NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, January 24, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-707 - Yosemite NP (California) - Follow-up on Winter Storm Impacts

A break in the weather yesterday permitted the resumption of work on several
emergency stabilization and rehabilitation projects.  Progress was made in
blasting large boulders from the "Cookie" slide and in building up the road
base on Highway 140.  Work in the Valley focused on utilities and buildings. 
The 13 inches of snow on the ground has made road shoulders and trails very
muddy and has hidden several hazards, so road work was limited to moving snow
and clearing drainage culverts.  Additional slippage of Highway 120 was also
discovered.  Although the sewer system was scheduled to go back on line
yesterday, it remains down and will require further repairs.  Warm weather
and significant precipitation are forecast for the weekend; contingency plans
have been completed and supplies, equipment and personnel are being pre-
positioned for timely response to problems that may arise.  A total of 556
people are currently committed to the incident.  [Sonya Capek, IO, and Greg
Stiles, Plans Chief, "Highwater '97A Incident", YOSE, 1/23]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Yellowstone NP (Wyoming) - Bison Management

On January 22nd, 53 bison were tested for brucella by a veterinarian from the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.  Of these, 20 tested positive. 
Testing positive for the organism does not mean that a bison is infectious
and capable of transmitting the disease; it indicates that the bison was
exposed to the brucella organism at one time.  The 20 bison that tested
positive, along with another 20 untested bison, were shipped to slaughter
facilities yesterday morning.  A park ranger shot one wounded bison which ran
back into the park after it had been shot on private property by state
authorities.  A total of 401 animals have been slaughtered so far this
winter.  Another six were shot inside the park near its north boundary. 
[Mike Murray, ACR, YELL, 1/23]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Law Enforcement Retirement - Ranger Activities has been receiving many 6(c)
transition packages and will be bringing in a team to review them.  The
current plan is to complete these reviews over the next month or so, then get
them to the Department for approval.  Please don't call or write to determine
if your package has arrived, as there's no one in the down-sized Ranger
Activities office with time to sort through all the packages to find yours. 
Thanks to those who worked hard to get their packages together.  Parks still
working on preparing submittals should do their best to get them in before
the review team begins its work.  Additional time is available, however, if
it is needed.  [Bill Sanders, RAD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

No submissions.

OBSERVATIONS

This section, which will now appear intermittently in the Morning Report,
contains observations regarding the National Park Service, the System and the
several professions of park employees.  

"Fortunately for all of us, parks have quite different meaning, which
concerns itself...with the physical necessity of man to keep in touch with
nature.  It is the eon-old longing of the soul to find a haven of rest.  No
matter how much we do indirectly by way of sports and athletics for the body,
the spiritual hunger and search for things hidden is the true answer to the
question, 'Why parks?'  Parks are the dietetics of the soul - a refuge, a
place to regain spiritual balance and find strength, and, if needed, a place
of resignation from the turbulent world without."

                                  Richard Lieber, from "Quotable
                                  Quotes: Relating to Conservation in
                                  General and the National Parks in
                                  Particular," Department of
                                  Interior, 1951

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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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