NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Wednesday, February 26, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

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

The park still anticipates that Yosemite Valley will be reopened to visitors
on March 15th.  This planned reopening, however, is still dependent upon good
weather and continued progress on road repairs.  No reservations will be
necessary for entering Yosemite Valley once it reopens.  Current plans are to
implement the emergency vehicle reservation system for day use visitation
some time in late spring or early summer.  Details are pending.  Yosemite
Concession Services plans on simultaneously reopening facilities unaffected
by the flooding, including overnight accommodations at the Ahwahnee, Yosemite
Lodge and Curry Village.  Services will resume gradually and increase to meet
anticipated business levels.  Reservations can be made by calling 209-252-
4848.  Limited camping will be available in the valley.  Reservations for
camp sites in Upper Pines campground can be made via DESTINET (1-800-436-
PARK) beginning on March 1st.  Sunnyside walk-in campground and some sites in
Lower Pines campground will also be available on a first-come, first-served
basis.  Upper River campground, Lower River campground and the group camp in
Yosemite Valley will not be open this summer.  Entrance fees to the park,
which increased in January, are now $20 per private vehicle and $40 for an
annual park pass.  Temporary fee reductions that have been in effect over the
past few weeks in recognition of limited services available throughout the
park will return to normal once visitation and services resume.  [Scott
Gediman, IO, YOSE, 2/24]

97-70 - Gateway NRA (New York/New Jersey) - Rescue

Park Police officers David Somma and Anthony Tesi were on patrol in the Great
Kills section of the park on the afternoon of February 22nd when a sudden
rainstorm with heavy winds struck the area.  A visitor informed the officers
that a 13-foot sailboat with two people on board had overturned in Great
Kills Harbor.  With the assistance of a nearby boat owner, the officers
responded to the overturned vessel.  High winds and waves hampered their
efforts.  The two occupants of the sailboat were spotted in a sinking dingy
off of Bulkhead Road and were up to their waists in icy water.  Somma and
Tesi pulled the two men into the boat and transported them to a nearby marina
in the park, where an ambulance picked them up.  [Lt. Michael Fellner, USPP,
GATE, 2/25]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Ammunition Purchases - Winchester has changed the packaging for some of the
cartridges they have listed in the Department of Interior's 1997 ammunition
price list (DOI-02-1997).  The price per thousand rounds remains the same for
all the cartridges listed.  For example, all 9mm rounds are now packaged 500
rounds to the case rather than 1000 rounds to the case.  The price per 1000
rounds, however, has not changed.  Winchester has also added a .380 automatic
round to the price list.  If you need additional information, please fax your
request to special agent Roger Phillips at 202-208-3421.  He will fax updated
information to you.

MEMORANDA

"1997 Incident Reporting Procedures," signed on February 20th by the acting
associate director for park operations and education and sent to all regional
directors and superintendents.  The memo contains attachments which are NOT
attached to the Morning Report.  Contact your regional office for further
information.

"Procedures for reporting significant field incidents have not been revised
for 1997 and are being reissued simply to reinforce the importance of their
timely communication to this office.  This memorandum supersedes all previous
incident reporting instructions.

"Please note that Level 1 reports are to be called in immediately to the
specified numbers, then followed up with a written report within 3 working
days.  There is no requirement to call in Level 2 reports, but written
summaries also must be submitted within 3 working days.  All written reports
are to be submitted via cc:Mail unless there are extenuating circumstances. 
In such cases, telefaxes are the preferred alternative.

"The National Park Service continues to have the most effective and timely
incident reporting system in the Department of the Interior.  You are to once
again be congratulated for your diligence in getting comprehensive and
informative reports in to us in a timely manner.  They have done much to
edify literally scores of thousands of people throughout the Government on
the types of incidents that occur in the parks and the kinds of work that our
employees do on a regular basis."

EXCHANGE

Entry 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.

Wednesday, February 26

House Interior Appropriations Committee: Oversight hearing on the Department
of Interior's FY 1998 budget request.

Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee: Oversight hearing on
reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA).

Thursday, February 27

House National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee: Oversight hearing on
research and resource management in the National Park Service.  Witnesses:
Director Kennedy and Mark Schafer, deputy assistant secretary for water and
science.

House Surface Transportation Subcommittee: Oversight hearing on
reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA).

Saturday, March 1

House Water Resources and the Environment Subcommittee: Field oversight
hearing at Murray State University in Kentucky on the Land Between the Lakes
National Recreation Area.  Witness: Rolland Swain, superintendent, Big South
Fork NRA.

Thursday, April 10

House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee: Oversight hearing on the National
Park Service's FY 1998 budget request.

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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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