NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, June 12, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-266 - Gulf Islands (FL/MS) - Vessel Grounding

The 30-foot fishing vessel "Jill B" ran aground on the eastern shore 
of Perdido Key in the Florida District on Friday, June 8th. The 
operator said that the engine stalled and the boat had then drifted 
onto shore. Efforts to remove the boat on Friday were suspended due to 
low tide and were equally fruitless on Saturday. The "Jill B" had 100 
gallons of fuel on board at the time of the grounding. The remnants of 
the tropical depression that moved into the area on Sunday evening 
have hampered attempts to remove both the fuel and the vessel. Park 
staff are working closely with personnel from the Coast Guard and 
Florida Fish and Game to move the "Jill B" with as little 
environmental impact as possible. [CRO, GUIS, 6/11]

01-267 - Gulf Islands NS (FL/MS) - Drowning

On June 7th, the park had its third drowning in two days as a result 
of continued rough surf caused by the remains of a tropical depression 
off the coast. Red surf condition flags were again raised along the 
beaches and signs warning of dangerous surf were posted. Around 1 
p.m., M.C.H. of Chicago, Illinois, went swimming in the ocean 
and began being pulled away from the shore by a strong rip current. 
M.C.H. yelled to his family for assistance, but nobody in his group 
knew how to swim. M.C.H.'s cousin stopped a passing motorist and they 
both entered the water in an attempt to rescue him. A 911 call was 
made and rangers, park lifeguards, sheriff's department officers and 
firefighters responded along with a Life Flight helicopter. Rescuers, 
including ranger Larry Bova, brought M.C.H. to the beach and began 
advanced medical treatment. He was flown to Baptist Hospital in 
Pensacola, were he was pronounced dead upon his arrival by emergency 
room physicians. Media coverage remains extensive.  (CRO,GUIS, 6/11)

01-268 - Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - Rescue

The Park Police vessel "Marine One" was on patrol in Great Kills 
Harbor just before midnight on June 9th when the crew received a 
mayday call over VHF channel 16. A boating accident had occurred in 
Raritan Reach Channel a few miles outside of the park. Sergeant John 
Guarino and officer Greg Neary arrived on scene within minutes and 
found an overturned vessel. Occupants A.P. and K.Z. 
had been picked up by nearby pleasure fishing boats. A.P. was 
suffering from head and chest injuries. Neary, a certified EMT, 
controlled A.P.'s bleeding and provided additional treatment. A.P. 
and K.Z. were transported by "Marine One" to an NYFD ambulance, then 
taken to a hospital on Staten Island. The two men were in a 25-foot 
fishing boat when they were struck by a tug boat pushing a barge. The 
boat immediately capsized, throwing them into the water. A.P. was 
sucked down into the water and was injured when the barge passed over 
him. The tug did not stop and continued on its way. A follow-up 
investigation is being conducted by the Coast Guard and NYPD. [Lt. 
John Marigliano, USPP, GATE, 6/10]

                   [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level II

One new large fire was reported and contained in Florida on Sunday. 
Three new large fires were reported in Oregon, New Mexico and northern 
California. Two fires in Utah were contained. Initial attack was 
moderate in northern California and the Southwest and light elsewhere. 
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.  

National Resource Status (Five Day Trend)

Date                    6/7     6/8     6/9     6/10    6/11
        
Crews                   74      26      36      31      96
Engines                 183     143     174     199     279
Helicopters             17      16      22      22      35
Air Tankers             1       1       3       4       3
Overhead                477     282     269     241     390

Park Fire Situation

Everglades NP (FL) - Firefighters continued with the Pinelands 
prescribed fire Sunday, using a combination of hand ignition, 
terra-torch, and aerial ignition to burn 520 acres. The Cattail Fire 
is being monitored by helicopter. No activity was seen on the 
perimeter, but there was some smoldering in hammocks.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme         Hawaii Volcanoes NP
Very High       Zion NP, Crater Lake NP
High            Joshua Tree NP, Mojave NP, Guadalupe Mountains NP

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 6/11; NICC Incident Management 
Situation Report, 6/11 - the full report can be found at 
http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Fee Study - On May 31st, the joint NPS - McKinsey and Company fee 
study team completed a summary report with recommendations for fee 
program direction. The team has asked the NLC to provide guidance in 
making key decisions and to provide direction for implementation of 
those recommendations. The purpose of the study, funded jointly by the 
National Park Foundation and McKinsey and Company, was to attain the 
following goals:

o       Review all fee revenue programs to date, with emphasis on 
        recreation fees and fee demo but also including 1a-2(g), cost 
        recovery, special park uses, concessions, and other 
        non-appropriated revenue. 

o       Develop options to enhance revenue programs within existing 
        legislation.

o       Prepare NPS leadership for upcoming legislative hearings on 
        fee programs.

The team offered fee program options after an intensive 
three-month-long analysis of superintendent surveys from all parks, 
interviews with regional, park, and Washington staff, site visits to 
over 30 parks, and analysis of fee revenue, budget, visitation and 
other data. The team provided a fresh perspective on NPS fee revenue 
programs, and many of the McKinsey findings build upon prior 
recommendations, such as those of the 21st Century task group on fees 
and the white paper on the program's vision, goals and directions. The 
director and regional directors will review details of the study and a 
proposal for implementation of the recommendations. 

The NPS - McKinsey and Company fee study included the following:

o       Seven measures of fee program success were identified - that 
        fee programs should 1) not pose barriers to access, 2) be 
        rational and understandable, 3) be fair and equitable, 4) 
        promote stewardship, 5) optimize (not maximize) revenues, 6) 
        be managed effectively, and 7) provide customer service.

o       Numerous fee program successes were identified. 
        Recommendations address a number of challenges: Inconsistent 
        fee levels, activities covered, and duration of stay; 
        commercial bus entry rates; uncertainty about National Parks 
        Pass and Golden Eagle economics; the limited number of parks 
        collecting fees; lack of technology and appropriate 
        statistics; and gray areas regarding misuse of passes and 
        entry fees

McKinsey estimated that - if implemented - recommendations could 
increase revenue Servicewide while supporting the NPS mission. 
Implementation of the recommendations is under discussion. Over the 
next two months, the team will conduct numerous briefings for park and 
regional staffs
. 
Highlights of team recommendations include:

o       Revise the fee program structure to provide greater 
        consistency, less complexity , and revenue optimization.

o       Move toward greater consistency and equity in allocation 
        procedures. 

o       Conduct more open communications between WASO, regions, and 
        parks. 

The team expresses its gratitude to all of the regional, WASO, and 
park staff who generously supported its research with their ideas, 
data, and limited time. F or more information on the NPS-McKinsey fee 
study, contact Jolene Johnson via cc:Mail or at 520-723-3172. [Jolene 
Johnson, CAGR)

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The park is planning to re-announce a merit 
promotion announcement for several park ranger (LE) vacancies within 
the next month. Those already in GS-025-5/7/9 ranger positions may 
request consideration for lateral reassignments by contacting the 
appropriate district ranger. The positions are in the following 
locations:

o       Corridor District - Includes more than 30 miles of the park's 
        primary hiking trails, with three ranger stations. Contact: 
        Mark Law, 520-638-7833

o       Wilderness/River District - More than a million acres of 
        proposed wilderness with over 370 miles of trails and 277 
        miles of whitewater. Contact: Michael McGinnis, 520-638-7832

o       South Rim District - The primary area visitor area, with more 
        than four million visitors per year. Within The district are 
        all South Rim developed and undeveloped areas, including 
        housing and concession facilities. Contact: Patrick Hattaway, 
        520-638-7813 

Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The park is looking for qualified ICT3's to 
fill standing fire orders on 14 to  30 day details. The park's fire 
season traditionally runs from May 15th to July 15th, and the area is 
already in preparedness level 4 following a series of below average 
winters.  Interested individuals may contact Jim Schroeder, park fire 
and aviation manager, at 520-638-7855 or 7941.

Isle Royale NP (MI) - The park has announced a temporary detail 
opportunity for a commissioned ranger for the period from July 15th 
through September 30th. Applicants up to GS-9 will be considered. This 
is a field patrol position, duty stationed at Windigo in the park's 
West District. The park will pay the selected employee's salary, 
transportation costs to and from Isle Royale, and $15 per day per 
diem. Government housing (a small one bedroom unit) will be provided. 
A Type 1NPS law enforcement commission is required. Priority 
consideration will be given to applicants who have experience driving 
large (more than 26 foot) twin-screw boats and who have current 
EMT/CPR certifications. If you're interested, send a one- to two-page 
resume by June 30th to chief ranger Peter Armington. Resumes should 
detail work and educational history, contain references, and specify 
any special qualifications/skills. Additional information on the 
detail and the park can be obtained by calling West District DR Larry 
Kangas at 906-337-4994.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during 
coming weeks on matters pertaining to the National Park Service or 
kindred agencies.  

For inquiries regarding legislation pertaining to the NPS, please 
contact the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs at 
202-208-5883/5656 and ask to be forwarded to the appropriate 
legislative specialist. For additional information on specific bills 
(full text, status, etc.), please check Congress's web site at 
http://thomas.loc.gov.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

Tuesday, June 12th

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public 
Lands (Hefley): Hearing on:

o       H.R. 980 (Wamp, TN), a bill to establish the Moccasin Bend 
        National Historic Site in the state of Tennessee as a unit of 
        the National Park System.

o       H.R. 1668 (Roemer, IN), a bill to authorize the Adams Memorial 
        Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land 
        in the District of Columbia and its environs to honor former 
        President John Adams and his family.

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in 1334 Longworth.

Tuesday, June 19th

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public 
Lands (Hefley): Hearing on:

o       H.R. 1462 (Hefley, CO), a bill to require the Secretary of the 
        Interior to establish a program to provide assistance through 
        states to eligible weed management entities to control or 
        eradicate harmful, nonnative weeds on public and private land. 

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in 1334 Longworth.

Wednesday, June 20th

House Resources Committee (Hansen): Hearing on: 

o       H.R. 701, Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2001 (CARA)

o       H.R. 1592 (Thornberry, TX), a bill to amend the Land and Water 
        Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to provide greater protection of 
        private property rights.

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in 1334 Longworth.

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

The following bills either directly or indirectly pertaining to the 
NPS have been introduced since the last Morning Report listing of new 
legislation (May 29th): 

o       H.R. 2099 (Baird, WA), a bill to amend the Omnibus Parks and 
        Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to provide adequate 
        funding authorization for the Vancouver National Historic 
        Reserve.

o       H.R. 2101 (Calvert, CA), a bill to establish that it is the 
        policy of the United States that public lands be used for 
        public utility infrastructure before private lands are 
        condemned for such purpose, and for other purposes.

o       H.R. 2109 (Meek, FL), a bill to authorize the Secretary of the 
        Interior to conduct a special resource study of Virginia Key 
        Beach, Florida, for possible inclusion in the National Park 
        System.

o       H.R. 2114 (Simpson, ID), a bill to amend the Antiquities Act 
        regarding the establishment by the President of certain 
        national monuments and to provide for public participation in 
        the proclamation of national monuments.

NEW LAWS

The following bills have passed Congress and been signed into law by 
the President: 

No new laws.

                            *  *  *  *  *

The Morning Report solicits entries from the field and central offices 
for its daily and weekly sections (below). The general rule is that 
submissions, whatever the category, should pertain to operations, be 
useful to the field, and have broad significance across the agency. 
Additional details on submission criteria are available from the 
editor at any time (Bill Halainen at NP-DEWA, or 
Bill_Halainen@nps.gov). Ask for either incident reporting criteria 
(issued by WASO, June 18, 2000) or general criteria. 

Daily and weekly sections are available for news or significant 
developments pertaining to:

Field incidents                 Interpretation and visitor services
Natural resource management     Cultural resource management
Operations (WASO only)          Memoranda (WASO only)
Requests/offers of assistance   Park-related web sites
Parks and employees             Media stories on parks
Training, meetings, and events  Queries on operational matters  
Reports on "lessons learned" 

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed 
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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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