RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date:  Friday, March 8, 1991

INCIDENTS

90-437 - Lake Meredith (Texas) - Followup on Search

On the evening of December 4, 1990, rangers began a search for 
L.B., 57, after he was reported missing and his vehicle 
was found at Fritch Fortress.  No sign of L.B. was found, 
though, until March 7th, when two fishermen discovered his body 
along the lake shore near the fortress.  An autopsy has been 
scheduled to determine the cause of death.  [Telefax from Cliff 
Chetwin, RAD/SWRO, 3/7]

91-64 - Everglades (Florida) - Airplane Crash

On the evening of January 23rd, student pilot F.S., 28, 
of Hollywood, Florida, was flying a rental Cessna 150 through 
clouds over the park when he became disoriented and the plane 
went into a spin.  F.S. attempted to correct for the spin, 
but crashed into the mangrove forest bordering Sunday Bay a few 
moments later.  He was only slightly injured in the crash and 
was able to free himself from the plane.  F.S. spent the 
night in the woods and was rescued the next day.  He said that 
he had to wrap himself in charts, maps and pieces of carpet from 
the plane in an attempt to hide from the thousands of mosquitoes 
which descended upon him.  [Telefax from Mark Lewis, LES, EVER, 
2/6  received in RAD 3/6]

91-65 - Big Bend (Texas) - Structural Fire

A government-owned trailer in the Panther Junction housing area 
burned to the ground on the night of March 3rd.  The two SCA 
employees who were living in the trailer were not at home at the 
time of the fire.  The fire was first reported at 11:00 p.m.  
The park fire brigade responded, but was not able to save the 
structure.  The trailer was a total loss; both residents lost 
all their personal effects.  Also lost was a 1990 Ford Probe 
which was parked adjacent to the trailer.  A second vehicle was 
saved.  The cause of the fire is under investigation. [Roger 
Moder, BIBE, via telefax from Cliff Chetwin, RAD/SWRO, 3/4]

91-66 - Fossil Butte (Wyoming) - Burglary

A representative of Greenway Enterprises, a contractor currently 
working on the new park maintenance area, discovered a burglary 
of the company's tool and office trailer on the morning of 
February 27th.  Among the items taken were a compressor and 
about 20 power tools; the total valuation of the stolen property 
has been placed at approximately $14,000.  The thief employed 
bolt cutters to gain access to the trailer.  An investigation is 
underway.  [David McGinnis, FOBU, via telefax from J.T. Reynolds, 
RAD/RMRO, 3/1]

MIDDLE EAST INCIDENT UPDATE

This section will be discontinued in future morning reports 
unless circumstances change.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Gulf Islands (Florida/Mississippi) 

Bald eagles have been nesting successfully in the wild on Horn 
Island this winter for the first time in half a century.  A pair 
of eagles thought to have been released in 1986 have 
successfully raised their first chick on the wilderness barrier 
island.  The success of the program came about through the 
construction and manning of a hacking site by park rangers 
working in cooperation with the states of Mississippi and 
Florida, the George Miksch Sutton Avian Reserve Center, and 
other federal agencies.  The Horn Island nest represents the 
first reestablishment of the bald eagle along the northern Gulf 
Coast.  [CompuServe message from Gene Phillips, CR, GUIS, 3/4]

OFFICE NOTES

1) Tony Sisto, who is currently a staff park ranger in NCR 
Ranger Activities, will come on board as the division's new regs 
specialist on March 11th.  If you are working on a regulations 
package for your park or region, you can reach Tony after that 
date at FTS 268-7675 or 202-208-7675.  He will be getting in touch 
with all parks with pending rule packages as soon as possible.

2) Bill Halainen will be on detail to the minority staff of the 
House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands from today 
until the end of April.  The morning report, however, will 
continue to come out on a daily basis.

3) Today is Butch Farabee's last working day in Ranger 
Activities.  He'll EOD as superintendent of Padre Island on the 
11th.

4) Note to all chief rangers from Bob Marriott, RAD/WASO:  When 
recording arrest statistics on the monthly drug report, please 
count ALL violation notices issued and complaints filed on drug 
incidents as ARRESTS.  

5) RAD/SWRO has formally asked all of their parks to perform 
emergency medical needs assessments in compliance with NPS51.  
Butch would like to thank Bill Tanner and Phil Young of that 
office for having done so, and encourages other regions to 
follow suit.

6) Jim Tilmant would like to thank all of the parks that took 
the time to complete and return the mountain bike activity 
survey to him.  Nearly 200 responses have been received to date, 
with over 110 parks reporting mountain bike activity.  Most of 
these parks have indicated that control of this activity 
represents a significant management problem.  A report on the 
responses is being compiled and should soon be available for 
distribution.  A task force will be formed to develop 
standardized policy, guidelines and necessary regulations.

TOMORROW IN NPS HISTORY...

March 9, 1960 - Grand Teton rangers John Fonda, Gale Wilcox and 
Stan Spurgeon were crossing the upper end of Jackson Lake on a 
backcountry ski patrol when Fonda fell through the ice.  Wilcox 
and Spurgeon, who was the assistant chief ranger, fell through 
as they went back across the ice to rescue Fonda.  Fonda drowned 
and Wilcox died of hypothermia, but Spurgeon was able to escape.  
Spurgeon and Wilcox (posthumously) each received the Department 
of Interior Valor Award and the Carnegie Hero Award.  [Butch 
Farabee, RAD/WASO]

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

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Halainen on annual 
leave  (3/4-3/7) and on detail to House Subcommittee on National Parks 
and Public Lands (3/8-4/26).

Branch of Fire: Gale at national IC meeting, Reno, NV (3/6-3/8); 
Clark instructing at S490590, NARTC, Marana, AZ (3/3-3/16); Botti at 
IFCC meeting in Arlington, VA, and budget and contracting meeting in 
WASO (3/4-3/9).

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