NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, May 30, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-220 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Memorial Day Weekend Events

Preliminary statistics for the past holiday weekend indicate a sharp increase
in arrests and serious offenses from numbers recorded during last year's
Memorial Day weekend.  Although the infamous "Hobie Cat Beach" party has been
eliminated as an event, there was an increase in serious crimes, reflecting a
general trend in the park over the past year.  There were 69 arrests (up from
the 28 arrests during the holiday weekend last year), 19 Part I offenses
(only one was recorded last Memorial Day weekend), 252 Part II offenses, 11
assaults, and 35 alcohol and 40 drug/controlled substance incidents (crystal
methedrine, LSD, cocaine, mushrooms and marijuana).  Serious accidents and
EMS incidents, however, were down from the same period last year.  The number
of incidents is expected to rise as more reports are completed and filed. 
Glen Canyon rangers were supported by rangers from Grand Canyon, White Sands,
Zion, Grand Teton, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Curecanti,
Arches, Capitol Reef, Petrified Forest, Navajo, and Bryce Canyon, as well as
officers from law enforcement agencies in Arizona and Utah.  [CRO, GLCA,
5/28]

97-221 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Rape Arrest
     
A female concession employee was sleeping in her dorm room in Bullfrog around
2 a.m. on May 27th when a man entered her room and raped her.  Investigation
led to the identification of another concession employee, R.A., 19,
as a primary suspect.  Criminal investigator James Houseman and Bullfrog
subdistrict ranger Dixon Freeland interviewed R.A. in his dorm room and
obtained a full confession.  He was arrested and has been charged with felony
rape.  R.A. has a prior juvenile history of aggravated sexual assault on
minors and spent two years in a mental institution in Salt Lake City
following convictions for those offenses.  He has been transferred to a
medical facility for psychological evaluation.  [CRO, GLCA, 5/28]

97-222 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Suspected Arson

On May 28th, a local resident reported that the historic Whiteley School was
on fire.  Responding rangers found that the unused, one-room frame school
house had burned to the ground.  The school was listed on the National
Register of Historic Structures and served Boxley Valley residents from 1913
until World War II.  Arson is suspected.  An investigation is being conducted
by rangers, Searcy County deputies, and Arkansas state police.  [Bob Howard,
LES, BUFF, 5/29] 

97-223 - Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP (VA) - ARPA Convictions
     
On May 23rd, R.G., 46, and T.S., 49, plead guilty in
magistrate's court to a single count of attempting to violate the
Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).  The plea resulted from a
March 8th incident in the Chancellorsville Battlefield unit of the park. 
This is the first conviction the park has had for an attempted violation of
ARPA.  Contributing to the conviction was the fact that both men had been
contacted and identified by the same ranger, Steve Davis, a month earlier in
the same area but outside the park.  Both were advised of the law and the
location of the park's boundary at that time.  Each was fined $250, sentenced
to two years' unsupervised probation, banned from all federal park lands for
two years, and ordered to forfeit his metal detector and other equipment. 
[Mike Johnson, CR, FRSP, 5/9]

97-224 - Fort McHenry NM&HS (MD) - Special Event

On May 20th, the park hosted an event in which 400 of the top high school
seniors from across the country heard presentations from and met with six
recent Nobel Prize winners, numerous corporate chief executive officers, a
Supreme Court justice, the commandant of the Marine Corps and prominent
members of the entertainment industry.  The goal of the event, sponsored by
the American Academy of Achievement, was to mix highly motivated youth with
leaders in government, education and business to provide them with role
models and mentors for their development.  The group also toured the park. 
Park staff coordinated security for the event, which took place after normal
operating hours.  There were no incidents.  [Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 5/22]

97-225 - Gateway NRA (NY) - Search; Fatality

On May 24th, Park Police officer Margaret Mulkearns was advised by several
people of an apparently abandoned vehicle with keys in the ignition and a
fishing pole nearby.  The owner was contacted and reported that his son,
H.S., 45, of Staten Island, had recently been released from a
detoxification program and had been using the car.  A thorough search of the
area was conducted, but suspended when a fisherman found H.S.'s body
floating next to the bulkhead in Great Kills Harbor.  He had apparently
driven to the park the previous evening to go fishing.  It's unclear how he
ended up in the harbor.  There were no apparent signs of trauma.  The death
is being jointly investigated by city and USPP detectives.  [Lt. Michael
Fellner, USPP, GATE, 5/26]

97-226 - National Capital Parks East (DC) - Body Found

The body of J.B., 18, of southeast Washington, was found on the
shoulder of Fort Davis Drive in Fort Dupont on Saturday, May 24th. 
Preliminary investigation indicates that J.B. died of a gunshot wound. 
Park Police and city detectives are investigating.  [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCRO,
5/27]

                 [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                    Tue      Wed    %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT    5/27     5/28  Con  Con

CA   Santa Barbara County  * Happy             -       -    1,600  100  CND 

Heading Notes

     Unit --    Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
                or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
                district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
     Fire --    * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex; LSS =
                limited suppression strategy; CSS = containment suppression
                strategy
     IMT --     T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
     % Con --   Percent of fire contained
     Est Con -- Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
                containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report; LPS = limited
                protection status

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FIVE DAY TREND) 

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total


Saturday, 5/24       1      1         0       0       19     16        37
Sunday, 5/25         0      2         0       1       39     23        65
Monday, 5/26         0      1         2       0       40     11        54
Tuesday, 5/27        2     12         3       1      147     16       181
Wednesday, 5/28      0     10         2       0       67     22       101

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Saturday, 5/24      12         22           6             1             3
Sunday, 5/25        15         26           9             0             1
Monday, 5/26        11         22           9             5             1
Tuesday, 5/27        7         18           9             1             2
Wednesday, 5/28      9          6           7             0             2

CURRENT SITUATION

One new large fire was reported in southern California on Wednesday, but
there was little fire activity in other areas of the country.  Units in
southern California and the Southwest continue to report high to extreme fire
indices.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 5/29]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Biological Technical Assistance - WASO Natural Resource Stewardship and
Science is seeking information on the availability of biological technical
assistance within the Service.  A survey has been sent to all superintendents
and regional and support office natural resource personnel; a copy of the
survey has also been posted on the natural resources bulletin board for any
interested employees who would like to respond.  Responses are due to Gary
Johnston by June 30th.  Please contact him via cc:Mail at NP-WASO-MIB for
further information.  [Gary Johnston, WASO]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

No submissions.

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.

Tuesday, June 10

House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 588,
American Discovery Trails, and H.R. 1513, Lincoln National Historic Trail.

\House Committee on Resources: Hearing on H.R. 901, the American Land
Sovereignty Protection Act.

Wednesday, June 11

Senate Committee Energy and Natural Resources: Oversight hearing on state
funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Tuesday, June 17

House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 1567,
the Eastern Wilderness Act.

Saturday, June 21

House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment: Field hearing at
Murray State University, Kentucky, on Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area
to consider whether the TVA should continue to manage the area.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: Field hearing in Mattawa,
Washington, on S. 200, wild and scenic river designations for the Columbia
River at Hanford Reach.  

                                  *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
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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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