NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, February 2, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-38 - Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Volcanic Activity

At 8:30 a.m. yesterday morning, staff at the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory
called the park communications center and reported that earthquake swarms were
occurring under the Keanakakoi area of the summit caldera and that marked
inflation of the summit was occurring.  They estimated that a lava upwelling
was just a kilometer below the surface and advised the park to go on eruption
alert.  The park did so, implementing ICS (with Yvette Ruan, chief ranger, as
IC).  The coastal backcountry was closed and evacuated, and the Chain of Crater
Road and a portion of Crater Rim Drive were closed.  Hawaii County Civil
Defense and the FAA closed air space above the summit because of the potential
hazard of eruption debris and because of the need for safe air space for any
needed USGS and NPS air operations.  Park liaison was established with USGS and
all cooperators were informed of the eruption emergency.  By 11:30 a.m., the
lava was less than a half kilometer below the surface; by 11:47 a.m., it became
evident that the lava was moving toward the Southwest and Southeast Rift zones,
the latter the site of the Pu'u O'o vent which has been active for the past 13
years.  At 1:15 p.m., observatory scientists reported that the summit of
Kilauea was deflating, and that most of the lava had moved into the Southeast
Rift zone and Pu'u O'o area.  The vent became very active, with a large,
agitated lava pond and flows issuing from the base of the cone.  A large number
of surface flows with dome fountains appeared on the slopes below the vent. 
The park was advised that it would be safe to reopen Crater Rim Drive and the
summit trail system for visitor use, but that Chain of Craters Road should
remain closed because of seismic activity still occurring in the area between
Chain of Craters and Makaopuhi.  These actions were taken, and the air closure
over the summit was lifted.  Increased flows in the Pu'u O'o area will not
adversely affect visitation and may in fact enhance visitor viewing of volcanic
activity, particularly in the evening hours after Chain of Craters Road is
reopened.  The increased flows will pose a threat, however, to the remaining
endangered Akia shrub land on the coast and to area archeological features,
including the Wahaula Heiau.  [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO]

96-39 - Horseshoe Bend (Alabama) - Serious Employee Illness

Law enforcement ranger Harry Cook suffered a heart attack shortly after
reporting for work on January 29th.  He was taken by ambulance to Alexander
City, and later transported by air to Birmingham.  His doctor has determined
that he had a "medium heart attack."  One blockage was cleared by doctors on
Wednesday; additional tests are scheduled for today.  Cook is currently in
stable condition at the Brookwood Medical Center and may be released on Monday. 
Cards can be sent to him at the center (2010 Medical Center Drive, Birmingham,
AL 35209).  [Jim David, Superintendent, HOBE]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Redwood (California) - Mountain Lion Activity

On January 28th, visitors reported a dead elk about a quarter mile up Redwood
Creek trail on Sunday, a popular and heavily used park trail.  Rangers found an
adult cow elk lying in the trail and located evidence that led them to believe
that it had been killed by a mountain lion.  The trail was closed that night. 
Resource managers and rangers hiked into the area the following morning and
found that the carcass had been fed upon through the night.  Definite signs
were found that a mountain lion had in fact killed the elk.  Because of the
possibility of human-lion conflicts, even if the area remained closed, a
decision was made to move the carcass well off the trail and reopen it to
public use.  Mountain lions continue to be seen in the Redwood Creek drainage,
and resource managers have recently seen lion cub tracks there as well.  [Bob
Martin, CR, REDW]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

OBSERVATIONS

Here's today's entry, excerpted from Director Kennedy's remarks to the National
Leadership Council on January 15th and transmitted to all employees on January
25th via the Director's bulletin board.  It's a portion of a letter that
Director Kennedy received from a Vietnam veteran, and is repeated here in case
you missed it:

"Medals weren't that big a deal to most [Army] Rangers [in Vietnam]...Mutual
respect was a far more valued commodity.  But there was one little bauble (as
Napoleon so aptly labeled military medals) that made its way into Ranger
folklore....It was a little Smoky Bear pin issued by the National Park Service
in the 1960s.  They were passed among Rangers as signs of respect.  As
medallions of honor.  And they became more prized as measures of duty and
selflessness than anything the Pentagon could throw our way.  I still have
mine.  It's my most treasured possession from the Vietnam War.  And to this
day, I can't look at someone in a National Park Service uniform and separate
them from ideals of patriotism and duty to their country.  And that's the way
it ought to be."

                                     Letter to Director Roger Kennedy from
                                     anonymous Vietnam veteran, 1996

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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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