NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, November 13, 2001



                        NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, November 13, 2001

INCIDENTS

01-601 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Border Incidents

After six weeks of minimal activity, drug smuggling has resumed in the 
park:

o       November 4th - Two vehicles that rangers spotted driving in 
        the desert failed to stop and returned to Mexico at speeds 
        approaching 100 mph. No attempts were made to spike the tires 
        due to the large volume of traffic on Highway 85. The vehicles 
        went around a locked gate, over a ditch, and hit and removed a 
        40-foot tall saguaro cactus.

o       November 5th - Rangers pursued three vehicles found driving in 
        the desert. One, a Chevy Suburban, was able to elude rangers. 
        A second Suburban was spiked and stopped; 678 pounds of 
        marijuana were found and seized. The Suburban had traveled 
        across two-and-a-half miles of desert, running over 47 bushes, 
        several palo verde trees, two ocotillo cacti, and two barrel 
        cacti. The third vehicle was spiked by Custom agents near the 
        border, but returned to Mexico around the gate on Camino de 
        Dos Republicas. Speeds were recorded at 110 mph and the 
        pursuit was recorded on videotape.

o       November 6th - Two more vehicles were spotted driving in the 
        desert by rangers. One drove into the desert at the north end 
        of the park and became stuck. Border Patrol agents seized 335 
        pounds of marijuana from it and captured two suspects in the 
        vicinity. The other vehicle traveled 15 miles south at speeds 
        of 95 mph and drove into the desert to avoid road spikes, but 
        was stopped nonetheless. Officers seized 330 pounds of  
        marijuana.  About 400 feet of desert vegetation was heavily 
        damaged.

[Dale Thompson, CR, ORPI, 11/9]

01-602 - Fort McHenry NM&HS (MD) - Special Event 

Secretary Norton and Director Mainella visited Fort McHenry on 
November 8th to kick off the Veterans Day Weekend for Unity, Hope and 
Healing. They each spoke briefly, as did Baltimore mayor Martin 
O'Malley and park superintendent Laura Joss. After the ceremony, the 
superintendent gave the director a tour of the park. Director Mainella 
also visited with park staff. Chief ranger Charlie Strickfaden was 
incident commander. There were no incidents. [Hugh Manar, ACR, FOMC, 
11/12]

HOMELAND SECURITY

No reports.

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation - Preparedness Level 2

Initial attack was moderate in both the South and East on Sunday, but 
light elsewhere. Ten new large fire were reported in the East and an 
eleventh in the South. 

Kentucky reported four fire complexes, ranging in size from 8,900 
acres to almost 31,000 acres. Most were nearing containment. Maryland 
reported two, 200-acre fires, and West Virginia had ten fires ranging 
from 100 to 2,600 acres. There were also individual fires in 
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. 

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, 
Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Georgia, 
Virginia and West Virginia.

Park Fire Situation

No new reports.

Fire Management Notes

No reports.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 11/12]

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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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