NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, April 20, 2001

INCIDENTS

00-412 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - Follow-up on PWC Accident 

A Kawasaki jet ski collided with a 20-foot Bayliner in the Whiskey 
Creek arm of Whiskeytown Lake on the evening of July 15, 2000, 
seriously injuring PWC operator G.M. and his five-year-old 
daughter. G.M.'s right femur, lower right leg and upper right arm 
were fractured. The girl suffered a lacerated liver, two fractured 
arms, a head wound, and had glass and fiberglass embedded in her head 
and parts of her body. The girl has fully recovered, but her father 
had part of his lower right leg amputated and is still undergoing 
medical treatment. Investigators determined that G.M. was 
traveling at high speed and jumping the wake of a third vessel when he 
collided with the Bayliner, which was traveling at less than 10 mph. 
G.M. was prosecuted in Shasta County Superior Court on charges of 
felony child endangerment and reckless and negligent operation of a 
vessel. The child endangerment charge was dismissed after a 
preliminary hearing. On April 17th, immediately prior to jury trial, 
G.M. plead no contest to misdemeanor reckless and negligent 
operation and was sentenced to one year summary probation and fines 
and penalties totaling $488. In rendering sentence, the court took 
into account his physical condition, his reported rescue of his 
daughter, and ongoing civil and child custody cases. [Alan Foster, SA, 
WHIS, 4/17]

01-154 - Golden Gate NRA/Point Reyes NS (CA) - Resource Damage Felony  
         Indictment

On February 4th, rangers contacted three men who were building an 
illegal mountain bike trail on Golden Gate NRA lands administered by 
Point Reyes. The three men - M.M., 47, W.M., 50, 
and N.D., 46 - have been indicted by a federal grand jury in 
San Francisco on felony charges of conspiracy (18 USC 371) and causing 
injury to federal property (18 USC 1361). M.M. was also charged with 
unlawfully cutting trees on federal property (18 USC 1853),  a 
misdemeanor.  M.M. was a member of the Marin County open space and 
trails committee, but resigned the post on February 5th. According to 
the indictment, the defendants and others agreed to construct an 
illegal bicycle trail in the park in an area not open to bicycles. 
Construction of the illegal trail entailed cutting down trees and 
bushes, cutting branches, removing and destroying plants, and digging 
and moving soil.  Rocks were gathered and stacked to create retaining 
walls and trees were cut and moved to create a "jump" area. The route 
was marked with flagging. A cache of tools was discovered near the 
illegal trail site.  Golden Gate NRA, which is part of a biosphere 
reserve, provides habitat for threatened species, including the 
northern spotted owl, coho salmon, steelhead trout, red legged frogs, 
and the endangered California freshwater shrimp. The maximum penalty 
for conspiracy is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three 
years of supervised release. The maximum penalty for injuring federal 
property  is ten years and $250,000. The tree cutting charge has a 
maximum penalty of one year and $100,000. [Karyl Yeston, DR, PORE, 
4/18]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

Two budget hearings are scheduled for next week. On Wednesday, April 
25th, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton will testify before the 
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies; on 
Thursday, April 24th, Norton will testify before the Senate 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies.

Testimony delivered on the National Fire Plan in recent hearings can 
be found at four web sites:

o       www.doi.gov/ocl/2001/fireplansen.htm
o       www.doi.gov/ocl/2001/fireplan.htm
o       www.doi.gov/ocl/2001/hartzell.htm
o       www.doi.gov/ocl/2001/fire.htm

Park Fire Situation 

Big Cypress NP (FL) - Although there have been no fires in the park 
since last weekend, there are several fires burning nearby on lands 
under state jurisdiction. A park crew is assisting with suppression of 
a 1,200-acre fire east of Golden Gate Estates.

Carlsbad Caverns NP (NM) - The park reports many small fires on nearby 
state lands. Red flag conditions are forecast for both Carlsbad 
Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains NP for this weekend.

Park Fire Danger

Very High       Carlsbad Caverns NP, Guadalupe Mountains NP
High            Everglades NP

[Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, WASO; NPS Situation Summary 
Report, 4/19]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Gulf Islands NS (FL/MS) - The park is currently advertising for a 
GS-390-6 telecommunications equipment operator for the Florida 
District. This position is being advertised under both merit promotion 
(governmentwide and special programs) and open competitive to all 
sources. The announcement numbers, respectively, are GUIS 01-11 and 
DEU GUIS 01-08; they close on April 26th. The person hired will be 
stationed at the Gulf Breeze PD and dispatch for both the park and 
city. The communications center is managed under an all risk 
philosophy, and supports wildland/structural fire, EMS, law 
enforcement and hurricane response for both agencies. The center is 
state of the art, with computer-aided dispatch and mobile data 
terminals and is to become a primary public safety answering point in 
2002. [JR Tomasovic, GUIS]

Lincoln Home NHS (IL) - The park is recruiting for a GS-11 permanent 
facility manager (chief of maintenance). The vacancy announcements are 
LIHO 6530-B-0041 (merit promotion) and LIHO 6530-B-0042 (all sources). 
Both announcements close on May 11th. For more information, contact 
Barbara Fearon at 217-492-4241, ext. 223. [Barbara Fearon, LIHO]

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       Hot Links - Web addresses for NPS-related sites.
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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