NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date: Friday, November 14, 1997 

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-508 - Buffalo NR (Arkansas) - Follow-up on Ginseng Poaching

On August 21st, rangers apprehended M.F., 33, and J.S., 29, of
Harriett, Arkansas, in the McCutcheon Gap area of the park as they returned
to their vehicle after digging ginseng roots.  During questioning, they
admitted to digging in the park.  They appeared in federal magistrate's court
on November 4th, pled guilty to illegal plant collecting on park land, and
were fined $500 each.  [Bob Howard, LES, BUFF, 11/7]

97-701 - Big Thicket NP (TX) - Major EMS Incident, NAI Conference

Ninety-nine of the 845 attendees at the National Association for
Interpretation workshop in Beaumont, Texas, were taken ill shortly after a
luncheon buffet on November 12th.  Of these, 35 were NPS employees.  The
Beaumont EMS service quickly activated the city's major incident plan after
arriving on scene.  All of the ill were taken to area hospitals, where they
were treated for food poisoning.  As of yesterday morning, only four were
still in the hospital.  The cause of the outbreak has not been determined,
but a staph bug is suspected.  An investigation by the city and state health
departments is underway.  [Bob Appling, CR, BITH, 11/13]

97-702 - Colorado NM (CO)- Special Event

On November 8th, the fifth annual Rim Rock Run, a 37 kilometer foot race, was
held at Colorado National Monument.  When first run in 1993, the race
consisted of about 25 entrants and was held without a road closure; by 1996,
it had grown to 175 entrants and could no longer be safely held without
closing Rim Rock Drive to visitors.  For these reasons - safety and conflict
with existing uses - the permit for the 1997 race was denied by monument
superintendent Steve Hickman in March.  This triggered intense negative media
coverage from both Grand Junction and Denver newspapers.  The denial was
upheld at the Intermountain Regional Office and WASO.  Colorado senators
Campbell and Wayne Allard interceded with Secretary Babbitt, and the
secretary instructed the NPS to issue a permit for this year's event, closing
the road for five hours during the race.  Director Stanton attended the event
at the invitation of Colorado senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell.  With the
support of the director, public involvement meetings to determine the future
course of the race will be held in January.  Race organizers have previously
stated their intent to make this a servicewide issue.  The race was managed
under a unified incident command system with the Mesa County Sheriff's
Department.  Ron Young was overall IC.  Rangers from Canyonlands NP, Black
Canyon of the Gunnison NM, Dinosaur NM, and the cluster support office
assisted with the road closure.  [Ron Young, CR, COLM, 11/13]

97-703 - Ozark NSR (MO) - Assist; Marijuana Eradication

During the period from August 14th to the 21st, four rangers and a criminal
investigator from the park participated in "Operation GI," a multi-agency
drug eradication and interdiction operation.  The eight-day operation was
conducted on Mark Twain National Forest land surrounding Fort Leonard Wood in
south central Missouri.  This was a "second time" operation in this area. 
Despite the weather, a total of 3,072 cultivated marijuana plants were
seized.  Seven people were arrested, and charges are pending for 15 drug-
related felony and several misdemeanor violations.  The park works closely
with the national forest under both national and local agreements.  [CI,
OZAR, 11/10]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Yellowstone NP (WY) - 1997 Grizzly Bear Reproduction, Mortalities

The greater Yellowstone grizzly bear population once again experienced a high
year for both cub production and mortalities.  As of October 10th, biologists
had documented 13 known grizzly bear deaths, three of which were natural and
ten of which were human-caused.  The latter included one human/food-
conditioned bear removed by managers and one bear killed illegally.  The rest
of the bear mortalities came, as is often the case, during the autumn hunting
season.  This year hunters killed eight grizzly bears (and may have killed
two others) in surprise encounters during both archery and regular big game
seasons in Montana and Wyoming.  While some of these encounters are
inevitable, education can help people avoid encounters that may be injurious
to both humans and bears.  In close encounters, non-lethal bear repellent has
been very effective in deterring the animals away from hunters and other
recreationists during surprise encounters.  In October, Yellowstone ecosystem
managers endorsed a campaign to encourage people to carry bear spray while
working and recreating in bear country.  Human-caused grizzly mortalities
continue to exceed recovery goals set for the ecosystem's threatened bear
population.  But, in other ways, it was a good year for bears due to
continued sanitation measures and abundant natural bear foods.  There were
two bear-caused human injuries reported in the park in 1997, but both were
relatively minor.  One black bear was trapped and moved away from a park road
or development; another grizzly sow and her cubs frequented park roadways
during early summer, requiring rangers to spend a significant amount of time
monitoring the bears and associated traffic.  However, no bears were removed
from the park in 1997. Ironically, biologists believe that increased bear
mortalities and human-bear conflicts are partly a result of an increase in
the grizzly bear population.  In 1996, a record 33 sows produced 70 cubs.  In
1997, biologists confirmed that at least 31 unduplicated female bears
produced 62 cubs.  Family groups include five sows with one cub each, 21 sows
with the average two-cub litter, and five sows with three-cub litters.  This
year, 42 percent of the mother grizzlies were seen inside the park.  The high
production and good survivability among Yellowstone grizzly bears has been
sufficient to offset mortality levels and result in a gradual increase in the
bear population since 1986, according to published research.  [Sue Consolo-
Murphy, YELL, 11/10]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

EXCHANGE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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
pertaining to receipt of 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.

                                  --- ### ---