NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Wednesday, June 5, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-251 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Follow-up on Double Homicide

The victims of the double homicide have been identified as J.W.,
24, and L.W., 26, both of whom were living and working in Vermont. 
Each died of "an incised wound to the neck."  NPS, FBI and Virginia State
Police investigators are working jointly on the investigation; many local law
enforcement officials have provided support.  Backcountry users are being
advised of the situation and are being reminded of safe practices to employ
while in the backcountry.  An individual who was reportedly acting strangely
was taken into custody near mile 44 on Skyline Drive on Monday afternoon and
is being held in connection with a warrant from the state of New York.  This
arrest was not related to the investigation into the deaths of the two women. 
The hikers were last seen on May 24th, and the incident management team is
attempting to locate anyone who may have seen the two women and "Taj," their
golden retriever/lab mix, or who may have any other relevant information. 
Anyone with such information should call 1-888-856-2467, toll free.  [Paul
Pfenninger, IO, Bridal Trail Incident, SHEN]

96-253 - North Cascades (Washington) - Death of Employee

Ranger Bill Lester died on May 31st in Sedro-Woolley following a six-month
battle with cancer.  Bill began his career as a seasonal employee at Olympic
in 1962 and became a permanent there in 1971.  He later transferred to North
Cascades, where he was district ranger for the Wilderness District, then
moved to Pinnacles in 1992 to become chief ranger.  He had just completed a
move back to North Cascades at the time of his death.  Bill was selected as
the Pacific West Field Area's nominee for the Harry Yount award this year.  A
celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. on June 8th at the park's
visitor center in Newhalem.  The family asks that donations be made to the
North Cascades Institute (2105 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284) in
lieu of flowers.  Cards can be sent to Kathy and Mary Lester.  [CRO, NOCA;
Carl Christensen, PWFDO]

96-254 - Lava Beds (California) - Search; Attempted Suicide

Early on the morning of May 16th, W.H. contacted park residents and
told them that he'd been injured when he'd fallen into a lava flow while
hiking cross-country the previous day.  W.H. had a broken collarbone, arm
and wrist; he was treated, then transported to a local hospital.  While being
treated, W.H. said that he believed he was dying from a communicable
terminal illness.  On the morning of May 26th, ranger Kirk Gebicke received
reports of an individual yelling for help and threatening visitors in the
Skull Cave area.  A license plate check revealed that the individual was
probably W.H..  Gebicke was joined by chief ranger Terry Harris and
officers from cooperating agencies, as it was believed that W.H. might be
armed.  Harris attempted to talk W.H. out of the lava field, but the latter
repeatedly stated that he'd come there to die and that the only way he'd come
out would be for Harris to kill him.  Harris followed W.H. for over a mile
into the lava flow and was finally able to determine that he wasn't armed. 
He then talked W.H. into surrendering.  He was taken into custody without
further incident and is currently undergoing psychiatric evaluation.  [CRO,
LABE]

96-255 - Richmond (Virginia) - Homicide

On May 26th, J.A., 42, of Richmond, was shot just outside the park. 
The vehicle he was driving subsequently careened out of control, stuck a
parked car, then crashed into a tree in the park's Chimborazo unit.  An
autopsy will be performed to determine if his death was brought about by the
gunshot or by the car crash.  [Mike Johnson, CR, RICH]

96-256 - Channel Islands (California) - Archeological Resources Conviction

On May 20th, M.B., 30, and K.P., 37, both of Santa Barbara,
pled guilty to two state misdemeanor charges - receiving stolen property and
unauthorized acts on public lands - stemming from thefts of Chumash artifacts
and a pygmy mammoth femur from Channel Islands and other archeological
artifacts from state park lands.  The case against the pair was developed
through a multi-year investigation by criminal investigator Todd Swain and
rangers from Joshua Tree and Channel Islands, with substantial cooperation
and support from the state and Santa Barbara county.  A search warrant served
on their residence in July, 1995, led to the seizure of hundreds of
artifacts.  The pair had collected these items over many years, and some were
mounted in display boxes.  M.B. and K.P. were each fined $700 and
sentenced to three years' probation; the entire collection was forfeited to
the government.  This is M.B.'s second conviction for removal of
artifacts from Channel Islands (he was cited for surface collecting in
December, 1993).  [Jack Fitzgerald, CR, CHIS]

96-257 - Theodore Roosevelt (North Dakota) - Drowning

R.S., a counselor at the North Dakota Industrial School, was swept
off his horse while trying to cross the Little Missouri River near Peaceful
Valley Ranch on the afternoon of May 29th.  The accident was witnessed and
reported by a fellow rider.  A full-scale search for him was begun and
continued for several days; at its peak, it involved searchers, dive teams,
dog teams, helicopters, boat patrols and support services from the state,
five counties, several communities, and the National Guard.  Local
restaurants catered meals, and ranchers provided horses and ATVs for bank
searches.  A diver discovered the body on May 30th, but was unable to
retrieve it.  Efforts to do so continue.  North Dakota Industrial School is a
park partner, and students and staff were planning on doing work projects in
the park over the weekend.  [Noel Poe, Superintendent, THRO]

96-258 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - MVA with Fatality

G.P., 44, of Miami, was traveling with friends on his Kawasaki
motorcycle on Newfound Gap Road on June 3rd when he lost control of the cycle
and struck a rock.  One of his riding companions, a paramedic, performed CPR
until ranger Gary Kubin and park medic Julie Parrish arrived on scene.  They
continued advanced life support until G.P. was pronounced dead at the
hospital.  There was no indication that he was operating under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.  [Kenny Slay, Acting CR, GRSM]

96-259 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - MVA with Serious Injury

D.P. was braking his motorcycle to turn into the Peaks of Otter Lodge
on May 22nd when his front brake locked up and his cycle flipped end over
end.  His passenger, G.K., suffered serious injuries.  Rangers
stabilized both individuals until EMS units arrived.  G.K. was airlifted to
Roanoke, where she is in critical condition.  D.P. was released with only
minor injuries.  [CRO, BLRI]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE SUMMARY

                                                                     %   Est
State      Unit                Fire          IMT      6/4      6/5  Con  Con

AK    State                  Millers Reach    T1    1,000   11,000    0  NEC
                             Graveyard Creek  T2    1,100    5,000    0  NEC

CA    Sequoia NF           * Canyon           --        -      750   50  6/5

AZ    State                * Rose Well        --        -    1,000   50  NEC

Heading Notes

     Unit --    Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
                or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
                district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
     Fire --    * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex; LSS =
                limited suppression strategy; CSS = containment suppression
                strategy
     IMT --     T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
     % Con --   Percent of fire contained
     Est Con -- Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
                containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report

FIRES AND ACRES BURNED

                NPS     BIA      BLM     FWS    States     USFS      Total

Number            1       5        5       1        58       21         91
Acres Burned      0       5        5       3    10,837      797     11,647 

COMMITTED RESOURCES 

               Crews     Engines     Helicopters     Airtankers     Overhead

Federal           39        78           24               6             96
Non-federal       11        25            5               0             35

CURRENT SITUATION 

Large fires continue to burn in Alaska.  Fire activity has increased in
southern California and in the Southwest.  Ten area in Colorado are now
reporting very high to extreme fire indices, as are most areas in the
Southwest.

NATIONAL OUTLOOK 

Fire activity is expected to continue in Alaska and the Southwest.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/5]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

No submissions.

OBSERVATIONS

Today's entry was submitted by Denise Newberry in WASO Water Resources
Division:

"Great as their utilitarian purposes might be, the lakes and waters of
national parks must not be touched or altered for business or profit.  The
American people are practically of one mind on that question.  There must be
no commercialism of the park waters."

                                     Representative Charles Winter (WY),
                                     1952

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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