NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, November 8, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-652 - Golden Gate NRA (California) - Follow-up on Oil Spill

All park beaches are now open, but oil slicks continue to move with the tide
and may resoil beaches and waterfronts.  Signs warning the public about the
possibility of oil on the beaches will be left in place indefinitely.  The
estimated total impact to wildlife at this point is as follows: 101 dead
birds, 42 cleaned birds (including 14 endangered brown pelicans), and
approximately 700 oiled, uncaptured birds (including 7 threatened Western
snowy plovers).  Both the NPS and the interagency ICS teams are beginning to
demobilize and should be shutdown entirely by this afternoon.  [Bill Oswald,
IC, GOGA]

96-657 - Biscayne NP (Florida) - Follow-up on Ship Grounding

Off-loading of fuel from the grounded "Igloo Moon" was to begin yesterday in
order to minimize chances of a leak into park waters, but it will probably be
five to seven days before a specialized vessel arrives on scene to off-load
the liquid butadiene cargo.  Other options for removing the cargo are being
explored and potential environmental impacts assessed.  All plans are being
made with an eye toward an incoming weather system, which is expected to be
accompanied by high winds.  Media reaction has ranged from tepid to
sensational.  Most of the emphasis in this Coast Guard-led operation is being
placed on the possible toxicity of the cargo, while little has been said
about the physical impact of the vessel on the park's resources.  Although
butadiene is flammable, potentially explosive and toxic to humans in high
concentrations, it poses little threat to humans and wildlife when dispersed
in the atmosphere.  As a precaution, the Coast Guard has established a three-
mile radius closure area around the tanker as well as a three-mile radius,
3,000-foot altitude no-fly zone.  It has been learned that the 464-foot long
ship (larger than reported yesterday) was headed from Saudi Arabia to Houston
and apparently had no intention of entering Biscayne Bay.  [Gary Bremen, IO,
BISC]

                   [Additional reports pending...]


OPERATIONAL NOTES

Notes pending.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

EXCHANGE

Information Solicited - Fossil Butte is looking for information on recycling
used two-way radio batteries and advice on solar-powered video camera set-ups
to record traffic in and out of the park.  Contact Andy Banta at NP-FOBU.

OBSERVATIONS

The "Observations" section of the Morning Report was terminated last summer
due to a dearth of submissions.  Several have come in recently, so an effort
will be made to continue "Observations" on at least an intermittent basis.

Today's entry was extracted from a presentation yesterday by past Director
George Hartzog during a live, on-screen panel discussion between members at
the Association of National Park Rangers/Association of National Park
Maintenance Employees at their joint conference in Corpus Christi, Texas, and
past Secretary Stewart Udall and Directors Hartzog and Russ Dickenson at
locations in Arizona, West Virginia and Washington.  His comment was directed
toward all employees of the National Park Service:

"(Secretary Udall) gave me the opportunity to lead the best educated, most
talented, committed cadre of people it has ever been my privilege to know and
work with.  Some of them were your mothers and fathers.  Their rallying call
was 'for the good of the Service.'  They were, like you, inculcated with an
ethic of service above self.  Never lose it; let no cynic tarnish it."

                                                    Director George Hartzog

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

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