NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, May 3, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-175 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Follow-up: Drowning

On April 28th, the body of R.B., 22, of Beckley, West 
Virginia, was found by searchers about a half mile downstream from 
Sandstone Falls on the New River. R.B. was last seen when he went 
into the river while fishing with four friends on April 22nd. The park 
received a great deal of assistance from local fire departments, dive 
teams, boat operators, search teams and dog handlers throughout the 
seven-day search. The county coroner and state medical examiner are 
assisting rangers and the park's special agent with the follow-up 
investigation. [Gary Hartley, CR, NERI, 4/23]

01-182 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Assault on Ranger

On the afternoon of April 21st, ranger Ryan Peabody contacted a man 
who identified himself as G.H. G.H., who had the strong odor 
of alcohol about him, was sitting in the driver's seat of his 1998 GMC 
Sonoma with the keys in the ignition. G.H. told Peabody that he'd 
been drinking, so Peabody asked him to step out of his vehicle. G.H. 
instead attempted to drive off. A brief struggle ensued, during which 
Peabody's arm became entangled with G.H.'s as he sped off. Peabody was 
able to break free from the GMC and pursued. The pursuit lasted only a 
few minutes before Peabody terminated it due to G.H.'s reckless s
driving. Peabody and ranger Bill Pond interviewed several of G.H.' 
relatives and friends and were able to find a residence where they had 
reason to believe he might be hiding. The rangers drove by the 
residence and saw G.H. among a group of people standing outside the 
building. He was arrested. Further investigation revealed that G.H. 
had a history of assaults on police officers, and that he is currently 
a suspect in other local crimes, including hit and run and burglary. 
G.H. will be charged with assault on an officer, DWI and numerous 
traffic offenses. [Tom Nash, DR, CHOH, 4/30]

01-183 - Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P (AK) - Rescue Response; ELT Misuse

On April 30th, the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Anchorage 
notified the park of an ELT activation in the Chugach Mountains south 
of the Chitina River. Ranger/pilots Jim Hannah and Tom Betts flew the 
park's Cessna 185 to the area. En route, they contacted a local pilot 
who told them that he'd flown a group of climbers to that location for 
St. Elias Alpine Guides (SEAG). He said that they had a radio and 
monitored the frequency that he uses. Hannah and Betts accordingly 
made contact with the group by radio and were told by SEAG guide D.L. 
that one of his clients - P.R. of Germany - had been 
experiencing "anxiety" throughout the trip. He'd had a good day of 
skiing the day before and seemed in good spirits, but asked to be 
picked up early when he'd awakened that morning. The guides assured 
him that they would contact their pilot the next time he flew over and 
arrange a pick-up. P.R. seemed to accept this, then walked over to 
his tent and activated an ELT (emergency locator transmitter) without 
their knowledge. When the guides learned of this three hours later, 
they deactivated the ELT. The rangers again contacted the pilot who's 
ferried the group in and passed on the request for an early pick-up. 
P.R. was taken out shortly thereafter. SEAG operates in the park 
under an incidental business permit. Rangers and state troopers 
cooperate on SAR events in the park and respond to three or four ELT 
hits annually. More and more climbers and backpackers are traveling 
with ELT's, PLB's (personal locator beacons), EPIRB's (emergency 
position indicating radio beacons) and cell phones. Although there 
have been accidental ELT calls due to hard landings by aircraft, this 
is the first case of blatant misuse that has occurred in the park to 
date. Climbers in Wrangell-St. Elias do not need to register, and the 
pilots who fly them in generally handle evacuations. [Tom Betts, WRST, 
4/30]

01-184 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - MVA with Fatality

A three-car accident on Newfound Gap Road on the afternoon of Sunday, 
April 29th, killed one man and injured four others. J.L.R, 51, 
of Sevierville died of injuries sustained in the head-on collision 
near Smokemont Campground.  A preliminary investigation was conducted 
by rangers and North Carolina state troopers. It appears that a 
southbound 2001 Dodge Intrepid being driven by a 29-year-old Georgia 
man drifted across the highway's centerline and sideswiped a 
northbound Jeep Wrangler, causing its left front tire to blow. The 
driver of the Jeep lost control, veered sharply into the southbound 
lane, and hit J.L.R.'s 1999 Chrysler convertible head-on. J.L.R. was 
pried from his car and flown to the University of Tennessee Medical 
Center, where he died of his injuries about an hour after the 
accident. His wife Wanda, 53, was also flown to the hospital, where 
she's in stable condition with pain in her chest and abdomen. The 
driver of the Jeep and his passenger and a passenger in the Intrepid 
were taken to two local hospitals, where they were treated and 
released. [Bob Miller, Public Affairs, GRSM, 4/30]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Plan

Public service announcements (PSA's) with Secretary Gale Norton and 
the Oak Ridge Boys have been distributed to radio stations nationwide 
to help ensure that adequate firefighting and support personnel are 
available to protect America's public lands and communities during the 
upcoming fire season. The wildland fire PSA's were sent to 5,000 radio 
stations in selected areas of the country. The digital compact disc 
includes two 30-second spots and three 60-second spots. One of the 
60-second spots is in Spanish. The Oak Ridge Boys volunteered their 
time for this very important initiative.  You can listen to the PSA's 
on the web at www.doi.gov/news/psa010502.html

Park Fires

No new fires reported.

Park Fire Danger

Very High       N/A
High            Joshua Tree, Hawaii Volcanoes, Great Smokies

[Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, WASO; NPS Situation Summary 
Report, 5/2]

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

Mount Rainier NP (WA) - Nature Publication

Over 100 issues of Mount Rainier's "Nature Notes" have been posted on 
the park's website (http://www.nps.gov/mora/notes/nn-intro.htm) in 
honor of National Park Week. "Nature Notes" was published by park 
naturalists from 1923 to 1939 and included articles on plants, 
wildlife, road and trail conditions, history, and original artwork. 
The complete "Nature Notes" collection can be found in the park's 
archives. The time-intensive conversion to electronic files was 
undertaken by a volunteer who worked with the park's interpretive 
specialist. Historical information was provided by another volunteer 
who worked with the park's museum curator. The project is part of an 
on-going effort to make the park's extensive collections available to 
visitors. "Nature Notes" was begun by the park's first full-time 
naturalist, Floyd Schmoe, who died at age 105 on April 20th - the same 
day that the publications were posted to the website. The NPS was 
represented at his memorial service by assistant chief of 
interpretation Sheri Forbes, interpretive specialist Alisa Lynch, and 
museum curator Deborah Osterberg. [Maria Gillett, MORA]

INTERCHANGE

Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - The park is taking a comprehensive look at the 
issue of signing and lifeguards and is seeking information on what 
other areas within the NPS have done in this arena. This is part of 
the research being done for a record of decision (ROD) document. If 
you have a swimming area and can help, Lake Mead is seeking answers to 
the following questions:

o       Are you swim areas guarded?
o       Do you have any written records of decision regarding 
        lifeguards?

Please respond to acting assistant superintendent Sharon Cleary via 
cc:Mail at NP-WASO-ITC-MIB. [Sharon Cleary, LAME]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Tallgrass Prairie NP (KS) - John Donaldson will be retiring from the 
NPS on May 19th following 34 1/2 years of dedicated service. John 
started his career as a seasonal fire control aid/lookout at Saguaro 
NP in June 1966. His first permanent assignment was at Joshua Tree NP 
in July, 1967. Subsequent duty stations, involving a variety of ranger 
positions, included Lake Mead NRA, Death Valley NP, Yellowstone NP, 
and Badlands NP. Since 1998, John has directed the developing on-site 
operations at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a new park in 
Kansas. John would appreciate hearing from his many friends and 
colleagues throughout the Service.  Cards or letters can be sent to 
him at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Route 1, Box 14, Strong 
City, KS  66869. [MaryBeth Murawski, TAPR]

Mount Rainier NP (WA) - William "Bill" Larson, the park's business 
management specialist, will be retiring on May 3rd after more than 34 
years with the National Park Service. Bill's career began as a park 
ranger at Theodore Roosevelt NP in June, 1965, and has included 
assignments in a number of ranger positions at Grand Canyon NP, Hawaii 
Volcanoes NP, Lake Mead NRA, and Mount Rainier. He's had a wide 
variety of job responsibilities over the course of his career; his 
most recent duties at Mount Rainier have included spearheading the 
park's current mountain cost recovery program and drafting the 
commercial services plan. Bill and his wife Jeannie and their dogs 
will be relocating to eastern Washington, where they plan to enjoy 
their new home, along with hunting, bike riding, woodworking and 
sunshine. [Mark Morgan, MORA]

Coronado NM (AZ) - The park is recruiting for four GS-025-07/09 
rangers. The merit promotion vacancy announcement number is SOAR-01-14 
(MP) at the GS-09 level. It is open until May 29th. The positions will 
also soon be advertised to all qualified applicants through OPM at the 
GS-07/09 level. These rangers have a variety of responsibilities, and 
the jobs provide a good opportunity to gain experience in 
border-related law enforcement, interpretation, and resource 
management. Applicants are being sought who have solid law enforcement 
skills and an interest in participating in interpretive activities and 
resource management projects.  Spanish speaking ability is desirable. 
Questions may be directed to acting chief ranger Mike Hardin at 
520-366-5515 ext 33 or superintendent Jim Bellamy at ext 21. [Jim 
Bellamy, CORO]

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       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       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 
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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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