NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, April 6, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-032 - National Capital Parks (DC) - Rescue

Eagle I, the USPP helicopter, assisted in a response to boaters in 
distress in the Potomac River near Fletcher's Boathouse on the night 
of April 3rd. The crew spotted a partially submerged boat pinned on a 
rock in rapid flowing water and employed an infrared unit to determine 
that there were three people with the boat. City police rescue boats 
were unable to reach it due to the current. Eagle One therefore 
hovered over the vessel while sergeant Jeff Hertel was lowered into 
the water. Hertel swam to the vessel and assisted each of the three 
people in getting hooked up and hoisted into the helicopter. Hertel 
was then pulled back aboard. All four were treated for hypothermia and 
released. [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 4/3]

01-033 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Assist; Confrontation

The Coconino County Sheriff's Office asked for assistance in dealing 
with a potential armed confrontation in the town of Tusayan on the 
park's south border on the evening of April 2nd. Three rangers from 
the South Rim District joined two deputies at the location. The 
deputies had answered a complaint about two men illegally occupying a 
shared residence in the Tusayan trailer park. When they arrived, the 
deputies found a large number of .44 magnum shell casings around the 
front door and received no response from the occupants. Although the 
person reporting the problem had not seen a weapon, the deputies 
considered it likely that they were dealing with armed and barricaded 
people and solicited help from the park and from the state's 
Department of Public Safety. Three more deputies and two DPS officers 
joined the rangers and deputies already on scene. Two more building 
entries were attempted, but were unsuccessful because the doublewide 
trailer had been modified to accommodate a number of temporary/ 
transient workers and had multiple walls and doors. Repeated efforts 
were made to communicate with the men in the trailer through a cruiser 
PA system. When they failed to respond, a third building entry forced 
the occupants to move, confirming their location. While one ranger 
continued to talk over the PA system as a distraction, a three-person 
entry team from the sheriff's department finally located the men and 
forced open the door to the room they were occupying. B.G., 
21, and a male juvenile were arrested without further incident. No 
weapons were found, but both men were under the influence of 
unidentified controlled substances. [Patrick Hattaway, DR, South Rim 
District, GRCA, 4/5]

01-034 - Voyageur NP (MN) - Illegal Event

Last October, the park formally notified a local snowmobile club that 
their special event - a snowmobile race or "radar run" - would no 
longer be permitted in the park. The action was taken due to the 
overwhelming number of comments received by the park supporting a 
draft GMP alternative calling for discontinuation of the race, which 
has been held annually for many years. The club accordingly held the 
race outside the park on February 17th. On March 6th, a federal 
magistrate found seven PWC operators guilty of violating the park's 
compendium closure prohibiting PWC's in the park. Following that 
decision, the Koochiching County board of commissioners voted 
unanimously to proceed with a county-sponsored "radar run" within the 
park to protest superintendent Barbara West's prior decision to 
discontinue the event and to test the Service's authority and 
jurisdiction on waters within the park. West conducted extensive 
negotiations with the board and offered a permit for a snowmobile 
event that was not a race, but the commissioners refused the permit 
and its conditions and conducted the race on frozen lake surfaces 
within the park on March 17th. As it turned out, the event was 
conducted in a manner that met most of the permit conditions West had 
offered. Thirteen sheriff's deputies from two counties, a state 
conservation officer, and five park law enforcement rangers (including 
two from St. Croix NSR) monitored the event. Between 150 and 200 
snowmobiles participated in the advertised event in an orderly manner. 
The county commissioners organized, started, and timed the racers. 
Speeds generally did not exceed the speed limit and no awards or 
prizes were offered. No arrests were made and a decision is pending on 
action against the commissioners for conducting a special event 
without a permit. [Him Hummel, CR, VOYA, 3/30]

01-035 - Big Bend NP (TX) - Fatality

Visitors reported the discovery of a body about 300 feet below the 
south rim of the Chisos Mountains on March 31st. A Border Patrol 
helicopter was employed to make an initial search, but failed to find 
the victim. Rangers were subsequently dispatched to the area and found 
the remains of a man who'd been dead for several days. Due to the 
location of the victim and the unknown cause of death, they spent two 
days processing the scene. The victim has been tentatively identified, 
but his name is being withheld pending release of the medical 
examiner's report. [Cary Brown, ACR, BIBE, 4/4]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

The National Park Service's fire management leadership board met last 
week in Boise. They are continuing work on wildland-urban interface 
(WUI) projects and coordination of efforts with the states. The board 
approved hiring WUI coordinators at each regional office.  Additional 
information to follow.

Park Fires

No fires reported.

[Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, WASO, 4/5]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Olympic Torch Bearer Nominations - A number of employees have 
expressed interest in being torch bearers for the upcoming Winter 
Olympics in Utah. There are three ways to nominate people as 
prospective torch bearers through three separate sponsors; each can be 
done on the web:

o       Salt Lake Olympic Committee - www.saltlake2002.com
o       Coca-Cola - www.coca-cola.com
o       Chevrolet - www.chevrolet.com

Separate nominations for specific candidates on each of these three 
sites will improve prospects for selection. The NPS has innumerable 
excellent candidates, based on physical ability, experience and 
professional responsibilities. Please take the time to nominate 
someone. [Joan Anzelmo, GRTE]

MEMORANDA

"Wildland Urban Interface Initiative," signed on April 3rd by Dick 
Ring, AD for park operations and education, and sent electronically to 
all regional directors and superintendents and to the attention of 
FMO's. The memo specifies a reply due date of April 10th. The text 
follows. It is INFORMATIONAL only - please see the full memo AND 
attachments if you are required to respond.
        
"The FY 2001 Appropriations Bill provided $120 million for the 
Department of the Interior to 'accelerate treatments, planning 
efforts, and collaborative projects with non-Federal partners in the 
wildland urban interface.'  The primary focus of this section of the 
bill is 'the removal of hazardous fuels to alleviate immediate 
emergency threats to the wildland urban interface.' The National Park 
Service received $18 million specifically for these actions.  Congress 
has mandated specific timeframes, reporting requirements and 
accountability for all funds associated with this appropriation.

"The initial response created an additional workload under short 
timeframes and provided the opportunity for the NPS to proactively 
address fuels management meeting resource management objectives while 
providing for firefighter and public safety.  Our response to this 
initiative in FY 2001 will affect the future of NPS fire management 
for years to come. We will need to show immediate accomplishments in 
the next 6 months, as well as begin the planning for projects for FY 
2002 and beyond.

"The list of parks requesting Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) funds 
(Table 5 of the Department of  the Interior Wildland Fire Action Plan 
reported to Congress) is included as Attachment 1 (NOTE: Attachments 
are to the original memo, not to the Morning Report).  The Fire 
Management Program Center programmed funds for these park projects 
from the $18 million received using the following rationale.

o       Capitalized equipment acquisition and facilities construction 
        were removed from the submissions as there are already 
        mechanisms in place to cover these needs and anything outside 
        that process can be considered on a case-by-case basis.
o       Projects showing substantial on the ground accomplishment in 
        or to be completed in FY 2001 were fully programmed.
o       Projects showing on the ground accomplishment or completion in 
        FY 2002 were programmed at 50 percent for FY 2001 for planning 
        and preparation and the remainder in FY 2002.
o       Projects showing on the ground accomplishment or completion in 
        FY 2003 to FY 2005 were programmed at 30 percent in FY 2001 
        for planning and coordination and the remainder prorated 
        through the out years.

"Parks are requested to work with their Regional Fire Management 
Officers to have funding allocated so work can proceed on the hazard 
reduction projects previously submitted.  There is also an opportunity 
to include additional projects that can now be identified as meeting 
the criteria for reducing the threat of wildland fire to WUI areas at 
high risk.  The list of projects submitted for funding in FY 2001 is 
included as Attachment 2 (NOTE: Attachments are to the original memo, 
not to the Morning Report).

"Parks should contact their Regional Fire Management Officers for any 
questions regarding this funding process.

"The Regional Fire Management Officers are responsible for ensuring 
that each park having a project on the list be contacted.  This will 
be used to update proposed accomplishments in FY 2001 and verify the 
funds requested.  The regions should then enter the funds approved and 
a comment on the ability to accomplish the project on the attached 
spreadsheet and return it to the Fire Management Program Center by 
April 10, 2001.  Once the regions approve projects, the parks should 
proceed with the activity as planned.  The Fire Management Program 
Center (FMPC) will issue funding advice to each unit.  Regions may 
approve additional WUI projects subject to the same funding and 
personnel approvals outlined in RM 18 for prescribed fire and hazard 
fuels projects.

"Because of the congressional mandate for reporting and accountability 
in the fuels program this year keeping good records is mandatory.  
Reporting to Congress is required monthly so parks need to keep their 
accomplishments updated for resource management and hazard fuels 
projects in the Shared Applications Computer System (SACS) and WUI 
projects on a spreadsheet until the information is moved to the 
National Fire Plan database.  The FMPC will query SACS and review the 
WUI spreadsheet to complete the monthly reports to Congress without 
making additional requests to each park.

"To satisfy the accountability requirement, it is imperative that each 
park takes the time to document the fuels management process from 
inception and planning through preparation and implementation to 
evaluation.  There is a need to be able to market our work and answer 
the questions of those who review the accomplishments.  It is 
recommended that documentation include maps, aerial photos, aerial 
oblique photos, on the ground photos showing before, during and after 
activity conditions and include data from fuels monitoring plots 
established to quantify project objectives.  It is important to 
capture the intent of the project in terms of what is being protected 
and where the treatment is applied.

"We encourage all of you to review the attached document and 
understand the guidance that is a part of the implementation process 
for the fuels management program."

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Denali NP (AK) - The park is recruiting for a GS-11/12 budget analyst. 
This is a permanent, full-time position located at park headquarters. 
The announcement can be found on USA Jobs and is open until February 
11th. For more information, contact Susanne Brown at 907-683-9503. 
[Julie Wilkerson, CA, DENA]

Roosevelt/Vanderbilt NHS (NY) - The park is advertising for a 
GS-025-5/7 permanent protection ranger with promotion potential to 
GS-9. It's open to all sources. Current plans call for a two month 
furlough. The vacancy number is PH-01-RP-108078 and it closes on April 
18th. For more information, call chief ranger Bruce Edmonston at 
845-229-6214. [Bruce Edmonston, CR, ROVA]

HOT LINKS

Universal Competencies (http://www.nps.gov/training/uc/home.htm) - If 
you're interested in exploring "competency" training, you can find 
much of what you need to know at this web site. In 1994, the National 
Leadership Council approved an employee training and development 
strategy which set a new direction for NPS training. Training 
opportunities are now designed around "competencies" which are 
established for each career field and for each job title. 
Competency-based performance is a current concept in business and 
government. One comprehensive definition of "competency" is as 
follows: "A cluster of related knowledge, skills, and attitudes that 
affects a major part of one's job (a role or responsibility), that 
correlates with performance on the job, that can be measured against 
well-accepted standards, and that can be improved via training and 
development." (Training Magazine, July, 1996)  An "essential" 
competency is one that is critical for an employee to perform 
effectively at his or her level in an NPS career field; a "universal" 
competency is one that is required of all NPS employees regardless of 
career field, i.e. understanding the NPS mission. The web site 
provides information on all aspects of universal competencies. [Maia 
Browning, ATC]

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       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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