RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           CC: RAD Information Net

Day/date:  Thursday, January 24, 1991

INCIDENTS

91-24 - Friendship Hill (Pennsylvania) - Burglary and Vandalism

Late on the evening of the 18th, ranger Del Barton discovered 
that the park's visitor center/office and four onsite 
construction trailers had been burglarized, and that the area 
had also been vandalized.  The burglar broke windows, cut locks 
and pried open doors to gain access to the structures.  All 
telephone lines were cut to disable the visitor center alarm 
system; the trailers had no security systems.  Electronic 
equipment, data files and drawings, and other equipment in the 
trailers were damaged.  Park losses were estimated at about $300, 
but the construction companies losses were placed at $10,000.  
No historical resources were damaged.  Although the phone lines 
to the visitor center were cut, the security system activated, 
and it's believed that this helped to minimize the destruction 
or theft of park property.  The Pennsylvania state police were 
called in to assist in the investigation.  On the 22nd, they 
arrested a juvenile who later confessed to several burglaries, 
including those at Friendship Hill.  The park will continue 
working with the state in the prosecution of the case.  [Chuck 
Smith, CR, FRHI/FONE, via CompuServe message from Ginny Paci, 
RAD/MAR, 1/23]

MIDEAST INCIDENT UPDATE

We have instituted this section in the morning report in order 
to keep you posted on security advisories and incidents 
associated with the war in the Mideast and will maintain it as 
long as circumstances warrant.  Contact Major Jack Schamp with 
any relevant information.

Washington - Park Police officers arrested about 60 antiwar 
demonstrators outside the White House on the evening of the 22nd.  
They were charged with protesting without a permit after 
remaining stationary in a zone designated for walking protests.

Reminder: Please advise us through your regional offices of all 
threats received, permits issued for demonstrations, and 
demonstrations or incidents which occur which are related to the 
war in the Gulf.  Reports should be submitted as soon as 
possible; there is a very high degree of interest in such 
activities in the Department and among other governmental 
agencies.  Call Major Schamp at FTS 268-4209 (202-208-4209).

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Bison Management

The January 16th Billings Gazette reported the following: 
"Several plains tribes have asked Yellowstone to donate its 
unwanted buffalo to reservations instead of shooting the animals 
wandering outside the national park into Montana.  Yellowstone 
officials said Tuesday they are 'very interested' in exploring 
the plan as an alternative to killing buffalo...Medicine Wheel 
Alliance founder Bill Tall Bull, a Northern Cheyenne Indian, 
said all of the six tribes he has contacted in Montana, Wyoming 
and South Dakota are willing to accept Yellowstone bison, which 
would form a foundation for repopulating hers on 
reservations..." [Todd Wilkinson, Billing Gazette, 1/16]

On January 22nd, there were 12 to 15 bulls located less than two 
miles inside the park's western boundary.  Two bulls and two 
cows were located in the Undine Falls area over the weekend, and 
six bulls were seen in the same area on Tuesday.  Three large 
groups of bison were seen through the weekend along the Madison 
River between six and 18 miles inside the boundary, but were not 
reported on Tuesday.  There were 24 bison along the Yellowstone 
River between six and eight miles from the northern boundary and 
halfway between Undine Falls and Tower. [Lissa Fox, Wildlife and 
Vegetation, WASO]

OFFICE NOTES

1) It may be that the worst kept "secret" in the NPS these days 
is that Walt Dabney will be leaving this office to become the 
superintendent at Canyonlands this summer.  Although Walt 
accepted the offer some time ago, the acceptance wasn't 
officially announced until this week, which is why we've been 
silent on the matter.  Walt's EOD is August 11th, but he'll 
probably head West in July.  He's advised us that he will in no 
way be a "lame duck" over the next few months, and that we can 
instead expect to see an acceleration of efforts to complete 
some projects.  We'll keep you posted on the search for his 
successor.

2) NOTICE: We often get calls from field areas asking us for our 
telefax numbers or CompuServe or SEAdog addresses.  Please note 
that this information appears at the bottom of every morning 
report.  The telephone number provided will connect you with Pat 
Baptist, Tarnya Green or Helen Kelly, the division's secretaries, 
who will in turn connect you with the appropriate staffer.  
[Bill Halainen, RAD/WASO]

THIS DAY IN NPS HISTORY...

January 24, 1976 - Rangers at Sequoia/Kings Canyon received a 
Unit Award for Excellence of Service from the Department of 
Interior for the successful and difficult rescue of a man who'd 
broken his back in a fall while deep within Soldier's Cave.  The 
incident provided the impetus for the subsequent development of 
the park medic program.

[Got an historical note?  Send it on to us for entry in the 
morning report].

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No travel or leave scheduled.

Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: No travel or leave 
scheduled.
 
Branch of Fire: Erskine and Gale at MAC group coordinators' 
training session, NARTC, Marana, Arizona (1/22-1/25); Broyles at 
NPS/NIOSH meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio (1/22-1/24); Clark at NWS
advisory council  meeting, Portland, Oregon (1/23-1/25).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax:    FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
SEAdog:     1/650