NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, April 27, 2001

INCIDENTS

00-669 - Gulf Islands NS (MS/FL) - Follow-up: Kidnapping 

The man and woman charged with kidnapping 22-month-old E.P. 
from the Davis Bayou campground last October have pled guilty to 
kidnapping charges. B.M. and U.K.M. face sentences of up 
to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 24th. The 
M.s befriended E.P.'s parents while on the Mississippi coast, 
then traveled with them to the campground. The M.s took E.P. 
out to dinner but never returned. Instead, they used E.P. as a "prop" 
while begging for money at truck stops - until they were captured 
three days later in Texas. E.P. has since been returned to her 
parents, following a state investigation into the family's ability to 
provide the girl with adequate care. [Mark Lewis, DR, GUIS, 4/26]

01-119 - Everglades NP (FL) - Follow-up: Fatality

Ranger Mike Michener spotted a column of smoke several miles south of 
the East Everglades Ranger Station on the afternoon of April 2nd and 
found that a burning car had ignited a wildfire in a mutual threat 
zone near the park's boundary. NPS, Florida Department of Forestry and 
Miami-Dade County fire crews provided initial attack and discovered 
the burned remains of an adult male inside the vehicle. Also found 
were the remnants of an AK-47 rifle and spent cartridges. On April 
22nd, the county coroner's office identified the 51-year-old man from 
Miami Beach from steel pins that were in one of his legs, the car's 
registration, and a suicide note. The cause of death has been ruled a 
suicide. Ranges worked cooperatively with the Miami-Dade PD homicide 
unit in the investigation. [Jim Sanborn, DR, East Everglades District, 
EVER, 4/24]

01-155 - Midwest Region - Follow-up: River Flooding

Two parks in the upper Midwest have been affected by the current 
flooding along the Mississippi River and its tributaries:

o       St. Croix NSR (MN/WI) - The St. Croix River has been closed 
        from the northern limits of the city of Stillwater, Minnesota 
        (mile 25) to Riverside Landing north of Danbury, Wisconsin 
        (mile 130). The decision was made following consultation with 
        and support by the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of 
        natural resources. The Coast Guard has already closed the St. 
        Croix River from its confluence with the Mississippi River to 
        the north city limits of Stillwater. The action was taken due 
        to very high water levels, swift and erratic currents, 
        floating debris, cold water and difficult access. The river 
        will be reopened as soon as river levels drop and conditions 
        permit. Not all of the park is closed, however - the 23.5 
        miles of the St. Croix River from Riverside Landing upstream 
        to Gordon Dam remains open, as does the entire 102-mile length 
        of the Namekagon River. Visitors to these sections have been 
        urged to use caution, as rapids are more difficult than normal 
        and trees that have fallen into the river present new hazards.

o       Effigy Mounds NM (IA) - The upper Mississippi River crested at 
        McGregor, Iowa, on Saturday, April 21st. The state highway 
        leading to the park was reopened to vehicles from the south by 
        mid-day on Tuesday, April 24th. The park was reopened to 
        visitors that afternoon, but highway access to the north 
        remains closed until the river recedes. A flood warning 
        remains in effect, as the river was still more than five feet 
        above flood stage as of yesterday morning. It will fall a bit 
        more by tomorrow, then remain nearly steady until Monday. 

[Ron Erickson, PIO, SACN, 4/25; Ken Block, EFMO, 4/26]

01-175 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Search; Possible Drowning

R.R., 22, of Beckley, West Virginia, was fishing from rocks 
in the New River above Sandstone Falls with three companions on the 
afternoon of April 22nd. R.R. decided to return to shore, but was 
caught by the swift current while attempting to do so and swept 
downstream and over the falls, a drop of about 20 feet. There is also 
a major hydraulic at the bottom of the falls (a hydraulic is sort of 
like a circular current and is hard to escape). A member of the party 
jumped into the river in an effort to rescue R.R.; he, too, was 
caught in the current, but was able to make it to shore before going 
over the falls. Rangers and volunteer rescuers responded around 5:30 
p.m. and began a hasty search of the area using boats and SCUBA 
divers. Rangers then spotted R.R.'s two other companions stranded 
on a rock further upstream. Ranger Mark Carrico rescued them by boat. 
The two were mildly hypothermic but otherwise okay. The search and 
recovery operation for R.R. continues. The NPS is leading the 
search operation and investigation. [Rick Brown, ACR, NERI, 4/23]

                   [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

Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - The Stony Ridge Rx Fire is being 
monitored. No problems are anticipated. The White Oak Fire is still 
within lines. Mop-up continues.

Everglades NP (FL) - The Little Caesar Fire - Although the fire was 
outside the park, concerns grew on Wednesday afternoon that the 
southern flank might jump over the C-110 and the Aerojet canal and 
spread into the park, burning the habitat of the endangered Cape Sable 
seaside sparrow. Two of the park's helicopters made bucket drops and 
were successful in preventing the fire's spread. 

Zion NP (UT) - Park staff began burning piles of hand-cut aspen and 
fir in the Blue Creek burn unit on Tuesday. They began at 8 p.m. and 
burned 48 piles by midnight. Crews were patrolling on Wednesday and 
planning on burning the balance of 200 piles that night. 

Park Fire Danger

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

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 4/26]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Fire Management Program Center (ID) - Steve Holder, currently the 
deputy incident commander for implementation of the National Fire Plan 
and program manager for the "Safety Awareness in the Fire Environment" 
program, will bid adieu to the NPS on June 2nd after 30 years of 
federal service. "I've had the perfect career," Holder said upon 
announcing his retirement. "I've worked in great places with wonderful 
people."  While finishing college, Holder worked two summers as a tour 
bus driver ("gear jammer") in Yellowstone NP.  His first NPS job was 
as a seasonal horse patrol ranger at the North Rim of Grand Canyon NP, 
with one winter season at Ship Island, Gulf Island NS.  Holder gained 
career status as a GS-2, 10-month STF dispatcher at Grand Canyon NP.  
His career also included tours as fee collection supervisor at Desert 
View, Grand Canyon NP; subdistrict ranger at Stinson Beach, Golden 
Gate NRA; night shift supervisor at the South Rim, Grand Canyon NP; 
subdistrict ranger, Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain NP; district ranger at 
Marin Headlands, Golden Gate NRA; unit manager at Jewel Cave NM; 
regional chief of fire and aviation in Alaska; and chief ranger at 
Zion NP.  Steve says that the high point of his career was serving on 
the NPS national incident management team at the Hurricane Andrew 
incident in 1992 - "the best thing the NPS ever did in the people 
business."  For the past several months, Holder has been in 
Washington, DC, working on the National Fire Plan interagency 
implementation team.  He returns to his regular job as SAFE program 
manager in Boise on May 11th, then retires in June.  He and his wife, 
Linda, will remain in Boise, Idaho.  When asked what he will do after 
retirement, he says that he feels no need for structured plans.  "We 
live on a golf course by the river," he said, "and between the two of 
them, I'm sure I'll figure out something!" His long-time friend and 
co-worker Rick Gale added, "Look for him on the first tee...and I 
don't mean high tea!" Cards, letters, photos, and anything else to 
wish Steve a fond farewell can be sent to: Sue Vap, National 
Interagency Fire Center, National Park Service, 3833 South Development 
Avenue, Boise, ID 83705-5354. [Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, 
WASO]

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       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.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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