NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, August 21, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, August 21, 2001

                            *** NOTICE ***

Additional details have been received from GSA regarding the lowering 
of flags to half-staff in commemoration of the passing of 
Representative Floyd Spence (R-SC). Flags will remain lowered through 
today, when he will be interred. Twenty-four hour flags will return to 
full staff at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday morning. All other flags will be 
returned to full staff Wednesday morning.

INCIDENTS

01-459 - Lassen Volcanic NP (CA) - Rescue

On August 16th, park rescue staff responded to a report of a possible 
cardiac incident above the 10,000 elevation on Lassen Peak. The 
victim, 81-year-old F.T., had been feeling ill during the 
hike. He passed out, struck his head, and reportedly ceased breathing. 
Family members resuscitated him. F.T. was shorthauled from his 
location on the trail to the summit of Lassen Peak with a California 
Department of Forestry helicopter. He was then transferred to a 
waiting air ambulance for further transport. This was the first use of 
a shorthaul in Lassen Volcanic NP. [Mike LaLone, LAVO, 8/20]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 5

Eight new large fires were reported on Monday - three in the eastern 
Great Basin, two each in the northern Rockies and southern California, 
and one in the South. Another seven were contained. Initial attack was 
moderate to heavy in California, the northern Rockies and the eastern 
Great Basin and light elsewhere. 

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, Idaho, 
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.  

A training cadre and military crew advisors traveled to Ft. Lewis, 
Washington, to begin training the U.S. Army Task Force Phoenix Blaze, 
which will be deployed to the Spruce Springs/Dome Complex in central 
Washington.  

NICC has not posted any fire watches or warnings for today.

For the full NICC report, see http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.

National Resource Status (Five Day Trend)

                        Fri     Sat     Sun     Mon     Tue
Date                    8/17    8/18    8/19    8/20    8/21
        
Crews                   663     767     774     800     805
Engines                 949     1,053   1,115   1,228   1,299
Helicopters             176     190     193     92      93
Air Tankers             9       11      24      4       3
Overhead                3,377   4,151   4,670   4,913   4,785
Area Command IMT        1       1       1       1       1
Type 1 IMT              6       6       7       7       10
Type 2 IMT              9       9       11      13      12
State IMT               8       7       7       8       8
Fire Use Team           --      --      2       2       3

Park Fire Situation

North Cascades NP (WA) - The Rex Creek Complex on the Wenatchee NF 
consists of five fires northwest of Lake Chelan in the Sawtooth 
Wilderness. One - the Glory Mountain Fire - is in the park, and has 
burned about 250 acres. The Stehekin District is evacuating some 
structures along the lake and the community of Stehekin is on alert. 
Trails systems are being swept and closed. 

Sequoia/Kings Canyon NPs (CA) - Activity has increased on the Burnt 
Fire. During the afternoon hours of Saturday, August 18th, numerous 
trees torched and the smoke column became very well developed and rose 
several thousand feet to the north for a short period of time. The 
fire remains within prescription.

Zion NP (UT) - The Langton Mountain Fire (225 acres, 23 FF/OH) is 
being managed for resource benefits. Cook's fire use management team 
has been assigned. 

Yosemite NP (CA) - The Hoover Complex (1,920 acres, 58 FF/OH) is ten 
miles southeast of Yosemite Village. It consists of the Hoover, Clark, 
Kuna, Cold Creek and Lyell Fires and is being managed for resource 
benefits. Zimmerman's fire use management team has been assigned.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme         Hawaii Volcanoes NP
Very High       N/A
High            Zion NP, Dinosaur NM

Fire Management Notes

The Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture have 
consulted with states and tribes to develop a list of wildland urban 
interface communities within the vicinity of federal lands that are at 
high risk from wildfire. The list of 11,376 communities was published 
in the Federal Register on Friday, August 17th. This list supersedes 
the initial list published in January. States or tribes with 
collaborative interagency groups compiled the information for the 
revised list. States worked with their federal, state, and local 
partners to identify the communities, the associated risks, and 
projects for those areas. The list offers a more complete picture of 
the relationship between federal lands and the urban wildland 
interface problem in the United States and identifies those 
communities around which affected agencies have ongoing hazardous fuel 
reduction treatments or plan to begin treatments in FY 2001. The 
information contained in the revised list can be used by interagency 
groups of land managers at the state and/or tribal level to 
collaboratively identify priority areas within their jurisdictions 
that would benefit from hazardous fuel reduction. This will ensure 
that available funding is focused on areas of local importance and at 
those locations where risks can likely be reduced significantly. The 
list will not be used to determine whether a community receives 
funding. For more information about wildland urban interface 
communities within the vicinity of federal lands that are at risk from 
wildfire, and to see the entire list, visit www.fireplan.gov.

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 8/20; NICC Incident Management 
Situation Report, 8/21; Debee Schwarz, NPS Fire Information, WASO]

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

Fort Sumter NM (SC) - Education Center Opening

After 41 years of planning, work and a lot of waiting, the Fort Sumter 
Visitor Education Center and Ferry Boat Facility quietly opened on 
Wednesday, August 15th, in downtown Charleston. As the major area 
gateway for the National Park Service, the new facility provides 
visitors with an opportunity to an enhance their understanding of what 
Fort Sumter is all about. The exhibit program, to be installed later 
this year, will provide an overview of causes leading to the Civil 
War's outbreak in Charleston. The new facility addresses the needs 
visitors have long identified, such as exhibits at the point of 
departure, more flexible schedules, more time at Fort Sumter, and full 
accessibility. Most importantly, the visitor experience includes an 
NPS presence for the visitor's entire Fort Sumter stay: before, during 
and after their trip. By late fall, the longest construction project 
in National Park Service history will be at an end. (Bill Martin, PIO, 
FOSU)

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Department of Interior (DC) - The Department of the Interior's 
International Technical Assistance Program (ITAP) is seeking two 
qualified law enforcement specialists to provide approximately two 
weeks of training on law enforcement and search and rescue in-country 
to park and wildlife officials in Georgia (the Eurasian republic, not 
the state). ITAP provides assistance to developing countries on 
subjects of Departmental expertise, on a reimbursable basis. The 
program is currently operating in eleven countries with support from 
organizations such as the US Agency for International Development 
(USAID), the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank. DOI 
is working closely with USAID and the Georgian Ministry of Environment 
to strengthen Georgia's protected area system; to strengthen 
organizations responsible for conservation management, especially the 
Department of Protected Areas; and to improve public awareness of and 
support for Georgian biodiversity and conservation of Georgia's 
protected areas.  DOI is working to develop Lagodekhi Nature Reserve 
as a pilot park that can serve as a model of conservation and 
recreational use for Georgia's other national parks and protected 
areas. Lagodekhi is considered to be the Yellowstone National Park of 
Georgia. The team selected for this upcoming event will provide 
training on the basics of anti-poaching efforts, plus search and 
rescue operations to selected managers from Georgia's protected area 
system. The training will be based at Lagodekhi and will concentrate 
on Lagodekhi staff, but selected personnel from throughout Georgia's 
protected area system will be invited to participate. This assignment 
is expected to cover a two-week period in late October/November 2001. 
All travel and in-country logistics will be handled by DOI. ITAP will 
cover all costs associated with the assignment except salaries. 
Candidates must have prior approval from their supervisors before 
applying for the assignment. Persons wishing to be considered for this 
assignment must have demonstrated experience in  anti-poaching 
activities and demonstrated ability to work with and adapt to the 
needs and abilities of agencies and professionals of different ethnic 
or cultural groups.  No second language is required, although some 
knowledge of Georgian would be quite useful.  Previous international 
experience is desirable. Upon selection, candidates must submit a 
current physician-signed letter or medical review form indicating 
fitness for duty. Persons interested in being considered for this 
international assignment should submit a resume  summarizing relevant 
experience.  Applications, as well as any questions, should be 
submitted to: Francine Madden, Office of International Affairs, U.S. 
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW MS 4426, Washington, DC 
20240 (202-208-3004; francine_madden@ios.doi.gov). All applications 
should be submitted by COB September 5th. [Sharon Cleary, WASO]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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" 

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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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