NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, December 16, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-712 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Follow-up on Drug and Firearms Arrests

On November 22nd, 13 rangers and a criminal investigator from the park -
joined by two DOI special agents - helped close out a cooperative, year-long,
interagency investigation into the trafficking of drugs in the park and
surrounding county in a joint operation with state, county and city officers
that resulted in the eventual arrest of 44 people on drug and weapons
violations.  Two of the park's law enforcement personnel also worked
undercover for an extended period of time prior to the arrests.  Many of
these arrests occurred in the town of Hinton, which is within the park. 
Members of the task force have since received credit for "cleaning up the
town of Hinton," and the town's mayor has proclaimed December 18th as "Police
Appreciation Day."  The town will host a dinner and reception for the
personnel involved in the operation.  [Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 12/12]

97-751 - Lake Roosevelt NRA (WA) - Airplane Crash with Fatalities

On December 1st, the park received a report that a single-engine plane had
crashed into the lake a couple of miles north of Kettle Falls.  Two rangers
responded by boat along with county and state officers.  Debris was found on
the surface of the lake, but there was no sign of survivors.  County divers
recovered one body from 40 feet of water before darkness halted operations;
two remaining victims were removed from the plane the following day. 
Witnesses said that the plane had left the Colville airport about 15 minutes
prior to the crash.  They saw it fly low over the water, pass over a nearby
home at tree-top level, then skim the water, bank, catch a wing tip and
crash.  FAA and NTSB investigators and county detectives are still
investigating.  The plane was removed on December 11th with the assistance of
a Bureau of Reclamation barge and crane.  Evidence of alcohol and illegal
drugs were found in the wreckage.  [CRO, LARO, 12/15]

97-752 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Structural Fire

A fire in a historic structure on the Presidio was reported at 10 p.m. on
December 12th.  The building, which was constructed in 1917, was occupied at
the time by a park employee and his family.  The fire started on the second
floor in the bedroom of a seven-year-old child.  The family evacuated the
building and called in the emergency by cell phone.  The Presidio fire
department responded and arrived on scene within two minutes.  Extensive
smoke and fire were evident upon arrival.  Firefighters suppressed the blaze,
limiting direct fire damage to the second floor.  Smoke damage, however, was
extensive on the second floor and also occurred on portions of the first
floor.  The preliminary estimate places the total damage at about $250,000. 
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but indications are that
it was caused by an electrical problem.  There was a hard-wired smoke
detection system in the building, but no sprinkler system.  The family has
been relocated to another Presidio residence.  [William Oswald, GOGA, 12/15]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Exotic Plants Poster - Copies of a poster on exotic plants are again
available.  The poster, entitled "What's Wrong With This Picture?", has
illustrations of a number of exotic plants on the front and a series of
educational activities on the back.  If you would like copies of this poster
for educational, interpretive, or other park purposes, contact Wilma Watkins
via cc:Mail at NP-WASO-MIB and provide her with your name and mailing
address.  As many as 100 copies per park are available.  [Wilma Watkins,
WASO]

Risk Management Presentation - On Monday, December 1st, a risk management
training session, entitled "A New Perspective on Risk Management," was held
Servicewide via satellite.  More than 600 employees from 72 sites
participated and learned about a management-driven, employee-directed program
which has produced results in both the public and private sectors.  Director
Stanton opened the two-and-a-half hour interactive event, which emphasized
that the NPS will no longer take a "business as usual" approach to the health
and safety of NPS personnel and that a program developed and implemented by
employees could begin to change a safety culture that in the past put the
task before the employee.  Satellite events like this one will soon become
commonplace and will be just one of a host of new approaches to NPS training. 
Contact your regional safety officer for information on program
implementation; for a videotape of the program, send a cc:Mail message to
Albright TC - DLC.  [Risk Management, WASO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

EXCHANGE

No entries.

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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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