NPS Morning Report - Thursday, March 14, 2002

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, March 14, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-059 - Glacier NP (MT)  - Death of Employee

Gerald "Jerry" Nelson, 60, the park's fee program/filming coordinator, died
following an intense struggle with colon cancer on Tuesday, November 28th.
The notice got waylaid by the Internet shutdown. Jerry was involved with
revising NPS-22 and was very active in other aspects of the Service's fee
program and campground reservation system. Memorial services were held on
Monday, December 3rd,  in Kalispell, Montana. Jerry is survived by his
mother, ex-wife, son, two daughters, and several grandchildren. Condolences
may be sent to his son, J.N. [Mary Lou Fitzpatrick, Personnel Specialist, GLAC, 12/5]

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/.

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:

•     H.R. 3852 (Radanovich, CA), a bill to make technical corrections to
laws passed by the 106th Congress related to parks and
      public lands, and for other purposes.
•     H.R. 3858 (Rahall, WV), a bill to modify the boundaries of New River
NR, West Virginia.
•     H.R. 3876 (Cannon, UT), a bill to establish the San Rafael Western
Frontier National Heritage Area in the state of Utah, and for     other
purposes.
•     H.R. 3917 (Murtha, PA), a bill to authorize a national memorial to
commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93, who, on   September 11,
2001, courageously gave their lives, thereby thwarting a planned attack on
our nation's capital, and for other
      purposes.
•     S. 1988 (Landrieu, LA), a bill to authorize the American Battle
Monuments Commission to establish in the state of Louisiana
      a memorial to honor the Buffalo Soldiers.

Hearings/Mark-Ups

Tuesday, March 19

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands
(Radanovich):

•     H.R. 2982 (Turner, TX), a bill to authorize the establishment of a
memorial within the area in the District of Columbia        referred to in
the Commemorative Works Act as "Area I" or "Area II" to the victims of
terrorist attacks on the United States, to      provide for the design and
construction of such a memorial, and for other purposes.
•     H.R. 3380 (Jenkins, TN), a bill to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to issue right-of-way permits for natural gas pipelines
      within the boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Witness: ARD John Parsons, NCRO. The hearing will be at 2 p.m. in 1310
Longworth.

Thursday, March 21

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands
(Radanovich): Oversight hearing on the GMP and construction and funding of
the visitor center at Gettysburg NMP. Witness: TBA. The hearing will be
held at 2 p.m. in 1334 Longworth.

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior (Byrd): Hearing on the FY
2003 budget request for the Department of the Interior. Witness: Secretary
Gale Norton. Time and location TBA.

Wednesday, April 10

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands
(Radanovich): Oversight hearing on National Park Service management
policies. Witness: Director Mainella. Time TBA; the hearing will be held in
1334 Longworth.

Floor Action

On March 6th, the House passed H.R. 1963 (Costello, IL), a bill to amend
the National Trails System Act to designate the route taken by American
soldier and frontiersman George Rogers Clark and his men during the
Revolutionary War to capture the British forts at Kaskaskia and Cahokia,
Illinois, and Vincennes, Indiana, for study for potential addition to the
National Trails System.

New Laws

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

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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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