 was totally destroyed. The park fielded a 
dozen firefighters and all three of its trucks and was assisted by a 
thousand-gallon tank truck from the city of Dumas. 

Everglades NP (FL) - The park was in extreme fire danger yesterday, 
but the drought situation has been ameliorated somewhat by rains that 
fell on Sunday.

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 3/6]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Risk Management Program Update - Recent developments include the 
following:

o       Park Assistance Contract - The following parks and contractors 
        have been selected to participate in the risk management 
        program's assistance contract this fiscal year: Antietam 
        NB/Monocacy NB - DuPont Safety Resources; Bandelier NM - 
        DuPont Safety Resources; Big Cypress NP - Keystone 
        International; Delaware Water Gap NRA - Harding Lawson 
        Associates; Everglades NP - Keystone International; Hawaii 
        Volcanoes NP - Harding Lawson Associates; Zion NP - DuPont 
        Safety Resources. The contractors have made initial contacts 
        with each area. The goal is to assist the parks in developing 
        and implementing effective occupational safety and health 
        programs. Although evaluations of the effectiveness of such 
        contract assistance are just beginning, positive effects are 
        already being seen in participating parks, including reduction 
        of lost time incident rates and related workers compensation 
        costs.
o       Worker's Compensation (OWCP) - US Investigations, Inc., the 
        contractor working with the division's OWCP program, has been 
        instrumental in helping the NPS save $1,989,637 in two 
        worker's compensation benefit cases. The amount is based on a 
        life expectancy of 72 years of age for the two people. In one 
        case, it was determined that the employee no longer suffered 
        from the accepted condition and was returned to work; in the 
        second case, a surveillance video showed that the employee who 
        had sustained a back injury was no longer totally disabled, as 
        had been alleged.
o       Public Safety Initiative - The Public Risk Management Advisory 
        Council, chaired by Sherrie Collins of Grand Canyon NP, met in 
        November to draft a strategic plan for public safety and to 
        start writing DO-50C on the national public risk management 
        program. DO-50C will be going to the Policy Office this month. 
        The council will begin work on RM-50C this spring.
o       Incident Reporting System - A funding request is being 
        submitted through PMIS to purchase a Servicewide incident 
        reporting and data management system to replace CIRS.
o       Lost-Time Incidents - The Service's lost-time incident rate 
        for FY00 was 4.725 lost-time mishaps per 100 employees. This 
        represents an 11% reduction from FY99 and a 29% reduction from 
        the GPRA baseline of 6.61. 
o       Safety Management Information System (SMIS) - SMIS, a DOI 
        computer system for reporting employee accidents, illnesses, 
        property damage, and related information, is being utilized by 
        more NPS areas and offices. SMIS usage by the NPS last fiscal 
        year improved by 34% over FY99. A total of 55% NPS sites 
        entered accidents into SMIS in FY00.
o       DOI Safety and Health Seminar - DOI is holding its safety and 
        health seminar in Seattle on the week of April 23rd. All NPS 
        employees who work with occupational safety or health issues 
        are invited to attend. Information on the seminar and 
        registration may be found at www.nps.gov/riskmgmt. 

[Dick Powell, Shirley Rowley, RMD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (CO) - The park is seeking help on an 
adjacent lands issue.  A park neighbor owning "park viewshed" lands is 
willing to exchange a conservation easement on those lands for a 
480-acre BLM parcel. The value of the donated easement (on 3,500 
acres) would be much more than the fee value of the 480-acre parcel. 
BLM is okay with helping out and is willing to go along with the 
exchange, but it's a low priority for them. The NPS would need to 
cover costs and most staff time. BLM would, in the end, hold the 
conservation easement, but would want NPS to monitor it. The park has 
no legislative authority for this private land, and waiting for 
legislation would not meet the needs of the landowner.  Protection 
would be a big plus for the visitor experience (the alternative is 
some future development). The park would need to find a funding 
source, as LWCF funds can't be used without legislative authority. The 
other sticking point is that the landowner would like this to happen 
more quickly than going through the legislative route. Considering all 
of the above, one solution is for NPS (or a partner like a land trust) 
to do the bulk of the work to facilitate the exchange with BLM. The 
NPS would need to enter into an agreement with BLM for all this to 
happen. Has any other area used this type of approach for protecting 
lands external to their boundary? What issues or obstacles are there? 
If you have an agreement with another agency to accomplish this type 
of project, they'd love to see it.  Please send responses care of 
cc:Mail to Dave Roberts at NP-CURE, or phone 970-240-5432. (Dave 
Roberts, Management Assistant, BLCA/CURE)

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Submission pending.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during 
coming weeks on matters pertaining to the National Park Service or 
kindred agencies.  

For inquiries regarding legislation pertaining to the NPS, please 
contact the main office at 202-208-5883/5656 and ask to be forwarded 
to the appropriate legislative specialist. For additional information 
on specific bills (full text, status, etc.), please check Congress's 
web site at http://thomas.loc.gov.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

Thursday, March 8th

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public 
Lands (Hefley): Hearings on:

o       H.R. 107 (Hefley, CO), a bill to require that the Secretary of 
        the Interior conduct a study to identify sites and resources, 
        to recommend alternatives for commemorating and interpreting 
        the Cold War, and for other purposes.
o       H.R. 400 (Hastert, IL), a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        the Interior to establish the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home       
        National Historic Site, and for other purposes.
o       H.R. 452 (Hansen, UT), a bill to authorize the establishment 
        of a memorial to former President Ronald Reagan within the 
        area in the District of Columbia referred to in the 
        Commemorative Works Act as 'Area I', to provide for the design 
        and construction of such memorial, and for other purposes.

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in Room 1334 Longworth.

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior (Skeen): Hearing on FY 
2002 budget request for the National Park Service's Natural Resources 
Initiative. The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in Room B-308 Rayburn.

Tuesday, March 13th 

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public 
Lands (Hefley): Hearings on:

o       H.R. 146 (Pascell, NJ), a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
        designating the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, New 
        Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other 
        purposes.
o       H.R. 182 (Simmons, CT), a bill to amend the Wild and Scenic 
        Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Eight Mile River in 
        the State of Connecticut for study for potential addition to   
        the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other 
        purposes.
o       H.R. 601, a bill concerning hunting and grazing issues at 
        Craters of the Moon NM, Idaho.

The hearing will be at 2 p.m. in Room 1334 Longworth.

Tuesday, April 24th 

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies 
(Burns): Hearing on FY 2002 budget request for the Department of 
Interior. The hearing will be at 10 a.m. 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior (Skeen): Hearing on FY 
2002 budget request for the Department of Interior. The hearing will 
be at 10 a.m. in B-308 Rayburn.

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

The following bills either directly or indirectly pertaining to the 
NPS have been introduced since the last Morning Report listing of new 
legislation (February 13th): 

o       S. 391 (Specter, PA), a bill to establish the Steel Industry 
        National Historic Park in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
o       H.R. 793 (LoBiondo, NJ), a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
        designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House located in 
        Elsinboro Township, Salem County, New Jersey, as a unit of the 
        National Park System, and for other purposes. 
o       S. 419 (Torricelli, NJ), a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of 
        designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House, Elsinboro 
        Township, Salem County, New Jersey, as a unit of the National 
        Park System, and for other purposes.
o       H.R. 834 (McInnis, CO), a bill to amend the National Trails 
        System Act to clarify Federal authority relating to land 
        acquisition from willing sellers for the majority of the 
        trails in the System, and for other purposes. 
o       S. 423 (Wyden, OR), a bill to amend the Act entitled "An Act 
        to provide for the establishment of Fort Clatsop National 
        Memorial in the State of Oregon, and for other purposes".

NEW LAWS

The following bills have passed Congress and been signed into law by 
the President: 

No new laws.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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