NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, April 26, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-169 - Sequoia/King's Canyon NP's (CA) - Rescue

The park's dispatch office received a 911 call from Potwisha 
Campground on the afternoon of April 16th, reporting that a young man 
had been swept downstream just below Marble Falls on the Marble Fork 
of the Kaweah River. It took rescue personnel over an hour to reach 
the location, which is nearly four trail miles and 2,400 vertical feet 
above and beyond the Potwisha trailhead. M.N., 24, of San 
Luis Obispo, was located and extricated from a precarious, 
life-threatening location on the edge of the river by rescue swimmer 
P.S., who was belayed by ropes and equipped with a boogie 
board. M.N. was hypothermic, but he didn't require any medical 
attention and walked out under his own power. M.N. had attempted to 
swim to a spot in a large pool below the falls so that others in his 
party could take a photograph, but the swift current pulled him 
downstream. Although he managed to grab onto a rock, he remained 
partially submerged in 40-degree water for about 45 minutes. Other 
visitors in the area made a makeshift rope out of clothing that was 
knotted together and floated it to M.N. He attached the makeshift 
line to his wrist, and the visitors pulled him up onto a small ledge. 
He had to endure the spray of the waterfall for about two hours until 
he was rescued. Ash Mountain SDR Randy Larson was IC; 15 park 
employees from several divisions were involved in the rescue. [Bob 
Wilson, LES, SEKI, 4/19]

01-170 - Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - Public Health Hazard

Earlier this month, rangers noticed that the only known prairie dog 
town within the park had disappeared. Personnel from the Texas 
Department of Health came to the park and took flea samples from the 
burrows, which were near the Sanford-Yake Campground. The first 
screening of six flea samples was sent to the Centers for Disease 
Control in Fort Collins, Colorado. Plague-causing pathogens were found 
in one of the six samples. Detailed laboratory testing is currently 
underway to confirm the results of the first screening, but will not 
be available for several days. A doctor from the Texas Department of 
Health and ranger/environmental protection specialist Paul Eubank will 
visit all campgrounds and public areas in the park to determine if 
plague is anywhere else within Lake Meredith. The park's annual 
lakeshore cleanup, which involves over 1500 volunteers and is 
scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed. The park is making 
arrangements to have the burrows of the prairie dog town dusted to 
eliminate fleas. The Sanford-Yake Campground will remain closed for 
about two months. Media attention has been high. [John Benjamin, 
Superintendent, LAMR, 4/25]

01-171 - Gulf Islands NS (MS/FL) - Vessel Grounding; Oil Spill

The 42-foot, steel-hulled commercial fishing vessel "Captain Hung" 
went aground in approximately six feet of water off the north shore of 
Horn Island last week. The vessel, which has been converted from a 
shrimp boat to an oyster-dredging boat, is grounded on a sandbar about 
600 feet off the island in an area of important seagrass beds. It is 
listing to starboard and has been overwashed by the sea; only its 
superstructure is now above water. The vessel is leaking diesel fuel, 
which extends in a rainbow slick for a distance of three miles. The 
Coast Guard Marine Safety Office has given the owner until 7 a.m. this 
morning to halt the spill, but the park has demanded that the owner 
remove the boat immediately and has contacted a commercial salvage 
company to remove it if the owner fails to do so. The incident is 
being jointly investigated by park, the Mississippi Department of 
Marine Resources, and the Coast Guard. Clean Water Act violations are 
being considered, as well as the possibility that the vessel was 
intentionally abandoned. [Mark Lewis, DR, GUIS, 4/25]

01-172 - Canyonlands NP (UT) - Mountain Biking Fatality

W.A., 44, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, was killed while 
mountain biking on the remote White Rim Road in the park's Island in 
the Sky District on the evening of April 24th. W.A. was on a 
four-day mountain-biking trip with a group of eleven people, including 
his wife and two children. He was going downhill on Hardscrabble Hill 
when he evidently ran into a large boulder adjacent to a curve. There 
were no witnesses. When he was discovered by visitors, he was not 
breathing and had no pulse. Rangers and a county deputy recovered his 
body. An autopsy is being conducted, and an investigation is underway. 
Ranger Paul Downey was IC. [Steve Swanke, DR, CANY, 4/25]

01-173 - Oklahoma City NM (OK) - Special Event

On April 19th, the park hosted the sixth annual memorial ceremony for 
the family members, survivors and rescue workers associated with the 
bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. Family members and survivors 
requested a low-key ceremony - a request that was honored by the park. 
The ceremony was attended by about 500 people and received significant 
national media attention. Over 150 media organizations covered the 
related events, which began on April 18th. The park received 
assistance from the city, Federal Protective Service, American Red 
Cross and FBI in order to assure that the event was safe and 
successful. Some city streets were temporarily closed, but no major 
traffic flow or visitor inconveniences occurred. [Superintendent, 
OKCI, 4/25]

01-174 - Biscayne NP (FL) - Arson

A visitor called on a cell phone to report a wildland fire on Boca 
Chita Key on the afternoon of April 21st. Park staff and volunteers 
responded and put out the two-acre fire with the help of visitors. 
Part of a historic stone wall was affected, but park staff have yet to 
determine the extent of the damage. The fire did not affect any other 
historic structures or the nearby campsites and picnic area. 
Indications are that the fire was started by a group of juveniles 
using a lighter. [David Pharo, LES, BISC, 4/24]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

Hiring continues for NPS fire positions. Here's the tally as of 
yesterday: Temporary positions - 739 total, 309 hired to date; 
career/seasonal positions - 235 total, 160 hired to date; permanent 
positions - 416 total, 237 hired to date. That works out to a total of 
706 people hired for 1,390 total positions (51%).

The Bureau of Land Management is advertising for two new permanent 
full-time fire jobs at NIFC in Boise. One is for a supervisory 
forestry technician (chief, smokejumper), GS-0462-10/11/12/13 
(#BLM/FA-01-85, closes May 18th); the other is for a supervisory fire 
management specialist (chief, fuels planning and research), 
GS-0401-13/14 (#BLM/FA-01-82, closes May 15th). The announcements are 
posted on USAJobs.

Safety Advisory

The Federal Fire and Aviation Safety Team has sent out it's first 
safety alert on the system outlined last week in the Morning Report. 
The text of the alert, entitled "Fire Shelter Packaging Defect," 
follows:

"Federal firefighting agencies are responding to a defect discovered 
in the packaging of fire shelters by recalling 44,000 affected 
shelters currently in use and storage throughout the country.

"The issue is focused on the red pull-tabs that open the clear plastic 
case covering some of the fire shelters manufactured under General 
Services Administration (GSA) Contract GS-07F-J0091.  These tabs tend 
to break off before 'unzipping' the clear plastic case that encloses 
the fire shelters.

"Alice Forbes, USDA Forest Service Branch Chief for Chemicals and 
Equipment stressed that the recall addresses the pull-tabs on the 
packaging only, and not the fire shelter. 'It must be emphasized that 
the shelters will still perform as intended for the firefighter. The 
tabs breaking on the outer case could force the firefighter to remove 
his or her gloves in order to attempt to get the cover off without the 
tabs. This is cumbersome, and adds precious seconds, as well as 
anxiety to an already tense situation. We strive always to fight fire 
safely so that no one will ever need to use a fire shelter, but 
history has taught us differently.'

"'The shelters themselves are manufactured according to specification 
and will simply be re-worked with a new outer case,' added Leslie 
Anderson, Fire Shelter Development Project Leader with the Missoula 
Technology and Development Center.

"Any agency having shelters manufactured under General Services 
Administration (GSA) Contract GS-07F-J0091 is asked to collect the 
shelters by May 4, 2001, and return them to their nearest Geographic 
Area Coordination Center/National Interagency Support Cache where they 
will be inventoried.  GSA will then issue a credit to the unit for the 
shelters. GSA is working on a contract to get the shelter packaging 
re-worked as rapidly as possible to make them available for the coming 
fire season. Current supplies of fire shelters in the cache system and 
GSA can meet the immediate needs of the agencies."

Please insure that all wildland firefighters get this information; all 
caches must be checked for the shelters in question and returned as 
per the above instructions.

Park Fires

Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Two fires reported:

o       Stony Ridge Rx Fire - Mop-up continues along two trails that 
        border two sides of the fire. All trails should be reopened 
        tomorrow. Small, unburned islands within containment lines 
        will likely burn for the next few days.
o       White Oak Fire - The fire has burned 39 acres in very steep    
        terrain. Light rain fell on some areas of the fire on Tuesday, 
        but no more precipitation is forecast for the next several 
        days. The fire remains within scratch lines. Crews are busy 
        with mop-up.

Gulf Islands NS (FL/MS) - The BLA Fire was 100% contained on Wednesday 
afternoon. There are still islands of fuel burning within the lines, 
but all flanks are well secured against forecast conditions. The Type 
1 crew from Fort Apache was released on Tuesday evening and returned 
home yesterday morning. The park will continue to monitor the fire 
until it is declared out.

Everglades NP (FL) - The 227-136 Fire was started by a burning vehicle 
on April 23rd. A park engine arrived on scene and controlled the fire 
before it spread. The fire was declared out yesterday. 

Park Fire Danger

Extreme         Carlsbad Caverns
Very High       Hawaii Volcanoes, Guadalupe Mountains, Big Bend
High            Great Smokies, Everglades, New River

[Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, WASO; Mike Warren and Paul 
Broyles, NPS FMPC; Mark Lewis, GUIS, 4/25; NPS Situation Summary 
Report, 4/25]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Supreme Court Decision - On April 24th, the Supreme Court held that 
the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution does not forbid 
a warrantless arrest for a minor criminal offense, such as a 
misdemeanor seatbelt violation punishable only by a fine or 
collateral.  In this case, a Lago Vista, Texas, officer stopped a 
vehicle when he observed that the occupants, an adult female with 
small children, were not wearing their seatbelts. Texas law authorized 
officers to either issue a citation or arrest violators. In this case, 
the officer arrested the adult and processed her in accordance with 
established procedures. She was released on bail several hours later. 
She later pleaded no contest to the seatbelt violations and paid a 
fine, but then filed suit against the officer and Lago Vista for an 
alleged unreasonable seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The 
District Court, Fifth Circuit and Fifth Circuit en banc disagreed and 
dismissed her case. The Supreme Court did likewise, pointing out that 
all that is necessary for a warrantless arrest is the probable cause 
necessary to support the arrest. In this case, the misdemeanor was 
committed in the officer's presence, and the probable cause was 
undisputed.  This case validates the on-going use of 36 CFR petty 
offenses for custodial arrests when law enforcement circumstances 
dictate that the subject be taken into custody rather than issued a 
citation and released.  Atwater v. Lago Vista, No. 99-1408 (4/24/01 
S.Ct.)  For more information on this decision or other legal issues, 
contact Don Usher of the NPS-FLETC staff via cc:Mail or at 
912-267-3190. [Don Usher, FLETC]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

WASO (DC) - The WASO Housing Office has announced two openings, one 
for a GS-1173-9/11 housing management specialist and one for a 
GS-1640-12/13 facility management specialist.  Full vacancy 
announcements can be found on the USA Jobs website. [Pat Bantner, 
WASO]

Katmai NP&P (AK) - The park is seeking someone for a detail 
opportunity to work as a GS-5 lead dispatcher in King Salmon, Alaska. 
The job involves providing dispatch for the park, directing to 
seasonal clerk/dispatchers, flight following and aviation support, and 
miscellaneous logistics and clerical support. The park is seeking 
someone with these skills and supervisory approval for a detail that 
will last from 30 to 120 days and start in May if possible. A similar 
position will be advertised on a permanent STF basis in the fall. For 
more info, contact chief ranger Chris Pergiel at 907-246-2120 or unit 
manager John Bundy at 907-246-2133.

Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - The park has received word that Ron 
Mechlinski, PIX interactive software guru, passed away from an asthma 
attack on April 10th. Many parks have benefited from his expertise in 
computer software programs, touch screen technology and webmaster 
skills. Ron and lifemate Kerry Lee Cook enjoyed spending time working 
with the National Park Service and felt like members of the NPS 
family. Kerry wishes to express her thanks for an opportunity to work 
with the dedicated employees of the NPS. Condolences may be sent to 
her at PO Box 762, Hana, HI 96713, or vie email to kerry@maui.net. 
[Rhonda Terry, LAMR]

HOT LINKS

Chuck Rafkind at Colonial NHP has sent along the following web site. 
It bills itself as the world's largest web directory for 
environmentally related links and information: 
http://www.webdirectory.com/

Kate Bucco at NCP-East has found a site which has proven very useful 
for park staff in urban areas regarding the causes of ground-level 
ozone: http://www.smogcity.com

ADDITIONAL SECTIONS

Regular sections not appearing today (due either to lack of 
submissions or time constraints in preparing this edition) but are 
available at all times:

o       Natural/Cultural Resource Management - Significant 
        developments in these fields.
o       Interpretation/Visitor Services - Significant developments in 
        these fields.
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.

                             --- ### ---