NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, July 1, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-284 - Zion NP (UT) - Follow-up on Serious Employee Injury

Maintenance employee D.O., who was seriously injured in an off-duty
motorcycle accident on June 22nd, remains in critical condition but is now
conscious and responds to questions with non-verbal communication.  It
appears that his nervous system is intact.  Friends may send written messages
to Dave at Utah Valley Hospital, 1034 North, 500 West, Provo, UT 84605.  His
family thanks Dave's many NPS friends for their support.  [Steve Holder, CR,
ZION, 6/26]

97-296 - Lyndon B. Johnson NHP (TX) - Floods
     
Thunderstorms brought heavy rains to central Texas on June 21st and 22nd,
causing serious flooding, evacuations and several deaths.  Rivers rose
quickly and dangerously due to the previous saturation of soils.  The LBJ
Ranch district of the park was seriously impacted by flood waters, which
reached 21 feet above normal flow at the ranch entrance.  The road on both
sides of the main bridge was severely eroded, but a temporary patch was
installed early the next morning by the Gillespie county road department. 
All entrance roads into the district were flooded and bus tours were canceled
for one day.  Early warning by the county sheriff's office dispatcher enabled
park staff to respond promptly, monitoring river conditions, removing cattle
and equipment from danger and securing the furnishings and artifacts at
President Johnson's birthplace.  Fortunately, no historic buildings were
flooded.  Losses consisted primarily of extensive erosion and fence removal
on the river plain.  Electrical power and telephone service were lost during
the flood but have been restored.  Park staff are continuing clean up of tons
of debris.  The Johnson settlement in the Johnson City district was closed on
June 22nd because of continuing electrical storms.  All other programs and
visitor services continued as usual. [Bob Howard, CR, LYJO, 6/26]
 
97-297 - Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL/MS) - Rescue

On the morning of June 19th, park dispatch received a report of a swamped
boat near parking lot #21 on the gulf side in the Fort Pickens area. 
Resource management specialist Mark Nicholas and two rangers responded.  The
boat owner had made it to shore prior to their arrival.  The other occupant,
a large, middle-aged male, was standing on the hull of the over-turned vessel
in about four to five feet of surf, but finally decided to swim to shore. 
Nicholas entered the water with a torpedo buoy and successfully assisted him
to shore.  The vessel was towed away without any damage to park resources. 
[Skip Prange, Acting CR, GUIS, 6/30]

97-298 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Probable Drowning
     
On June 24th, Richard Eldredge went swimming in the Merced River near the
Arch Rock entrance station on Highway 140.  Although the river has crested
from the spring melt, water levels remain high and currents swift from the
snow pack runoff.  Eldredge was quickly caught by the current and swept 
downstream, where he disappeared beneath the water in an area of turbulent
rapids. A companion reported the incident and a search was initiated with
shore-based search teams, a search dog, and the park's helicopter. No 
trace of Eldredge was found before the search was discontinued at night fall.
A scaled down shore and aerial search continued the following day without
locating the body. The search will resume later, as water levels continue to
fall in the river. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. 
Consumption of alcohol appears to be a contributing factor. [Dan Horner, CIR,
YOSE, 6/27]

97-299 - Glen Canyon NRA (UT/AZ)- Stalking Arrest

On May 24th, M.S., 38, was arrested at Lone Rock Beach on stalking
charges.  On two separate occasions, M.S. crossed state lines from Utah
into Arizona to write harassing, threatening and profane statements about an
NPS employee on park buildings.  The content of these statements caused the
employee to fear for her personal safety.  Surveillance cameras were
instrumental in identifying M.S. as the perpetrator.  M.S. admitted to
the incidents, stating that he was a former seasonal at Glen Canyon ten years
ago and carried a grudge over work-related issues.  He has a total of 17
years NPS experience as a non-commissioned seasonal.  M.S. was
subsequently indicted by a grand jury on two felony and four misdemeanor
counts and is currently awaiting trial.  [Joe Sumner, CI, GLCA, 6/26]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

CURRENT SITUATION

Increased fire activity was reported in Alaska, the eastern Great Basin and
Rockies on Sunday.  High to extreme fire dangers were being reported in
California, the Southwest, the Great Basin, and the Rockies.  A total of four
large fires (in the range of 200 to 500 acres) were reported in these areas.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/30]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Submission pending.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Nomination for New NPS Director - President Clinton will be nominating Robert
G. Stanton to be the director of the National Park Service.  The nomination
must be confirmed by the Senate.  Stanton, 56, has more than three decades of
experience as an NPS employee, providing him with a wealth of knowledge and
experience in the problems and challenges confronting the park system. 
Before retiring in January 1997, he served eight years as regional director
of National Capital Region.  See the NPS "Electric Courier" for additional
details.  [Public Affairs, DOI]

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

Pack Goats - Saguaro NP has received a request for a permit to use pack goats
in the park from a Tucson business called Purple Mountain Pack Goats.  They
are requesting a recreational permit to "train" their goats for future
commercial pack trips in USFS and NPS areas in the Southwest.  The park is
interested in hearing from other areas that may be using pack goats and about
their impacts on resources and related issues.  If you can help, contact
chief ranger Paula Nasiatka via cc:Mail or at 520-733-5110.

                                *  *  *  *  *

The Morning Report will be posted intermittently through late July.  Today's
edition is the first since Thursday, June 26th.  It is being sent courtesy of
Judy and Dale Thompson of Lake Meredith NRA (Dale is the chief ranger, Judy
is mails and files clerk), who have provided temporary editorial offices in
their residence in Fritch, Texas.


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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