NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, April 4, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-130 - Northeast Area Parks - Winter Storm Impacts

The strong northeaster which struck upper Mid-Atlantic and New England States
with high winds and exceptionally heavy snows on Monday had considerable
impacts on some area parks:

o Cape Cod NS (Massachusetts) - Hundreds of trees were blown down and
powerlines were severed throughout the park.  Utility repair crews have
been dispatched to the cape from as far away as Canada and Maryland. 
Due to power outages and downed trees on rural sand roads, park staff
had to cut their way through to check on and evacuate several isolated
families.  Several resident park employees are either operating on
generators or have moved to locations which have power.  Crews are
still cutting trees off park roads and access ways and are just
beginning to get to park trails.  It's expected that power will be out
until Saturday or Sunday.  Most of the downed trees will be removed by
next week.  There's been no major damage to park structures.

o Minute Man NHP (Massachusetts) - Many trees were blown down or
seriously damaged, including the famous Hawthorn Tree in front of The
Wayside.  The Concord River is rising rapidly, which could jeopardize
the annual Patriot's Day ceremonies at the North Bridge on April 19th.

o Acadia NP (Maine) - There was no reportable damage in the park.  Most
of the park's roads were already closed, but the Ocean Drive section of
the loop road and the campground were closed for a day.

o Delaware Water Gap NRA (New Jersey/Pennsylvania) - Heavy, blowing snow
and numerous fallen trees forced the closure of all park roads from
late Monday night through early morning on Tuesday.  Snow removal and
tree clearing work was suspended on Monday night due to hazards from
falling trees.  One park employee was forced to spend the night in her
vehicle due to road closures while commuting home and another was
unable to leave home because of fallen trees.  Several park residences
are still without power.  The storm caused two motor vehicle accidents
and a structural fire from arcing powerlines.

[Rick Obernesser, CR, CACO; Dan Dattilio, CR, MIMA; Rob Yates, DR, ACAD;
Doyle Nelson, CR, DEWA, 4/2-3]

97-131 - Grand Canyon NP (Arizona) - Aircraft Crash; Search in Progress

On the evening of Wednesday, April 2nd, the park received a report of a
downed plane with two people on board near Point Imperial on the North Rim. 
The pilot of the Cessna 210, which was en route from New Mexico to Nevada,
had radioed in a distress call to Los Angeles International Airport, then
disappeared from radar screens.  The information was relayed to Grand Canyon
Airport, then to the park.  North Rim rangers snowmobiled to the area on
Wednesday night, but found no sign of the plane.  A multi-agency search was
begun the following day; 40 people were committed, including county deputies
and employees from the park and from Gar-Kane Power Company.  Air operations
were intermittent due to inclement weather.  The area in which the plane is
thought to have gone down is at an elevation of around 8,000 feet and is
characterized by steep and rugged terrain and dense forests.  The plane was
not found yesterday.  Search efforts will continue today.  [Dispatch and
River Subdistrict, GRCA, 4/3]

97-132 - Redwood N&SP (California) - Rape Conviction

R.O., 34, of Klamath, California, was recently convicted of a rape
which occurred in the spring of 1996.  R.O. entered a market in the town of
Orick on April 12, 1996, and sexually assaulted the attendant while holding a
knife to her throat.  R.O. then drove off.  His abandoned vehicle was found at
the entrance to Wolf Creek in the park.  State and national park rangers and
county deputies began a search and subsequently found and arrested R.O.  R.O.,
who spent ten years in a Montana prison for a 1983 rape conviction, fell
under the provisions of California's "two strikes and your out" law and
received a sentence of 35 years in prison.  [Bob Martin, CR, REDW, 4/3]

97-133 - Montezuma Castle NM (Arizona) - Illegal Possession, Migratory Birds

While investigating a trespass violation at Montezuma Well, rangers observed
the wings of a barn owl in the suspect vehicle, which was occupied by three
Canadian visitors.  Subsequent investigation, including a consent search, led
to the discovery of additional bird parts, including two complete barn owls,
both of which had been skinned.  The occupants of the vehicle claimed they
were road kills collected in Utah and Nevada.  Multiple citations were issued
to the trio; both Arizona Game and Fish and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service have been notified.  [CR, MOCA/TUZI, 4/3]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

No submissions.

WEB DIRECTORY

Every other Friday, the Morning Report will carry a listing of Worldwide Web
sites of use to NPS employees in the course of their work.  Please send along
entries to the editor.  Thanks to Vicki Person and Steve Pittleman for
providing this week's additions.

FYI: The NPS ParkNet Web team has established a Web lab in the Main Interior
building.  They have four work stations with all the equipment needed to
create state of the art Web pages.  Contact either Paul Handly or Steve
Pittleman via cc:Mail or at their respective phone numbers, 202-565-1060 and
202-565-1053.

National Park Service

Congressional Affairs office          www.nps.gov/legal
Training and Development office       www.nps.gov/training
NPS Web page development info         www.nps.gov/helpdesk (user name: NPS,
                                          password: Mather)
Current VIP opportunities             www.nps.gov/volunteer
Press releases, park news, more       www.nps.gov/pub_aff/pressrm.htm
Q&A with volunteer NPS historians     www.nps.gov/crweb1/history/askhist.htm

Department of Interior

DOI jobs listings                     www.usgs.gov/doi/avads/index.html
DOI IG reports                        www.gpo.ucop.edu/search/ig.html
DOI payroll, Denver                   www.dasc.doi.gov

Other Agencies

Comptroller General decisions         www.gpo.ucop.edu/search/gaocd.html
GAO reports                           www.gpo.ucop.edu/search/gao.html
OPM jobs listings                     www.usajobs.opm.gov
USDA graduate school                  www.grad.usda.gov
Thrift Savings Plan                   www.tsp.gov
New legislation (NECTEA) re: 
 funding for park roads               www.fhwa.dot.gov

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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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