NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:           All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:         Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:     Wednesday, August 7, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-160 - Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP (VA) - Follow-up: ARPA
Conviction

On March 3, 2001, P.G., Jr., 34, and D.S., 39, were
apprehended while relic hunting in a wooded section of the Wilderness
Battlefield by rangers Steve Davis and Craig Johnson. They had metal
detectors and a total of 117 artifacts in their possession. A search of
P.G.'s vehicle, which was also located inside the park, led to the
discovery of several maps - including topos - of the area and other
items associated with relic hunting. Pursuant to a search warrant,
additional Civil War and relic hunting items were seized from P.G.'s
residence. Both men subsequently pled guilty to excavation of
archeological resources and the unlawful sale of archeological resources
through interstate commerce. P.G.'s convictions were at the felony
level; D.S.'s were misdemeanors. P.G. was sentenced on July 23rd.
He was ordered to pay $1,253 to the NPS (half the cost of restoration
and repair) and $1,500 to the private landowner (half the sale price).
His cooperation and acceptance of responsibility lead to a
recommendation for probation that was accepted. Both P.G. and D.S.
have already purchased $5,000 worth of advertising for a looter
prevention message currently running in two newspapers. [Mike
Greenfield, SPR, FRSP]

02-258 - Voyageurs NP (MN) - Follow-up: Assault Arrest

On June 20th, rangers Kevin Grossheim and Chuck Remus and state and
county officers arrested J.T., 55, for threatening to kill both
a visitor and officers who responded to an incident in which he had
threatened a family with a gun. During the ten-day period following the
arrest, J.T. began stalking Grossheim and the staff at the visitor
center. He'd been released from jail after posting bond, but the county
had failed to place restrictions on his release. J.T. made a
harassing phone call to the visitor center and was seen using binoculars
to monitor the activity of the visitor center staff and Grossheim as he
was on patrol. A temporary restraining order was obtained through the
state court system, which curtailed J.T.'s activities on all park
lands. Charges have been filed against J.T. by the county attorney
and include two felony counts of making terroristic threats, assault on
a peace officer, and two counts of driving while impaired. [Jim Hummel,
VOYA]

02-352 - Pacific West Region (CA) - Arrest of Former Employee for
Stalking, Threats

Former NPS employee J.F., 54, was arrested on August 1st on
federal felony charges of interstate stalking and mailing threatening
communications to NPS employees. J.F. was arrested in a residence in
Stockton by officers from the NPS, FBI and Stockton PD following a
joint, five-month-long investigation. The investigation began in late
February when a ranger in the Bay Area received a threatening letter.
The team of arresting officers also obtained search warrants for his
premises and for a rented storage unit. The searches resulted in the
recovery of stolen government property and other potentially
incriminating evidence. J.F. has worked for the NPS in the Bay Area
and at Petrified Forest NP, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Death Valley NP,
Everglades NP, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Great Basin NP, Gateway
NRA and Point Reyes NS. He also served in the military prior to his work
with the NPS. His employment with the NPS ended when he was convicted in
1995 for possessing an assault rifle and for stalking a ranger at Santa
Monica Mountains. Said regional director John Reynolds: "Mr. J.F.
frightened us back in 1995 and so did his recent behavior. Our employees
have found his behavior unpredictable and his anti-government, anti-law
enforcement sentiments threatening." The U.S. attorney will prosecute
the case. [Eric Inman, SA, PWR]

02-353 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Felony Arrest of Bank Robber

J.D., who was wanted for armed bank robbery in Ohio, was arrested
by rangers on July 30th. Rangers received information from the FBI that
J.D. might be in the area and stopped him while driving a stolen Lexus
RX300 SUV on East Rim Drive. J.D. was taken into custody without
incident. At the time of his arrest, J.D. had about $120,000 in his
possession. He's been charged with using a firearm while robbing
National City Bank in Ashland, Ohio, on July 17th. J.D. is also a
suspect in two other bank robberies in Ohio. He is currently being held
pending extradition to Ohio. [Mark Law, DR, South Rim District, GRCA]

02-354 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Successful Search for Missing Concession
Employee

On Thursday, July 25th, N.R., 21, an employee of Zanterra Parks
and Resorts, a concession at Canyon, made plans to hitchhike from Canyon
to either Fishing Bridge or Pelican trail and hike the Mist Pass trail
to a backcountry campsite for an overnighter. He then planned to hike to
the Lamar River trailhead and hitchhike back to Canyon on the 26th. This
route covers over 30 miles, with several established trails, game trails
and drainages along the way. On the evening of the 28th, a friend of
N.R.'s reported him overdue and a search was begun. The search was
conducted by ground teams, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, a dog team
and smokejumpers, who searched more remote locations. N.R. was found
about four miles from the Pelican trailhead on the afternoon of July
29th. He was in good condition. [Public Affairs, YELL]

02-355 - Kennesaw Mountain NBP (GA) - Lightning Fatality

Rangers received a report of a visitor being hit by lightning on the top
of Kennesaw Mountain just before 7 p.m. on July 30th. Local fire and
medical teams were on scene within minutes and began advance life
support on the woman, identified as P.H., 49, of Marietta.
Ranger Richard Biurgren arrived shortly thereafter and joined the
effort. P.H. was taken to nearby Kennestone Hospital, where she was
pronounced dead at 8 p.m. According to P.H.'s husband, the two of them
were ascending the mountain when she was hit by lightning. She was about
20 yards away from him at the time. [Lloyd Morris, CR, KEMO]

02-356 - Klondike Gold Rush NHP (AK) - Structural Fire

At approximately 6 a.m. on August 2nd, off-duty NPS laborer Justin
Nelson saw smoke coming from the long-abandoned historic Moore Office
Building in the Skagway Historic District within the park. In the
moments it took him to phone in a report to the Skagway emergency
dispatch center, flames became visible. Skagway Volunteer Fire
Department units were on-scene within minutes, by which time the
building was fully engulfed by flames and nearby trees were beginning to
burn. Nelson and several other seasonal NPS employees were evacuated
from their government quarters in the historic Peniel Mission Building
when it appeared possible that the resulting wildland fire might spread
to that structure and/or one or more of the five NPS buildings located
directly adjacent to the burned property. By 6:20 a.m., the blaze had
been knocked down, though fire department volunteers continued to work
for another two hours to fully extinguish the fire. The two-story Moore
Office Building, which has remained in private ownership, was originally
constructed at the height of the gold rush boom in 1898 at another
location in Skagway and moved to its present location near the grounds
of the Pullen House in 1903. The building had not been in use for
decades and had fallen into an advanced state of disrepair. The cause of
the fire is still under investigation; arson has not been ruled-out.
[Reed McCluskey, CR, KLGO]

02-357 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - Rescue

On July 26th, R.P. took his new inflatable kayak for a test
run on the Delaware River. R.P., who had no experience paddling on
the river, left Dingmans Access at 7 p.m. and headed for Bushkill
Access. When he failed to arrive by 10 p.m., his wife contacted park
dispatch and reported him missing. A preliminary search was made of the
Pennsylvania shoreline, but it soon shifted to the river when campers
reported seeing the kayak and noted that the paddler seemed to be having
some problems and wasn't moving very fast. A multi- agency search was
begun. Around 1:30 a.m., searchers from the Portland fire department
located the kayak on the New Jersey shore. Nearby residents were
interviewed and said that R.P. had paddled up to their house and
asked for help. They'd given him a ride to Eshback landing on the
Pennsylvania side, where rangers subsequently found him. He was returned
safely to his wife and baby daughter around 2 a.m. R.P. did not have
either a life jacket or other safety equipment with him and was dressed
only in shorts, a T-shirt and flip flops. The route he'd taken between
the two access points covers ten miles and normally requires at least
five hours to paddle. Seven agencies participated in the search. [Ed
Whitaker, DR, Pennsylvania District, DEWA]

02-358 - Denali NP&P (AK) - Rescue

A canoe capsized and submerged its three occupants in Wonder Lake around
midnight on July 19th. The lake is about four miles long and a half mile
wide and has sustained summer temperatures in the mid-40s. One of the
occupants swam to shore and hiked to Wonder Lake campground to get
assistance for his companions, who stayed with the waterlogged canoe. At
1 a.m., the campground hosts called rangers at the lake and notified
them of the accident. Park personnel responded in the park's Zodiac
rescue boat. The other two victims were found after an extensive search
of the lake. One was still with the canoe; the other was on shore. The
person with the canoe had been in the water for almost two hours. Park
maintenance employees and campground hosts assisted with search efforts,
patient care and logistics. All three were treated for mild to moderate
hypothermia and released later that morning. [Mark Motsko, SDR, Wonder
Lake Subdistrict, DENA]

02-359 - Cape Hatteras NS (NC) - Drowning

Ranger Allan Buss was patrolling the beach near the Ocracoke pony pen on
the afternoon of July 26th when he was contacted by a boy who told him
that a woman was unable to find her 57-year-old husband, who'd last been
seen swimming nearby. Buss responded and found V.L.
floating in the ocean about 75 yards beyond the breakers. He summoned
assistance from the Coast Guard and other local rescue organizations.
Two lifeguards arrived first and began a pattern search for V.L.,
who had by this time disappeared from view. Coast Guard units found him
within the hour; they began CPR and brought him to shore, where he was
pronounced dead. [Jeff Cobb, CR, CAHA]

02-360 - Cape Hatteras NS (NC) - Drowning

The Dare County Sheriff's Office received a call from a Virginia woman
on the morning of Sunday, August 4th, reporting that her husband had
been missing since 11:30 p.m. the previous night. R.S., 51,
had been drinking heavily that evening. He left their hotel room at
Hatteras Landing to go fishing on the beach at Hatteras Inlet. An
off-duty Coast Guardsman found R.S.'s body floating in Pamlico Sound
just inside the inlet and transported his body to the Coast Guard dock
at Hatteras Landing. Injuries on R.S.'s body were consistent with
drowning in rough water. His vehicle was found that night submerged
about 20 feet from shore in the inlet. Strong currents prevented
recovery of the vehicle until Monday afternoon. There's no evidence of
foul play, but the investigation is continuing. [Jeff Cobb, CR, CAHA]

[Additional reports pending…]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 5

Initial attack was again light nationwide yesterday. Only two of the 203
newly reported fires escaped initial attack; another three large fires
were contained.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in 15 states (the same
states that were on yesterday's list): Alaska, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota,
Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

National Resource Commitments

                   Mon      Tue     Wed     Thu     Fri     Sat     Sun     Mon     Tue
Date               7/29     7/30    7/31    8/1     8/2     8/3     8/4     8/5     8/6
                         
Crews               670     703     716     592     634     647     686     589     566
Engines             1,089   1,205   1,468   1,117   1,099   1,095   1,199   1,028   874
Helicopters         174     187     198     174     172     161     180     177     153
Air Tankers         13      12      10      13      17      17      16      9       10
Overhead            5,013   4,967   5,215   4,892   4,100   3,913   4,641   4,712   3,838
Area Commands       3       3       3       3       2       2       1       1       1
Type 1 IMT          9       9       10      7       6       7       7       6       6
Type 2 IMT          11      10      8       7       7       7       7       6       6     
T1/T2 S/IMT *       5       4       2       2       2       3       2       3       3
Fire Use IMT        1       1       0       0       0       0       0       0       0

* Type 1 and Type 2 state incident management teams
# Information not available

National Fire Warnings and Watches

NIFC has not issued any watches or warnings for today.

Park Fire Situation

Redwood NP (CA) - The Sour Biscuit Fire has now burned 41,897 acres and
is 25% contained. The fire is within a mile of Gasquet and six to seven
miles from Hiouchi. Hiouchi is a small community (approximately 300
people) on the park boundary immediately adjacent to a park information
center, park housing (with 13 residents), and a campground (100 sites).
If/when Gasquet evacuates, the park will start gearing up for a possible
Hiouchi evacuation based on their pre-plan. Forecasts call for
deteriorating weather this week, primarily due to increasing off-shore
winds. For more information: www.r5.fs.fed.us/sixrivers/incident/biscuit

Yellowstone NP (WY) - One new lightning-caused fire was reported on the
west side of the park yesterday. The Snowslide Fire was suppressed and
did not grow to more than an acre. Four firefighters remain assigned to
the Broad Fire, which has burned 9,140 acres and is 95% contained.

Mesa Verde NP (CO) - The Long Mesa Fire has been contained. The park is
planning a limited opening of facilities on Friday, August 9th. For more
information: www.nps.gov/meve

Sequoia NP (CA) - The McNalley Fire has burned 105,604 acres and is 55%
contained. Park dispatch reports that the park remains unaffected. For
more information: www.r5.fs.fed.us/sequoia/incident/mcnalley.html

Yosemite NP (CA) - There are still ten active fire use projects. The
combined acreage does not exceed 75 acres.

Denali NP (AK) - The Moose Lake Fire has burned 69,038 acres. Half of
this acreage is inside the park. Park firefighters conducted a burnout
operation around Lonestar Ruin (a cultural resource). The John Hansen
Lake Fire, which is only barely inside the park, is still reported at
5,200 acres. Managers have been unable to fly the blaze due to smoke.
These two fires are being managed as part of the Minchumina Group, which
consists of four fires. The other two fires in the group are not on park
land.

Katmai NP (AK) - The half-acre Moraine Fire is in a limited management
zone. The fire was not flown yesterday.

Noatak NP (AK) - The Cottonwood Bar Fire has burned 3,660 acres in a
limited management zone. The fire started in tundra and brush. The front
of the fire is about two miles long and 30% active.

Gates of the Arctic NP (AK) - The Dawn Creek Fire was last reported at
900 acres. This acreage figure will be updated when they fly the fire
tomorrow.

For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:

*     Map of fire locations - http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/firemap.html 
*     Details on all current major fires - http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf 
*     Fire news and fire year in perspective - http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html. 

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report; Jody Lyle, Fire Information Desk, NIFC]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Qualification with Non-Toxic Frangible Ammunition - FLETC has received
numerous queries about the use of non-toxic frangible ammunition for
qualification and practice. Such use is authorized and does not need to
be approved by DO/RM-9. The ammunition has been used at FLETC for the
past year with no problems. Almost all agencies at FLETC use it; in
fact, only one range out of the two dozen or so at the center permits
the use of lead ammunition. The ammunition is available via GSA
contract. The round is NOT authorized for duty use, however - just for
practice and qualification. Rounds are available for handguns, shotguns
and rifles in all authorized calibers. The rounds are much better
environmentally and should be used by field areas. The NPS
superintendent at FLETC has specifically authorized this round as an
approved round for training and qualification. [Paul Henry,
Superintendent, FLETC]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Ranger Activities Division, WASO (DC) - Arrangements have been made to
remember past NPS chief ranger and Ozark NSR superintendent Chris
Andress as he is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday,
September 3rd. A memorial service will be held at the Old Chapel on the
grounds of Fort Myer at 1 p.m. Interment will immediately follow in the
Columbarium at the cemetery. A reception will be held following the
ceremony at the pavilions at Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run in
McLean, Virginia. A web site has been developed with additional
information: http://165.83.127.139/andress. It can be accessed only from
NPS computers. The web page has some basic information; details will be
added as they become available. [Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO]

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is advertising for a
GS-00255-07/09 Park Ranger (Protection) position; open to status
candidates.  The announcement number is LYJO 02-05 and the
opening/closing dates are August 5-26, 2002.  The position would most
likely be filled in the fall.  Occupancy of park housing on the
Pedernales River at the LBJ Ranch is required. LYJO is situated in the
scenic Texas Hill Country with most amenities available within 30
minutes.  San Antonio and Austin (the "live music capitol of the world")
are each one hour from the park.  Recreational opportunities are
abundant in the area.  The park is a presidential site with a varied
complement of natural and cultural resources. We are seeking a strong
"generalist" ranger with the proven ability to work independently and as
part of dynamic Resource Management and Visitor Protection team.  We
will be looking at all candidates who demonstrate the potential to excel
in resource and visitor protection, a variety of resource monitoring
projects, frequent informal interpretive contacts and emergency
preparedness.  For more information about the park or the position,
please contact Jerri Striegler, Human Resources Specialist, or Brian
Carey, Chief Ranger, at (830) 868-7128.

*  *  *  *  *

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

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