NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Monday, April 22, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-148 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Rescue

Just after midnight on April 13th, rangers received a report that a 14-year-
old male hiker had fallen on the Clear Creek trail two miles above Phantom
Ranch.  They found that the boy had fallen 50 feet over a cliff from the
Tonto plateau onto a scree slope and that a technical rescue would be
required.  Upon reaching him, rangers determined that he was suffering from
an altered level of consciousness, multiple fractures, and a core temperature
of 84 degrees.  Attempts to evacuate him were hindered by heavy rains, winds
and darkness.  The rangers remained with him through the night, treating him
for severe hypothermia and hypovolemia.  Ranger/paramedic Tammy Keler was
short-hauled by helicopter to the site at first light.  The boy was extracted
and flown to Flagstaff Medical Center, where he's currently listed in stable
condition with fractures to the thoracic and lumbar spine and lower limbs. 
The rescue, which occurred in a very rugged area of the inner canyon during
exceptionally bad weather, involved the efforts of over 30 rangers,
maintenance workers, and volunteer employees.  The boy would have died during
the night without their aggressive rescue efforts.  [Charlie Peterson, Acting
CR, GRCA]

96-149 - Arches (Utah) - Spring Break Incidents

A number of incidents occurred in the park during the week preceding Easter
weekend - the final week in over a month of "spring  breaks," during which
multitudes of college and high school students descended on the Moab and park
area.  These incidents included a high-angle rescue of a rimrocked father and
his daughter, the carry-out and helicopter evacuation of a hiker who fell
about 35 feet after entering a closed area, and assists (under a cooperative
agreement) to BLM and the county sheriff in the surrounding Colorado River
and Sand Flats areas.  The latter entailed arrests, accident investigations,
medical responses, crowd control, and numerous citations for alcohol, illegal
camping and motor vehicle violations.  [Jim Webster, CR, ARCH]

96-150 - Yosemite (California) - Climbing Fatality

M.B., 26, an employee of the Yosemite Institute, died in a solo
climbing accident on El Capitan on April 1st.  M.B. began fixing pitches on
the Zenyatta Mondatta route that morning and successfully climbed the first
two pitches of the difficult direct aid climb.  Evidence left on the third
pitch and found on the ground indicate that he pulled out several pieces of
protection and broke a carabinier during a 25-foot fall, then fell another
300 feet to the ground when his rope jammed behind a flake of rock and was
severed.  His body was discovered in the morning and removed by a Navy
helicopter that was in the park on another rescue (below).  [CRO, YOSE]

96-151 - Yosemite (California) - Rescue

S.J. and A.J. were descending the North Dome gully on April
1st after a three-day climb on Washington Column when a cold front passed,
several inches of hail and snow covered the terrain, and the climbers lost
the route.  They became stranded and employed a cell phone to call for help. 
A nine-member rescue team began attempts to reach them that night by fixing
ropes up the gully.  Their progress was checked by snow-covered rocks and a
significant flow of water down the gully, and they were eventually forced to
retreat, with the intent of resuming the rescue in the morning.  The soaked
victims sat out the night in freezing conditions with extremely cold hands
and feet, but reported in by phone that they were getting by.  The weather
cleared the next day, and a helicopter from Lemoore Naval Air Station was
able to hoist the two men out of the gully.  They were treated at the park
clinic, but suffered no permanent injury to their extremities.  [CRO, YOSE]

96-152 - Yosemite (California) - Drowning

On April 12th, J.D., 31, was walking across a log with his wife
and dog when the dog fell into the stream.  While attempting to rescue it,
J.D. fell off the upstream side of the log and was washed underneath it,
where he became trapped.  Bystanders removed him within minutes, brought him
to shore, and began CPR.  Rangers arrived within ten minutes and took over
the resuscitation efforts.  They were in turn joined by medics from the
Valley's contract ambulance.  J.D. was taken to the park's clinic, where he
was pronounced dead upon arrival.  [CRO, YOSE]

96-153 - Arches/Canyonlands (Utah) - Assist; Rescue

Rangers from Arches and Canyonlands recently assisted Grand County sheriff's
deputies in the evacuation of an 18-year-old woman who had fallen 50 feet and
received extensive back and leg injuries.  Rangers Galen and Wendy Howell,
Steve Swanke and Marc Yeston provided the technical expertise required to
lower the victim over a 150-foot overhanging cliff to a waiting litter
evacuation team - all at night.  The victim was then evacuated by helicopter
to a regional trauma center, where she remains in intensive care.  [Jim
Webster, CR, ARCH]

96-154 - Blue Ridge (Virginia/North Carolina) - Search and Rescue

C.P. and A.W., both of Waynesboro, Virginia, became
lost when they took a different route to the top of Humpback Rocks than their
boyfriends.  C.P. reportedly had a kidney disorder which had
hospitalized her in the past.  A joint search by park staff and members of a
local rescue squad was begun and continued through the night.  Both women
were found by a park search team at 7:25 am the following morning.  They were
in good condition.  [CRO, BLRI]

96-155 - St. Croix (Wisconsin/Minnesota) - Stolen Vehicle Recovered

On April 5th, rangers Joe Hudick and Rod Turner launched a boat at Osceola
for the first river patrol of the season.  About 30 feet from shore and in
six feet of water, they ran into an object and found to their surprise that
they were stuck on the roof of a car.  Units from several local agencies
responded to help investigate the incident and extricate the vehicle.  It was
subsequently determined that the car had been stolen 20 miles west of the
park and rolled into the river the day before.  The investigation continues. 
[CRO, SACN]

                    [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1. NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - LEVEL I

2. LARGE FIRE SUMMARY

                                                                      %   Est
State Agency  Area              Fire          IMT     4/18     4/19  Con  Con

 TX   State   State         * Davis Cx         --        -   20,000  100  CND
                            * Kirby Cx         --        -      390  100  CND
                            * Beaver Pond      --        -      220  100  CND
 
 KY   USFS    Dan Boone NF  * Broughton Br.    --        -      200  100  CND

 MS   USFS    Miss. NF      * Kudzu            --        -    1,130  100  CND

 AZ   USFS    Tonto NF      * Squaw            --        -      300  100  CND

3. FIRE NARRATIVES

Indiana Dunes - The park has been very busy suppressing vegetation fires over
the past two weeks due to a prolonged regional drought and gusty winds. 
Between April 1st and 14th, the park's fire crew (augmented by collateral
duty park firefighters) responded to 21 fires in or threatening park property
which burned a total of 287 acres.  The largest, a 210-acre fire, was stopped
just before it reached the Douglas Center for Environmental Education; it
caused an estimated $6,000 in damage to adjacent boardwalks and fences.  Five
fires appear to have been intentionally set.  During this same period, the
park also completed a 64-acres management ignited prescribed fire on park
lands within the corporate limits of the town of Beverly Shores.  It drew
considerable media and public interest due to concerns expressed by local
residents regarding the impacts a spring burn might have on resident
wildlife.  [Bill Gabbert, FMO, INDU]

4. FIRES (4/12-4/18)

                NPS     BIA      BLM     FWS    States     USFS      Total

Number            6      28       14       4     1,785      103      1,940
Acres Burned      5   1,272      721   2,498    60,578    1,516     67,590

5. COMMITTED RESOURCES (4/18)

               Crews     Engines     Helicopters     Airtankers     Overhead

Federal            6         4           10               0             30
Non-federal        0         5            0               0            113

6. SITUATION (4/19)

Fire activity increased last week in the South, East, Southwest and southern
California.  High to extreme fire dangers were reported in several units in
the Southwest.  Severity charts developed last Thursday indicated that energy
release components were at levels typical for mid-June.  High and very high
fire indices were also being reported in several areas in the East and South. 
Fire activity increased significantly on state lands, mainly in Missouri.  

7. OUTLOOK (4/19)

Fire weather watches were posted for the weekend for portions of Arizona and
New Mexico.

[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 4/19]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Wolf Death

On April 14th, park biologists received a mortality signal from the radio
collar of the female wolf from the Lone Star pack.  The wolf had been seen
with her male companion the day before during a monitoring flight and
appeared to be in good condition.  The carcass was found south of Old
Faithful.  It was sent to Fish and Wildlife's national forensics lab in
Oregon, where analysis showed that the wolf died from burns which were
probably received in a fall into one of the park's thermal features.  The
necropsy also showed that the wolf was pregnant.  The wolf was captured in
British Columbia, brought to the park this past January, and released near
Old Faithful on April 5th.  [Marsha Karle, PIO, YELL]
 
OPERATIONAL NOTES

Reports pending.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.


EXCHANGE

No submissions.

MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS CALENDAR

Two calendars alternate in the Morning Report on Mondays - this one, which
contains meetings, conferences and events, and a second, which contains
workshops and training courses.  If you know of a conference, meeting,
workshop or training session with Servicewide interest and implications,
please send the information along.  Entries are listed no earlier than FOUR
months before the event, EXCEPT in instances in which registration dates
close much earlier.  Asterisks indicate new entries; brackets at end of entry
indicate source of information.  Brevity is appreciated.

5/1-3 -- First Conference on Research and Resource Management in Southern
Arizona National Park Areas, Hilton East Hotel, Tucson, AZ. 
Contact: Tim Tibbitts, ORPI, 520-387-7662, x 7114.  [Kathy Hiett,
CPSU/UA]

5/2-3 -- "Seeking a Public Audience for Federal History," Annual Meeting,
The Society for History in the Federal Government, Cliffside Inn,
Harpers Ferry, WV.  Lodging arrangements can be made by
contacting the Cliffside Inn (800-782-9437) before April 2nd. 
Contact: Bruce Noble, 304-535-6158.  [Bruce Noble, HAFE]

5/4-8 -- Annual Meeting, The American Association of Museums, Minneapolis,
MN.  Contact: AAM, 202-289-1818.  [Diane Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO]

5/5-9  -- Annual Conference, National Association of Recreation Resource
Planners, Clearwater Beach, FL.  Contact: Al Gregory or Tim
Bradley, Florida Division of Recreation and Parks, 904-488-2200. 
[Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

5/7-10 -- "Fire and Ecosystem Management: Shifting the Paradigms from
Suppression to Prescription," Tall Timbers Fire Ecology
Conference, Boise Id.  Contact: Leonard Brennan, Tall Timbers
Research Station, 904-893-4153 ext.222; brennan@bio.fsu.edu. 
[Kathy Jope, CCSSO]

5/11-18* -- National River Cleanup Week.  The NPS is a federal partner in
this effort.  Since 1992, over 127,000 volunteers have
participated and cleaned over 36,000 miles of waterways. 
Contact: America Outdoors, 423-524-4814 (phone) or 423-525-4765
(fax).  [Bob Yearout, Concession, WASO]

5/15-18 -- Second National Conference, Women in Historic Preservation,
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.  Contact: ASU History
Department, Box 872501, Tempe, AZ 85287-2501.  [Diane Vogt
O'Connor, CSD/WASO]

5/17-19 -- "Friends of Trashed Rivers," Coalition to Restore Urban Waters
Conference, Chicago, IL.  Contact: Laurene Von Klan, 312-939-
0490.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

5/18-23* -- "Social Behavior, Natural Resources and the Environment," Sixth
International Symposium on Society and Natural Resources
Management, University Park, PA.  Contact: 814-865-8301.  [Sheila
Lee, T&GD/WASO]

5/19-23* -- "Wilderness and Natural Areas in Eastern North America: Research
Management and Planning," Gatlinburg, TN.  Contact: College of
Forestry, Stephen Austin State University, PO Box 6109,
Nacogodoches, TX 75962-6109.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

5/30-6/2 -- Annual Meeting, Society for Industrial Archeology, Sacramento,
CA.  Sponsored by California State Railroad Museum.  Contact:
916-445-7387 (phone), 916-327-5655 (fax), csrmf@ns.net, or
Duncan_Hay@nps.gov.  [Duncan Hay, NMSC]

6/1 -- National Trails Day.  Contact: American Hiking Society, 301-653-
6704.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

6/5-7 -- "Partnership Opportunities for Federally-Associated Collections,"
conference, Berkeley, CA.  Will address major issues pertaining
to long-term management of federally-associated collections. 
Contact: Fritz Stern, Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, 510-
642-6271 (fax) or fstern@uclink3.berkeley.edu.  [Diane Vogt
O'Connor, CSD/WASO]

6/8-12 -- National Convention, Audubon Society, Washington, DC.  Contact:
Gail Turner, 301-499-0219.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

6/9-14 -- Seventeeth Annual Meeting, Society of Wetland Scientists, Kansas
City, MO.  Contact: David Wiley, 800-627-0629.  [Leslie Krueger,
AQ/WASO]

6/10-14 -- "Coast to Coast: 20 Years of Progress," 20th Annual Conference,
Association of State Floodplain Managers, San Diego, CA. 
Contact: Charlie Stockman, 202-343-3672.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

6/10-16 -- Annual Meeting, American Institute for Conservation of Historic
and Artistic Works (AIC), Norfolk, VA.  Contact: AIC, 202-452-
9545 (phone) or vnyaic@aol.com.  [Diane Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO]

6/12-15 -- "New World: Historic Natural History Collections," Annual
Meeting, Society for the Preservation of Natural History
Collections, Philadelphia, PA.  Contact: Elana Benamy, Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 215-299-1137 or 1170 (phone) or
benamy@acnatsci.org.  [Diane Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO]

6/20-24 -- "Beyond the Banks," American River Management Symposium,
Columbus, OH.  Contact: Caroline Tan, 406-549-0514.  [Sheila Lee,
T&GD/WASO]

6/20-24  -- Quarterly Meeting, Interagency Wild and Scenic River Coordinating
Council, Columbus, OH.  Contact: Chris Brown, 202-343-3758. 
[Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

7/9-12 -- "Wetlands '96: Forming Fair and Effective Partnerships,"
Association of State Wetland Managers National Symposium,
Washington, DC.  There will also be a session on wetland, flood
plain, and river on-line services and GIS applications.  Contact:
518-872-1804.  [Leslie Kreuger, AQ/WASO]

7/17-19 & 22-23 -- Annual Conference, Society of Ecological Restoration,
Brunswick, NJ.  Contact: 608-262-9547.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

8/4-7* -- 28th Annual Meeting, Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation,
Sioux City, IA.  Contact: Robert Gatten, 910-334-5391, or Joy
Vogt, 605-945-3452.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

8/14-18* -- Oregon-California Trails Association Annual Convention, Elko, NV. 
Contact: Helen Sundall, 402-397-9794.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

8/25-29* -- Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Dearborn, MI. 
Contact: Frank Panek, 703-358-1856.  [Sheila Lee, T&GD/WASO]

OBSERVATIONS

Today's observation was sent by Geoffrey Smith from Apostle Islands:  

"We have been telling ourselves the story of what we represent in the land
for 40,000 years.  At the heart of this story, I think, is a simple, abiding
belief: It is possible to live wisely on the land, and to live well.  And in
behaving respectfully toward all the land contains, it is possible to imagine
a stifling ignorance falling away from us."

                                            Barry Lopez, "Arctic Dreams"

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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