NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, February 21, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-32 - Shenandoah NP (Virginia) - Follow-up on Body Found

On January 26th, a  hiker found skeletal remains in a secluded spot about 125
yards off the Appalachian Trail in the North District.  An autopsy revealed
that the victim was a male between 30 and 35 years old who had been wearing
light clothing, but the medical examiner was unable to determine the cause of
death or when it had occurred.  Investigators are working through the slow
process of examining missing persons reports nationwide for a match, but the
victim at present remains unidentified.  Although the man was dressed in
distinctive hiking attire, neither personal gear nor an associated vehicle
have been discovered by ground and air searchers.  Clyde Yee is the lead
investigator.  [Clay Jordan, SPR, SHEN, 2/19]

97-63 - Ozark NSR (Missouri) - Poaching Convictions
     
On January 28th, J.P. and A.P. were sentenced following their
conviction for what the U.S. attorney has described as the most significant
poaching case of its kind in Missouri history.  The P.s had earlier pled
guilty to various crimes committed over a 20-year period.  The investigation,
which began in 1993, found evidence of poaching over 400 deer, turkeys and
other wildlife in Missouri, elk in Yellowstone NP, and a bighorn sheep in
Glacier NP, as well as conspiracy to transport unlawfully taken animals in
violation of the Lacey Act and conspiracy to remove property to prevent
seizure.  The P.s were fined $20,000 on state charges, forfeited 24
weapons (subsequently sold for $12,205), and lost all lifetime hunting
privileges.  The conviction on federal charges led to a sentence in which
they were fined $5,000 and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to
Yellowstone NP and another $1,000 in restitution to Glacier NP.  J.P.
received multiple 12-month and 21-month jail sentences, which are to run
concurrently for an aggregate term of imprisonment of 21 months.  A.P.
received a six-month sentence in a community correction center.  Both
men were banned from entering any wildlife refuge or national park
established in part to protect wildlife for a two year probationary period
after their sentences are served.  The U.S. attorney was pleased with the
sentences and with the precedent this case sets in the Eighth Circuit for
restitution and banning of violators from park lands.  He praised the multi-
agency effort, which involved criminal investigator Dan Madrid and ranger
Marty Towery of Ozark NSR, Dan Burlison of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, and Tom May of the Missouri Department of Conservation.  [Tim Blank,
South Unit Manager, OZAR, 2/20]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Commercial Tour Fees - The Service issued a press release on January 14th
concerning the increase of commercial tour fees in January of 1998.  There
was a mistake in the schedule of fees which was attached to the release.  The
current fee for sedans was listed as $25 when it should have read $30, the
amount we are currently charging for sedans with a capacity of from one to
six people.  Parks should continue to charge the $30 fee until the start of
the 1998 season, when the rate for sedans will change to $25 plus the
individual entry fee for each passenger.  Questions should be directed to
Jennifer Getz at NP-WASO-POPS.

MEMORANDA

"Call for Natural Resource FY 98 Project Funding Proposals," signed by the
Deputy Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, and sent
to all regional directors via cc:Mail on February 20th.  The attachments can
be found on the natural resources bulletin board; they are NOT attached to
this issue of the Morning Report:

"In an effort to simplify your planning process, the Associate Director,
Natural Resource Stewardship and Science (ADNRSS) has combined calls for
proposals for annual funding for natural resource projects into one unified
call. This call for natural resources project funding contains all national
funding sources currently known to be available in FY 98. It is possible that
a new funding source could become available after this call goes out; in that
case, a separate call would be sent out later in  the fiscal year.
     
"Information on each funding source in this call includes instructions for
applying, due dates, reporting requirements, contacts for questions, and
other pertinent material. In a few programs that have historically received
funding from outside sources, funding will not be confirmed until later in
the year. In these cases, we have provided all currently available
information to aid in your planning and will send out a supplementary call
when the funding is confirmed.
     
"No new funding is available for 1998 from the Natural Resource Management
portion of Natural Resources Preservation Program (NRPP).  All FY 98 funding
is allocated to projects previously  approved...  
     
"All funding decisions are based solely on the information contained in the
proposal. Therefore, a well-written proposal is essential. Help is available
for preparing proposals. In most cases, the appropriate divisions in the
Natural Resource Program Center can provide examples, directions, and subject
matter technical support. (See Summary Table or program descriptions for
contacts in each division.) Natural resource personnel at parks, clusters,
and regions may also be able to help, depending on staffing and in-house
expertise.
     
"Please use the following information and due dates to plan your application
process. It is important to meet the deadlines as stated, since delays in
submissions slow down the entire allocation process.
     
"Due to the varied software now in use throughout the NPS, in an attempt to
reach a common denominator this document is formatted in WordPerfect 5.1. If
you cannot access the files, please send your name, address, and phone number
to Wilma Watkins, Secretary, Program Coordination, via cc:Mail.  She will
send a hard copy as soon as possible."

EXCHANGE

No submissions.

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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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