NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, March 14, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-087 - Biscayne NP (FL) - Vessel and Barge Grounding

A 77-foot tug and 295-foot barge ran aground in the park on February 
28th. The barge was carrying over a half-million gallons of bunker C 
crude oil on one of its 300 annual trips through park waters to the 
Turkey Point nuclear power plant. This is the second time in four 
years that a tug and barge have grounded within the park while 
transporting oil to the plant, owned and operated by Florida Power and 
Light Company. In 1997, a tug and barge damaged over 1,000 square 
meters of fragile seagrass beds and dislodged a section of the shoal 
while attempting to power off. That case remains in litigation. Ranger 
Randy Whitton and Coast Guard officials responded to the new grounding 
and conducted the on-scene investigation. The tug and barge were 
refloated. It appears that none of the crude oil leaked into the 
ocean, but preliminary investigations by rangers and biologist Karen 
Battle indicate that there has once again been significant injury to 
the seagrass ecosystem. Criminal proceedings are being contemplated. 
[Monika Mayr, BISC, 3/12]

01-088 - Pea Ridge NMP (AR) - Search

On March 3rd, rangers were notified that sheriff's department officers 
were looking for a man who had stolen a vehicle, then set it on fire 
south of the park's main unit. The man fled on foot into the west side 
of the park. An individual matching his description was seen near a 
park overlook, but responding rangers determined that he was not the 
man being sought. A thorough search of the western half of the park 
and nearby drainages proved fruitless, so the search was called off. 
Dogs tracked the man up to Lee Creek, which originates deep inside the 
park, before losing the scent. Rangers maintained surveillance of the 
area on March 4th and spotted a man matching the description of the 
suspect come into the park, stash a bag that he had with him, then 
hide near a bridge abutment. They also saw him talking on a two-way 
radio. Shortly thereafter, a park maintenance truck pulled into a 
nearby parking lot, causing the man to flee before rangers could 
apprehend him. He was tracked for two hours before searchers lost the 
track. He's been identified by the sheriff's office and is wanted by 
local authorities. [Robert Still, PR, PERI, 3/12]

01-089 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Assist; Structural Fire

Fire crews from Yosemite Valley and Wawona responded to a structural 
fire in a two-story condominium at Yosemite West at 1:30 a.m. on March 
4th. The area is a private development located just outside the west 
boundary of the park; the only access road is through the park, and 
the development is 30 minutes away from the closest fire station. The 
fire originated on the ground floor at an electric cooking stove and 
was limited to two adjacent walls. The occupant of the room had fallen 
asleep and left a pot cooking on the stove for several hours. Fire 
damage was estimated at $5,000. The building's value is estimated at 
about $600,000. [Deron Mills, Battalion Chief, YOSE, 3/12]

                   [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.

National Fire Management Conference

All of the presentations that were delivered at the national fire 
management conference in Reno the week before last have been posted to 
the Service's Fire Net web site. Either go to Fire Net and click on 
"Fire Info Zone" or go directly to www.fire.nps.gov/fmoconf. From 
there, you can get to the presentations via one of two routes. The 
first is to go to the "Daily Updates" for Tuesday, Wednesday or 
Thursday. On each day, you will find a short summary of the 
conference's highlights (the same information that appeared in the 
Morning Report), together with hot links to the individual 
presentations. The second is to select "Presentation Links," which 
will give you a complete listing of the presentations that are now 
available on the web site. These presentations were informative and 
detailed and cover many aspects of the fire program. Thanks to Tina 
Boehle, Whitman Missions, for her efforts in collecting all the 
presentations and getting them posted.

Park Fires

No fires reported.

[Tina Boehle, WHMI, 3/12]

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

Ranger Activities Division, WASO (DC) - The division has two detail 
assignments open for a fee analysis study. One person will serve as 
the primary lead, the other as a management assistant. The purpose of 
the study is to assess non-appropriated fees in the NPS, including 
recreation fees, special park use fees, transportation fees, filming 
fees, and recreation-based concession fees. The study will include a 
review of all legal authorities, review and analysis of all financial 
source documents, and review of all policy and procedural documents. 
Recommendations and findings will be reported to an NPS executive 
advisory group. These independent findings will help the Service in 
its efforts to influence decision-makers regarding permanent fee 
legislation and will provide important feedback toward making 
improvements in how the NPS manages fee and revenue programs. Details 
on the two positions:

o       Lead - Assumes primary leadership role in collaborative study 
        with National Park Foundation and McKinsey and Company, the 
        contracted consulting firm. The job includes coordination and 
        leadership on all aspects of the study, and coordination of 
        efforts to retrieve compile and analyze data, coordination and 
        development of a comprehensive survey to retrieve information 
        from parks, and coordination of meetings and workshops at 
        various leadership levels in the NPS, including the NLC. 
        Ranger Activities is seeking someone at the superintendent 
        level or equivalent, with partnership experience and executive 
        level communication skills. Fee and revenue management 
        experience is a plus.
o       Management assistant - Provides direct assistance to the lead 
        person. Duties include setting up meetings, coordinating data 
        retrieval and compilation, assisting in the coordination of 
        Servicewide surveys, and development of briefing materials, 
        reports and miscellaneous documents. Ranger Activities is 
        looking for someone with strong organizational, coordination, 
        verbal and written skills. Knowledge of fee and revenue 
        programs is a plus.

The positions are open now and will continue through June 30th. 
Salary, per diem and travel costs will be paid by WASO. Some travel 
may be required. Send an email message (one page or less) with 
qualifications, one reference contact and availability dates directly 
to Dick Ring, AD for park operations and education, no later than 
close of business on March 19th. Also send a copy to your RD for 
concurrence. Selection will be made ASAP. If you have further 
questions, please contact Jane Moore, national fee program manager, at 
202-208-4205. [Dick Ring, WASO]

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

Wednesday, March 21st 

House Government Reform Subcommittee on the District of Columbia 
(Morella): Oversight hearing on the impact of the closing of 
Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House. The hearing will be at 10 
a.m. in 2154 Rayburn.

Thursday, March 22nd

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Historic Preservation, and Recreation (Thomas): Oversight hearing on 
the implementation of the concessions program, as authorized by the 
National Parks Omnibus Management Act. Witness: AD/Park Operations and 
Education Dick Ring. The hearing will be at 2:30 p.m. in 192 Dirksen.

Tuesday, March 27th

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public 
Lands (Hefley): Oversight hearing on issues surrounding the 
implementation of the Yosemite Valley Plan. The hearing will be at 10 
a.m. in 1334 Longworth.

Thursday, March 29th

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Historic Preservation, and Recreation (Thomas): Oversight hearing on 
all other titles (except concessions) of the National Parks Omnibus 
Management Act. Witness: Acting Director Deny Galvin.

Tuesday, April 24th 

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies 
(Burns): Hearing on FY 2002 budget request for the Department of 
Interior. Witness: Secretary Norton. The hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. 
in SD-138 Dirksen. 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior (Skeen): Hearing on FY 
2002 budget request for the Department of Interior. Witness: Secretary 
Norton. 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 (March 6th): 

o       H.R. 883 (Young, AK), a bill to preserve the sovereignty of 
        the United States over public lands and acquired lands owned 
        by the United States, and to preserve State sovereignty and 
        private property rights in non-Federal lands surrounding those 
        public lands and acquired lands.  
o       S. 509 (Murkowski, AK), a bill to establish the Kenai 
        Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area in the State of 
        Alaska, 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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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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