NPS Morning Report - Friday, November 2, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, November 2, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-583 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Poaching/Drug Conviction

Ranger Marc Cyr responded to a report of shots fired near milepost 19 
just after 3 a.m. on December 8, 2000. Cyr came upon a parked vehicle 
with fresh blood and deer hair on its trunk and a spotlight and 
shotgun rounds inside. A search of the adjacent woods for the driver 
was conducted that night by rangers and state wildlife officials, but 
was unsuccessful. The owner of the vehicle - W.M. of Jackson, 
Mississippi - was located, detained and arrested the next morning at a 
local gas station by Mississippi fish and wildlife officers. W.M. 
admitted to shooting at least three large white tail bucks in the park 
during the two weeks prior to his arrest. A second man, John Buford, 
was also arrested when he arrived to pick up W.M. at the gas 
station. Buford and W.M. were both found to be in possession of 
crystal methamphetamine at the time of the arrests, and Buford was 
also charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. 
State narcotic officers were called in to work the drug case. The men 
were subsequently convicted; sentencing occurred late last month. 
Buford was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, a $2,000 fine, 
and three years supervised release for being a felon in possession of 
a firearm. W.M. was fined $2,000 in state court on hunting 
violations; he was convicted on a Lacey Act charge in federal court 
and fined $500, and was also sentenced to 37 months in federal prison 
and three years of supervised release after being convicted on two 
counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. [Jackie Henman, 
ACR, NATR, 10/30]

HOMELAND SECURITY

This new standing section will contain both incident summaries and 
general news pertaining to homeland security and America's response to 
threats to the nation.

Boston NHP (MA) - On the afternoon of October 26th, the USS Cassin 
Young, a decommissioned navy destroyer docked in the navy yard, was 
closed when visitors reported a small bottle containing a white 
substance sitting in the wardroom galley. The area immediately around 
the ship was evacuated and the Boston Fire Department hazmat team was 
summoned. A presumptive test was conducted and revealed that the 
substance was not anthrax. The bottle was removed for further testing. 
The area reopened to visitors shortly thereafter without further 
incident. 

Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - On October 30th, resource manager Bob Daum 
reported a powder-like substance behind benches at two different 
location along a park trail near Chellberg Farm. He also reported a 
similar substance on a trail in the nearby state park. A ranger and a 
special agent went to the locations in the national lakeshore and 
photographed the substance. It appeared that they were the remains of 
someone who had been cremated - an assessment confirmed by a local 
funeral director who is also a former county coroner. The information 
was relayed to state park officials.  No area closures were required.  
No one had obtained a permit to scatter the remains, which were left 
in place and covered over with forest litter.  

[John Lynch, CR, BOST, 11/1; Joni Jones, Acting CR, INDU, 11/1]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2

Initial attack was again heavy in the South on Wednesday, but light 
elsewhere. Two new large fires were reported, one in the Rockies and 
one in the East. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in 
Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. 

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

Park Fire Situation

No new fires reported.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 11/1]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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

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