NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, April 9, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-126 - Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Follow-up on Employee Fatality

A memorial service for ranger Russel Bickler was held at Camp Minnow Lake,
the park's environmental education center, on April 5th.  Bickler was
instrumental in the establishment of the family camp, which provides
environmental education for disadvantaged youths and their families.  The
Minnow Lake Foundation has established the Russel A. Bickler Memorial Fund
for Environmental Education in his honor.  This non-profit memorial fund is
intended to enable the camp staff to continue his life work - educating
children and families about nature and preservation of the environment. 
Contributions to the fund may be sent to the Minnow Lake Foundation, Box 278,
San Marcos, CA 92079-0278 (619-592-9254).  The park continues to provide
counseling and support for its employees in the aftermath of the accident. 
Three follow-up critical stress debriefing sessions were held yesterday. 
Meanwhile, a grand jury has returned an indictment on T.T., the
driver of the car which hit Bickler's pickup truck.  T.T. was indicted on
the first count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled
substance.  A grand jury hearing has been set for April 24th for the second
count of negligent homicide.  His trail is to be held on April 29th.  [Gail
Minami, Operations Supervisor, HAVO]

96-134 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - Search and Rescue

On the morning of Saturday, April 6th, J.B., 17, and three companions
began descending Mount Rainier after spending at night at the climbing camp
at Camp Muir at 10,000 feet.  The members of the party separated while in the
Muir Snowfield around the 8,700-foot level so they could each descend at
their own pace - one by skiing, two by walking, and J.B. by snowboarding. 
J.B. was last seen heading east toward Paradise Glacier.  The weather at
the time was poor and visibility was extremely limited.  J.B. was reported
missing after he failed to return to Paradise.  On Saturday afternoon and
evening, two teams searched for him, one along his probable route and the
other in the area downhill from his last know location.  Neither team was
successful.  Six teams comprised of rangers, mountaineering guides and
mountain rescue volunteers resumed the search on Sunday morning.  Clear
weather also permitted an early morning search by helicopter.  At 9 a.m., one
of the ground teams spotted J.B. walking up the Stevens Canyon Road east of
Lake Louise and directed the helicopter to the location.  J.B. was flown to
the park helibase at Kautz Creek, where he was determined to be in good
health.  [Bill Larson, MORA]

96-135 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Search and Rescue

On April 3rd rangers began a search for 37-year-old E.H. of
Knoxville, Tennessee.  According to his parents, E.H. ran into the woods
the previous afternoon while the family car was parked near Newfound Gap. 
His parents also said that he had a handgun and a bag of ammunition, but that
he lacked food and appropriate dress for the variable weather conditions. 
E.H. had reportedly "escaped into the woods" on previous occasions, and
did not wish to be found.  Rangers Al Miller and Helen McNutt located E.H.
walking on Clingmans Dome road Saturday evening after receiving a report from
visitors of a person in the area matching his description.  E.H. had
hidden a revolver in the woods.  He was in good condition and was released to
his family, who were reluctant to come and get him.  [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Biscayne (Florida) - Champion Trees
     
Park employee Diane Riggs has discovered two champion trees on Totten Key in
the park - a roughleaf velvetseed (Guettarda scarbra) and a lignum vitae
(Guaiacum sanctum).  A champion tree is the largest recorded tree of a
particular species found within the United States.  Crown spread,
circumference and height are measured and assigned a point value to determine
a tree's champion status.  These two champions survived Hurricane Andrew in
1992 and are considered to be healthy, thriving trees.  [David Pharo, BISC]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Several entries pending and will appear tomorrow.

MEMORANDA

Entry pending.

EXCHANGE

Field Training Program Available - The parkway has developed a field 
training program (FTP) that is used to orient new protection employees to the
park.  The program, which uses a format developed and supplied by Bighorn
Canyon, employees a "check off" type guideline in which twelve different
sessions are conducted, covering items such as patrol procedures, personal
contacts, officer safety, vehicle operation and general check-in procedures
which involve orientation to central office (headquarters) operations. 
There's also a supplement to the main program which is district specific and
supplies general area information as well as park specific directives and
SOPs.  Contact Tim Francis at NP-NATR for further information or a copy.  The
park offers it special thanks to Bighorn Canyon in developing the FTP format. 

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. 

April 16

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 639, West Virginia rivers technical amendments; H.R. 640,
West Virginia rivers boundary modifications; H.R. 1825, Missouri River
acquisition limitation; H.R. 2255, Lamprey Wild and Scenic River; H.R. 2292,
Hanford Reach Preservation. 

April 17

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (Murkowski): S. 128, Thomas
Cole National Historic Site; S. 695, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve; S.
1476, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

April 18

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 810, Revolutionary War and War of 1812 historic preservation
study; H.R. 848, Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP; H.R. 970, Women's Rights
NHP; H.R. 1179, HBCU historic building restoration; H.R. 2028, concessions;
H.R. 2941, NPS administrative reform act.

April 19

House Resources Committee (Young): Oversight hearing on federal management
policies on federal lands - state legislators' perspectives.

April 23

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 3127, to provide for the orderly disposal of Federal lands in
southern Nevada, and for the acquisition of certain environmentally sensitive
lands in Nevada.

April 24

House Appropriations' Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies (Regula):
Hearing on FY97 budget request for the Department of Interior.

May 15

Senate Appropriations' Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
(Gorton): Hearing on FY97 budget request for the Department of Interior.

OBSERVATIONS

"Interpretation is a voyage of discovery in the field of human emotions and
intellectual growth, and it is hard to foresee that time when the interpreter
can confidently say, 'Now we are wholly adequate to our task.'"

                                   Freeman Tilden, "The Fifth Essence"

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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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