NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, July 9, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-340 - Caribbean/Florida Parks - Follow-up on Hurricane Bertha

Some early reports have been received of the hurricane's impacts on Virgin
Island and Puerto Rico parks, along with notifications regarding preparations
underway on the mainland:

o Virgin Islands - Hurricane Bertha passed over St. John around 1:30 p.m.
yesterday.  Winds blew in excess of 85 mph and four to five inches of
rain fell.  Some trees and power lines fell, and there was some minor
damage to park houses on Lind Point.  It appears, however, that all
employees and their families are okay.  Damage assessments will be
conducted today.  Power and telephones are in service on St. Croix;
telephones are working on St. John, but power is out and will probably
remain out for a few days.  

o San Juan - Early impacts of the hurricane, which largely passed to the
north of Puerto Rico, included loss of many of the 80 plywood panels
used to protect the wall at the San Sebastian Bastion at Fort San
Cristobal from an adjacent construction project.

o Biscayne - The park is implementing its hurricane plan.  The visitor
center remained open yesterday, though, and concessioner boat trips
continued as scheduled.  Information was sent to the media, park
neighbors, and cooperators regarding the preparations and the
probability of closures today.  At the time of the report late
yesterday afternoon, NOAA was predicting a 14% probability that the
storm would make landfall between Marathon and West Palm Beach. 
Incident IC is Tom Rutledge.

o Everglades - Park employees began preparing offices, buildings and
other park resources yesterday for the possible arrival of Bertha later
this week.  Visitors are being told that the park and all facilities -
including visitor centers, trails, boat ramps and other access areas -
are open until further notice, but that the status of backcountry areas
may change today.  Park campgrounds at Pine Key and Flamingo and
privately operated concessions in Shark Valley, Flamingo and Everglades
City remain open.  

o Canaveral - The park began preparations for Bertha yesterday morning
along with the nearby Kennedy Space Center and Merritt Island Wildlife
Refuge.  Incident IC is Bill DeHart.

[Mark Woods, VIIS; Mark Hardrove, SAJU; Steve Smith, SEFDO; Gary Bremen, PIO,
BISC; Roberta D'Amico, IO, EVER; Bill DeHart, CR, CANA]

96-345 - Capitol Reef (Utah) - Flash Floods

On Sunday, June 30th, flash flooding caused by a rapidly-moving thunderstorm
stranded 30 cars and their occupants along the park's Scenic Drive, including
the Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge spur roads.  Deep mud flows rendered roads
impassable, and water levels within the Grand Wash narrows - a popular hiking
destination - reached an estimated ten to twelve feet.  Statewide media
interest in the event was significant, spurred by the story of three European
families caught by the flood while near the narrows.  The large group
scrambled on to a ledge for safety, then decided to escape the flood by
locking arms for stability and crossing the thigh-deep rapids to the opposite
bank, where they were able to reach higher ground.  All members of the group
made it safely across the river.  Efforts to extricate vehicles from the area
were completed by mid-morning on July 1st, and the drive was scheduled to
reopen by the holiday.  [Bob Van Belle, Acting CR, CARE]

96-346 - Yosemite (California) - DUI Arrests

A DUI (driving under the influence) checkpoint was set up in the Crane Flat
area of the Mather District on the evening of July 5th.  Over 800 vehicles
were stopped and their drivers and occupants contacted during the five-hour
operation.  A total of eight DUI arrests were made, and several more
violation notices were issued for open containers of alcohol and possession
of controlled substances.  Four more arrests were made when a vehicle driving
toward the checkpoint broke down and the ranger who offered assistance
determined that the driver and occupants were highly intoxicated.  [CRO,
YOSE]

96-347 - Yosemite (California) - Arrest; Disorderly, Threats to Rangers

M.A-S.P., 32, of Charlottesville, Virginia, was arrested in the
Crane Flat campground on the night of July 3rd on disorderly conduct and
other misdemeanor charges.  M.A-S.P. physically threatened rangers after being
approached about numerous conduct complaints from other campers.  He was
found guilty at his court appearance on July 5th; the magistrate fined him
and banned him from the park for a year.  M.A-S.P. has several past convictions
for assaults, for resisting arrest, and for misdemeanor and felony stalking. 
He lives in his vehicle, a 1980 green Dodge van, and told rangers that he
routinely stays in National Park Service and Forest Service campgrounds. 
[Dave Lattimore, DR, Mather District, YOSE]

FIRE ACTIVITY

The NICC Incident Management Situation Report is not available today due to
transmission difficulties in Boise.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Revised Applicability and Scope Regulations - The final rule revising 36 CFR
1.2 (applicability and scope), 1.4 (definitions), and 13.2 (applicability and
scope for national park system units in Alaska) was published in the Federal
Register on July 5th (61 FR 35133).  The regulations will become effective on
August 5th.  The revision clarifies that, within park boundaries, NPS
regulations apply on and within the ordinary reach of waters subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States, including navigable waters, regardless of
the ownership of submerged lands, tidelands or lowlands, and regardless of
jurisdictional status (proprietary, concurrent or exclusive).  Other changes
affect regulatory control of lands administered by the NPS through an
agreement (e.g., lease, memorandum of understanding, etc.), and change
definitions to prove a more flexible approach to NPS boundary demarcation. 
In order to receive a complete copy of the final rule, send a cc:Mail message
to Dennis Burnett in WASO Ranger Activities.  On the subject line, type "36
CFR 1.2" (minus quotes), and you will receive a copy automatically.  Other
questions should be addressed to Dennis Burnett, Russ Wilson or Steve
Shackelton via cc:Mail.  The authors thank those who took time to comment on
the initial Morning Report request or on the proposed rule.  [Russ Wilson,
WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

Submission pending.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

The following activities will be taking place in Congress during coming weeks
on matters pertaining to the National Park Service.  For inquiries regarding
legislation pertaining to the NPS, please visit the Office of Legislative and
Congressional Affairs Website at http://www.nps.gov/legal, or contact the
main office at 202-208-5883/5656 and ask to be forwarded to the appropriate
legislative specialist.

July 16

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 3298, to provide for the establishment of an
intergovernmental council at Voyageurs NP; H.R. 3470, to enhance the
conservation and protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and
Voyageurs NP.

July 18

Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation (Campbell): Hearing on S. 988, protection of
Oregon Inlet (transfer for jetty and sand transfer system at Cape Hatteras
NS); S. 1805, Voyageurs NP Accessibility and Partnership Act.

July 25

Senate Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation (Campbell): Hearing on S. 1699, to establish the
National Cave and Karst Research Institute in New Mexico; S. 1737, the
Yellowstone Protection Act (addresses the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone Wild
and Scenic River and the Absaroka-Beartooth National Wilderness Area); S.
1809, Aleutian World War II national historic areas.

House Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 3099, to establish the Washita Battlefield National
Historical Site in Oklahoma.


Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
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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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