NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, March 5, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

[This section contains reports of incidents required under reporting criteria
issued in December, 1995, by the Associate Director, Park Operations and
Education].

96-88 - Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Follow-up on Storm Damage

Heavy rains began falling throughout the Hawaiian Islands on the evening of
Saturday, March 2nd.  Over 13 inches fell in the park during the next 24
hours, and winds gusted to over 60 mph.  Gusts of wind coming from the crater
lifted sections off the roof of the Volcano House Hotel on Sunday afternoon;
moments later, all the metal roofing on the section over the dining room,
gift shop and bar blew off and into the parking lot in front of the hotel,
damaging two rental cars.  The hotel was evacuated and accommodations were
found for stranded visitors.  Due to high winds and saturated ground, the
concession cabins and campground at Namakani Paio were closed.  At the time
of the report yesterday, park maintenance employees were stabilizing loose
roofing material and interpretive rangers were preparing to remove historic
paintings from the hotel lobby and store them in the collection vault.  Power
was restored to most locations by evening, but remained out at one or two
spots.  A full damage assessment is underway.  [Jim Martin, Superintendent,
HAVO] 

EVENTS

[This section contains reports of significant park events; that is, any event
which requires significant mobilization of resources, attracts substantial
media attention, or has particular relevance to the System or Service or its
cultural, historical and natural assets]

White House (D.C.) - Major Construction Work

Maintenance crews from White House liaison and NCP Central began construction
work on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House on March 2nd. 
Following the security restrictions imposed by the U.S. Secret Service on
traffic in the President's Park, the Service took the lead in developing
interim measures to replace the jersey barriers and police vehicles now
blocking vehicular entrances to the White House area.  The construction will
provide a system of landscaped planters, interpretive directories, guard
house structures and mechanical vehicle barriers at the 15th Street and 17th
Street intersections of Pennsylvania Avenue.  Work on these interim measures
will be complete by June 1st.  The NPS is simultaneously leading a
multi-agency planning effort to determine the ultimate permanent design for
Pennsylvania Avenue.  [James McDaniel, WHHO]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

[This section includes - but is NOT limited to - reports on notable resource
management projects or the attainment of significant benchmarks in such
projects; new threatened and endangered species listings, significant changes
in status to listed species, or new threats to listed species; significant
lawsuit pertaining to park natural or cultural resources; newly discovered
threat to park resources; reintroduction of a species to a park; any resource
management action or action affecting park resources which is inherently
controversial].

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

[This section contains brief summaries of important, practical operational
information which needs to be conveyed to the field or FROM parks to other
field areas].

No notes.

MEMORANDA

[This section provides brief summaries of important memoranda which have been
issued from WASO to the field].

No memoranda.

EXCHANGE

[This section contains requests for and offers of information, material,
resources or assistance.  Anyone may make a submission, as long as the
submission is within the context of NPS operations].

No submissions.
 
UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming weeks
on matters pertaining to the National Park Service.  If you would like
further information on any of these hearings or bills, please contact Stacey
Rickard in WASO Legislation at 202-208-3636. 

March 5

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 2941, to improve the quantity and quality of the quarters of
land management agency field employees.

March 7

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): Hearing on S. 745,
brucellosis in bison at Yellowstone; S. 796 and H.R. 238, horses at Ozark; S.
1451, use of state employees in national parks during government shutdowns.

March 20

House Appropriations' Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies (Regula):
National Park Service's FY 97 budget request.

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Oversight hearing on historic preservation; H.R. 563, to amend the National
Historic Preservation Act to prohibit inclusion of certain sites on the
National Register of Historic Places.

March 21

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Oversight hearing on federal lands and federal regulation of private
property.

OBSERVATIONS

[This section contains observations pertaining to either the National Park
Service or closely related issues, such as wilderness and conservation, and
should include the author and the date and source of the quote].  

Today's observation regarding Yosemite was sent in by Ken Kehrer at Denali:

"What Europe is now is that toward which you in America are tending. 
Presently, the steam cars stop some 12 miles away from the entrance of
Yosemite...Surely development should come no closer...If you wee to realize
what the result of the automobile will be to that wonderful, that
incomparable valley, you will keep it out."

                                       James Bryce, British Ambassador to
                                       the United States, 1912

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests
for the Morning Report to your servicing hub coordinator.

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

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