NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, April 3, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-027 - Castillo de San Marcos NM (FL) - Special Event

King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain visited the park during a 
four-hour tour of St. Augustine on Sunday, April 1st. They were 
accompanied by several high-ranking Spanish government officials and 
dozens of national and international media representatives. Ranger 
Dave Parker was IC for the event; superintendent Gordie Wilson 
conducted the tour. A First Amendment demonstration coincided with the 
visit. The demonstration was aimed at a recent city ban of artists and 
musicians on a non-NPS pedestrian street near the fort. Although the 
Castillo is currently in the midst of a $3 million stabilization 
project, the royal party was able to tour most of the facility. 
Rangers from Canaveral NS and Timucuan E&HP/Fort Caroline NM assisted 
during the event. [Gordon Wilson, Superintendent, CASA, 4/2]

01-028 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Suicide

On the evening of March 29th, ranger Audie Critchley overheard 911 
radio traffic about a man who appeared to be preparing to jump from 
the New River Gorge Bridge. Critchley was at a ranger station on the 
north end of the bridge at the time and was on scene within three 
minutes. He saw a car parked near the center of the bridge and a 
22-year-old man from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, sitting on the top 
railing of the bridge, hanging on with his hands placed behind him. 
Critchley parked about 100 feet away, got out of his cruiser, and 
tried to get the man's attention by calling to him and waving his 
arms. At the same time, three local officers approached from the other 
side of the bridge. Within seconds, the man released his grip on the 
railing and fell from the bridge, landing on the river bank 870 feet 
below. Critchley and the officers located his body about 40 minutes 
later. The incident is being jointly investigated by the park and 
county sheriff's department. The county coroner has ruled the incident 
a suicide. [Rick Brown, ACR, NERI, 3/29]

                  [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

No fires reported.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Kings Mountain NMP (SC) - The park is currently recruiting for a 
GS-025-5 term (32 hours per week) LE ranger. The announcement number 
is AR109890 and closes on April 19th. The person selected will be 
responsible for road and backcountry patrol, wildland and prescribed 
fire, and other resource protection activities. The appointment will 
be for two years, with a possible extension to four years. Questions 
concerning this vacancy should be directed to chief ranger Chris 
Revels via cc:Mail (Chris Revels at NP-KIMO), Internet 
(chris_revels@nps.gov), or phone (864-936-7921).

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, April 5th

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public 
Lands (Hefley) - POSTPONED: Hearing on:

o       H.R. 37 (Bereuter, NE), a bill to amend the National Trails 
        System Act to update the feasibility and suitability studies 
        of four national historic trails and provide for possible 
        additions to such trails.
o       H.R. 640, a bill to adjust boundaries at Santa Monica 
        Mountains NRA.

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 22nd): 

o       S. 513 (Dodd, CT), a bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
        Act by designating a segment of the Eightmile River in 
        Connecticut for potential addition to the National Wild and 
        Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.
o       S. 580 (Hutchinson, AR), a bill to expedite the construction 
        of the World War II memorial in the District of Columbia.
o       S. 618 (Specter, PA), a bill to designate certain lands in the 
        Valley Forge National Historical Park as the Valley Forge 
        National Cemetery.

o       H.R. 1102 (Pickering, MS), a bill to provide for the 
        preservation and restoration of historic buildings at 
        historically women's public colleges or universities.
o       H.R. 1237 (Hoeffel, PA), a bill to designate certain lands in 
        the Valley Forge National Historical Park as the Valley Forge 
        National Cemetery.

NEW LAWS

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

No new laws.

ADDITIONAL SECTIONS

Regular sections not appearing today but available at all times for 
submissions:

o       Natural/Cultural Resource Management - Significant 
        developments in these fields.
o       Interpretation/Visitor Services - Significant developments in 
        these fields.
o       Operational Notes - Any information of consequence to the 
        field on operational matters.
o       Memoranda - Memoranda from WASO to the field on all 
        operational matters.
o       Interchange - Requests or offers from any park or office for 
        materials, information or any other operational needs.
o       Film at 11 - Reports on current or upcoming print or 
        electronic media stories on the NPS.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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