NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, October 23, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, October 23, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-509 - Servicewide - Follow-up: Terrorism Alerts and Threats

Follow-ups on the September 11th attacks and reports on any subsequent 
incidents that stem from the heightened state of alert in parks 
Servicewide will appear under this heading in this and future Morning 
Reports. Two reports today:

o       Statue of Liberty NM/Ellis Island NM (NY) - A UPS driver 
        making a delivery on Ellis Island on October 18th noticed an 
        unknown white powdery substance on a parcel he had handled. He 
        reported his concern to park staff. Park Police secured the 
        area around the truck and isolated the driver and those park 
        personnel who were in the immediate area. A special hazard 
        unit from Jersey City responded; initial investigation 
        revealed that the substance was not hazardous. The parcel was 
        taken to a Jersey City police lab for further testing. All 
        personnel were allowed to resume normal operations without 
        undergoing decontamination procedures. 

o       San Antonio Missions NHP (TX) - On Monday, October 22nd, a 
        park maintenance employee saw a folded patch with two wires 
        extending from it in a park trash can near the restroom at 
        Mission San Juan. The site was immediately closed to the 
        public, and the Bexar County Sheriffs Department's bomb squad 
        was notified. They determined that the device was an electrode 
        patch used by people with heart conditions. The site was 
        closed for less than an hour, with minimal impacts on 
        visitation. Most of the park staff recently received training 
        on bomb awareness and physical security from a security 
        specialist with the Federal Protective Service as part of the 
        park's heightened security awareness. 

[Lt. Chris Pappas, USPP, STLI, 10/21; Dan Steed, CR, SAAN, 10/22]

01-573 - George Washington Carver NM (MO) - Attempted Burglary

The park received a report of an intrusion alarm at the visitor center 
just after midnight on Monday, October 22nd. Seasonal law enforcement 
ranger Jason Gaskin and Newton County Sheriffs Department officers 
arrived at and searched the building within minutes of the alarm. A 
suspect was found hiding in the park's audio-visual room, with 
evidence at hand that revealed an attempted theft of cash from the 
park's donation box. He was arrested and detained. The incident is 
being investigated by lead law enforcement ranger Bob Randall from 
Wilsons Creek NB. The state has filed second degree burglary charges; 
federal felony charges are pending. [Lana Henry, CR, GWCA, 10/22]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2

Stam's Type 1 team is assigned to FEMA to support operations in New 
York City. 

Initial attack was light nationwide on Sunday. Very high to extreme 
fire indices were reported in Utah and California.

Park Fire Situation

No new reports.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/22]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Special Park Uses - Lee Dickinson has come on board in Ranger 
Activities as the Service's new special park uses program manager, 
filling the position previously held by Dick Young. Lee can be reached 
at 202-208-5760 or via email at lee_dickinson@nps.gov. [Lee Dickinson, 
WASO]

FILM AT 11...

Colonial NHP (VA) - The History Channel will broadcast a live 
educational event over the internet from the park's Jamestown unit on 
Tuesday, October 23rd, at 1:00 p.m.  The webcast, entitled "Save Our 
History - Live From Jamestown" is geared towards fourth and fifth 
graders and will introduce school children to the excitement of 
archeology and the history of the first permanent English settlement 
in America.  Panel members on the broadcast include supervisory park 
ranger Curt Gaul and Roxanne Gilmore, wife of the governor of 
Virginia. To view the webcast, tune in to 
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/jamestown/. [Mike Litterst, 
COLO]

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, October 23

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public 
Lands (Radanovich): Oversight hearing to examine the effects of the 
discharge of sediment and pollutants from the Washington Aqueduct on 
C&O Canal National Historic Park and on the habitat and population of 
the endangered shortnose sturgeon. The hearing will be held at 2 p.m. 
in 1324 Longworth.

Wednesday, October 24

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Public 
Land Management (Wyden): Oversight hearing on the successes and 
shortcomings of the Northwest Forest Plan and its effect on species 
restoration and timber availability. The hearing will be at 2:30 p.m. 
in 366 Dirksen.

Thursday, November 1

Senate Indian Affairs Committee (Inouye): Hearing on Alaska native 
hunting and fishing subsistence rights. The hearing will be at 10 a.m. 
in 485 Russell.

Friday, November 2

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public 
Lands (Radanovich): Oversight field hearing on public access issues in 
national parks, including personal water craft and beach access. The 
hearing will be held in Beaufort, North Carolina, at 10 a.m. 

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 (October 16th): No new bills.

NEW LAWS

The following bills have passed Congress and been signed into law by 
the President: No new laws.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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.

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