NPS Morning Report - Friday, March 1, 2002



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:       All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:          Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date: Friday, March 1, 2002

                              *** NOTICE ***

This is the first edition of the Morning Report since Wednesday, February
20th. No issues appeared during that period because of a major system
failure on your editor's PC. Thanks to Donna Farry, Kelly Garrison and
Heidi Graham for their labors in restoring and reconstructing systems and
Tom Davies for serving as substitute editor of InsideNPS over the past
week.

INCIDENTS

02-033 - Ozark NSR (MO) - Follow-up: Serious Employee Illness

Last Friday, Chris Andress, former chief ranger for the National Park
Service and current superintendent of Ozark NSR, was discharged from Barnes
Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was being treated for
liver cancer. Chris has returned to his home in Van Buren, Missouri, where
he is being attended to by family, close friends, and professionals from a
local hospice care program. Cards and letters of support can be sent to
Chris and his family. Anyone who would
like to talk to him by telephone or obtain information on accommodations in
order to visit him can do so by calling Patty Kelley at 573-323-4236
extension 225 during business hours. [Dennis Burnett, Acting CR, RAD/WASO,
3/1]

02-042 - John Day Fossil Beds NM (OR) - Embezzlement

In March, 2001, administrative staff began to uncover financial
irregularities in the park's operations accounts. An investigation
conducted by the NPS, the Inspector General's Office, and the Department of
the Interior Solicitor's Office led to the discovery that the park's
administrative officer, P.P., had falsified her own time and
attendance records, had forged authorizing signatures of coworkers, and had
used her government credit card to purchase personal items. The time and
attendance embezzlement consisted of overtime and holiday premium claimed
but not worked and annual and sick leave taken but not claimed. Evidence
supported a documentable amount of $12,752.35 in time and attendance
embezzlement.  Personal purchases on P.P.'s government credit card were
documented in the amount of $12,930.51. The total embezzlement uncovered
that could support criminal charges therefore totaled $25,682.86.
Financial records were scrutinized back to 1997, when P.P. began working at
the park. Many different operating accounts were reduced by the thefts,
including the park's research donation account and the park's quarters
account. P.P. resigned from her position and from the NPS in May, 2001. In
December, P.P. entered a plea agreement in federal district court in which
she plead guilty to felony theft of government funds and property (18 USC
641) with the condition that she repay the entire sum to the government.
P.P. has so far repaid $2,950. Sentencing for criminal penalties is
scheduled for April 10th. [Scot McElveen, CR, JODA, 2/24]

                        [Numerous reports pending?]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

Shenandoah NP (VA) ? The Fultz Run fire was discovered near Grindstone
Mountain on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 26th. It quickly grew in
size as it ran up the mountainside, and had reached 1,100 acres as of
yesterday morning. The vast majority of the acreage (over 90%) is on park
land. Containment lines have been constructed around only 5% of the fire,
which is burning in an area of steep, rocky terrain in a mix of pine and
hardwoods, interspersed with bug-killed timber. On Wednesday, extremely dry
conditions, wind speeds of nearly 25 mph and humidity between 25 and 30%
caused the fire to travel fairly rapidly in a north/northwest direction.
The fire burned primarily on the surface with occasional crowning. The
latter led to flame lengths of up to 40 feet. Seven 20-person crews have
been committed so far, along with three dozers, two helicopters and a
number of engines. There are no immediate threats to structures or private
property. The fire is human-caused and under investigation. [David Coffman,
IO, Fultz Run Fire, 2/28]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Washington Office (DC) - The AD, Park Operations and Education, is looking
for people who are interested in a 120-day detail as either a GS-14
operations program coordinator or a GS-15 deputy associate director. The
person in the position will work directly for the associate director and
will be involved in the wide range of programs that fall under park
operations and education. She/he will assist the associate director in
meeting the many WASO, servicewide, departmental, interagency and external
requirements and responsibilities associated with programs in ranger
activities, fire, interpretation, concessions, risk management, facility
management, public health and youth programs. Temporary positions are
available. Salary and travel costs will be covered by WASO. Expressions of
interest are being requested for a detail to begin in May. Please send them
to Dick Ring via email no later than March 22nd. For further information,
please contact either Dick Ring (202-208-5651) or Vaughn Baker
(202-208-3277). [Vaughn Baker, WASO]

Washington Office (DC) - The vacancy announcement for the GS-14/15 chief of
fire and aviation management was posted yesterday and will be open for
three weeks. The duty station is Washington, DC. Fire and aviation will no
longer be in the Ranger Activities Division, but will be a separate
division under Park Operations and Education. Questions should be directed
to either Dick Ring (202-208-5651) or Vaughn Baker (202-208-3277). [Debee
Schwarz, WASO]

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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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