NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, January 5, 1996 - SPECIAL EDITION

Broadcast: 9:15 a.m. EST

This special edition of the Morning Report is being sent to you at the request
of the Directorate to convey information pertaining to the current shutdown. 
All parks and offices should continue to contact their shutdown coordinators
for specific guidance and instructions.

The following update on the shutdown was sent to members of the Directorate and
to all field area shutdown coordinators by Deputy Director Reynolds this
morning (Friday, January 5th).  PLEASE keep in mind that it was addressed to
these people and NOT to the field in general....

 As you may have heard, the House attempt to override the President's
recent veto of our Interior appropriations bill failed yesterday.  Last
night a proposal was put forth by the House GOP that, if enacted intact
today by the House, would be quickly approved by the Senate and signed by
the President.  The measure would put us back to work and provide back
pay until January 26.  We will keep you posted.  Without either this or
an appropriations or a continuing resolution, there would be no end in
sight to the shutdown stalemate.

 Here are some highlights from the 1/4/96 DOI Shutdown Coordinators'
meeting and a couple of other issues:

 1. AMERICAN EXPRESS -- According to Sky Lesher, the Department's deputy
CFO, you may tell employees who are concerned about paying these travel
bills not to worry -- they have an initial 30-day grace period; this is
extended automatically another 30 days; and only then does GSA supply the
Department with a list of delinquencies.  Which the Department will not
pursue, and has guaranteed to request relief if this continues into the
next century or so.  But the 60 days should be enough to get through
this.

 2. SAMPLE LETTERS TO CREDITORS -- Were unavailable on cc:Mail yesterday,
so we plan to fax them today to Shutdown Coordinators.

 3. PAYCHECKS -- As you know, most of us received a check for only 40
hours pay for the last pay period (PP 1 of '96).  Because BuRec had to
run a batch processing, without time cards because of furlough, the net
pay worked out to 65% of gross for that one week, and zero for the second
week.  They calculated the average of deductions was about 35%; thus the
65% net.  Some employees evidently thought they would get 40 hours GROSS
for that first week -- not so.  Please refer to the Q & A attachment to
Bonnie Cohen's 12/29/95 memo.  Also, remind people that many automatic
deductions for savings plans, mortgages, housing, child support, etc.,
were not done and they may have to make separate arrangements.

 4. CONCESSIONS -- Questions have been raised concerning the 12/29 memo
authorizing concession facilities on through roads and highways to open. 
Such facilities have direct access from the road, do not require the
reopening of park roads with other destinations, and may not result in
additional NPS costs.  The key question to ask is whether the concession
can open without the NPS incurring any additional costs -- such as
concessions on through roads which are already open.  There are not many
potential candidates which meet all of these criteria, and to our
knowledge only seven concessions have been authorized to reopen under
these conditions.  Call Bob Yearout (202) 208-3818 for details or if you
have information which indicates these rules are not being followed. 
Consistent application of these criteria is important across the Service.

 5. STRATEGY -- We are in the process of developing a revised strategy to
deal with the realities of the duration and extent of this shutdown. 
These include how we continue to handle communications now; what our
primary objectives will be upon return; how we will prioritize our work;
how we will move to address our employee needs; and how we will reach out
to our partners in recovery.  We welcome your thoughts as we undertake
this task.

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

                               --- ### ---