NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, February 10, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

98-56 - Parks Servicewide - Follow-up on El Nino Winter Storm Impacts

Additional reports on the effects of recent severe storms on parks have been
received:

Shenandoah NP (VA) - As park crews reach various sections of the park,
they are discovering significant damage to facilities and features
following last week's prolonged storm.  Some portions of Skyline Drive
are covered by 12 to 16 inches of solidly frozen and impenetrable ice
and snow, with ice levels higher than the adjacent stone walls.  The
drive is accordingly unsafe for travel by anyone, including park staff. 
Hundreds of trees are down across both the drive and other park roads. 
Some sections of Skyline Drive have 30 to 150 trees down per mile, and
there are hundreds of snags and hazardous branches hanging from many of
the remaining trees.  Significant tree work will have to be completed
before the road can be opened to the public.  Dozens of miles of
trails, including the Appalachian Trail, are similarly covered with
hundreds of downed trees.  In some areas, the Appalachian Trail is no
longer visible.  Long sections of power lines are down on the ground,
and dozens of power poles have snapped.  A report has been received
that Creel Cabin at Camp Hoover has been damaged by a falling tree, but
park crews have not been able to confirm this.  Most areas of the park
have not yet been reached, and it's probable that more damage will be
reported.  A damage assessment is underway, but it may be impeded by
the arrival of a winter storm tomorrow or Thursday with more frozen
precipitation.

Blue Ridge Parkway (VA/NC) - The park was struck by two major winter
storms between January 27th and February 6th.  The impacts of the first
were felt mainly in North Carolina.  Large amounts of heavy snow and
high winds caused many trees to be uprooted and/or broken along the
parkway.  The second storm mainly affected the Virginia section of the
park; as with Shenandoah, this storm brought heavy rain, snow and ice. 
Tree damage was again serious and widespread.  The park's radio system
is largely out of service, but precise damage estimates are impossible
because roads to microwave repeater sites are impassible.  The damage
is comparable to that inflicted by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, but is far
more widespread, affecting areas along nearly the entire length of the
parkway.

Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - The effects of the most recent storm to hit the
park were not as severe as predicted, but flooding occurred because the
ground was already saturated from previous storms.  The main road going
into the National Environmental Education Camp was covered with water
and severely undercut, forcing the closure of the camp.  A mud slide
closed Kennedy Memorial Drive.  Many trees have fallen as a result of
saturated soils.  The northern portion of the park is closed due to the 
potential for further sliding.  Water continues to spill over the Glory
Hole spillway.  

Reports from other parks that have also been significantly affected by these
storms would be appreciated.  [Greg Stiles, SHEN, 2/9; CRO, BLRI, 2/9; Larry
Carr, CR, WHIS, 2/9]

98-58 - Valley Forge NHP (PA) - Suicidal Person; Pursuit

On February 5th, the park was advised that R.K., a local
resident, had left his home after telling his wife that he intended to kill
himself and that he might be armed.  Ranger Duane Buck spotted R.K.'s
vehicle in the park and attempted to contact him.  R.K. fled, though,
and Buck pursued.  Officers in a neighboring township were advised of the
pursuit and assisted rangers in safely stopping R.K.'s vehicle.  He was
taken into custody without incident.  No weapons were found on him or in his
car.  R.K., who has a long history of mental illness and related
problems, was turned over to the township that made the original call.  [CRO,
VAFO, 2/5]

98-59 - San Juan NHS (PR) - Armed Robbery

A park visitor and his family were robbed at gunpoint on February 4th.  The
victim was a senior citizen who was in a wheelchair.  The assailant was a boy
about 16 years old who was reportedly armed with a .38 caliber revolver.  He
left the area after taking $30 in cash.  Rangers and police are
investigating.  [Glen Dodson, CR, SAJU, 2/6]

                    [Additional reports pending...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Report pending.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Special Park Use Guideline - NPS-53 (revised), the special park use
guideline, has now been released to the field.  This is a final document, not
a draft.  Two chapters, "Filming and Photography" and "Telecommunication
Antenna Sites," have been withheld pending publication in the Federal
Register for public comment.  The filming section went to the Register on
February 2nd; the telecommunication section will probably be published in the
Register around February 17th.  Each has a 60 day period for comments.  As
soon as comments are received, analyzed and included, the sections will be
published Servicewide.  Please take particular note of the exhibit in the
revised guideline on highway easement deeds (Appendix 8, Exhibit 8).  This
section is currently being rewritten to conform with a proposed MOU with the
Federal Highway Administration on this same subject.  The process has just
started and will take some time to complete.  If you are currently in
negotiation with some state or municipality transportation department for a
proposed road on park lands and planned on requiring a highway easement deed
for that road following the procedures outlined in this exhibit, please
contact special park use coordinator Dick Young before going any further.  He
can assist you through his contact at the Washington office of Federal
Highways.  Questions on any matter pertaining to the guideline should be
addressed to him via cc:Mail (Dick S. Young at NP-COLO) or at 757-898-7847. 
[Dick S. Young, COLO]

6(c) Update - Effective February 1st, all pending 6(c) cases, FERS claims,
late CSRS claims, position coverage determinations and administrative
requests for prior 6(c) service are being handled by the new Department of
Interior 6(c) team in Boise.  There will no longer be any 6(c) technical
review function in the Washington office of the National Park Service or in
the Department's Service Center; the new team will be responsible for keeping
ALL 6(c) records and documentation for the entire Department.  NPS fire, law
enforcement and ranger careers program managers in WASO Ranger Activities
will continue to provide input into the 6(c) determination process.  The new
Firefighter and Law Enforcement Retirement Team (FLERT) will review ALL
claims and cases prior to a determination being made by Mari R. Barr, the
Department's deputy assistant secretary for human resources.  FLERT is under
the Bureau of Land Management and reports to the BLM chief at NIFC.  Each
bureau has contributed FTE and funding to the new team.  An interagency law
enforcement and firefighting program manager's team at the Washington office
level provides general oversight of FLERT's activities.  FLERT promises to
put a maximum effort into completing the review of all NPS 6(c) packages and
hopes to complete the processing of those claims that were filed by last
month - AND contain the necessary documentation - by February, 1999
(approximately 650 FERS and CSRS and 335 administrative claims cases).  The
Service has identified the administrative claims (previously assigned to
Ranger Activities) as its first priority.  FLERT plans to finish those
administrative claims which were mailed to them from Ranger Activities on
January 30th by the end of July, 1998 - again assuming that they have all the
necessary documentation with them.  In addition to processing the backlog of
cases, the team will also process management-submitted position description
coverage requests (currently about 50 PDs are in Boise for action) and
on-going individual FERS and late CSRS claims.  FLERT will also provide training
to management, employees, and personnelists on the 6(c) program, and can
provide valuable guidance and assistance when dealing with firefighter and
law enforcement positions, whether it's in the development of PDs, staffing
6(c) positions, or other related issues.  Keep in mind that 6(c) is NOT just
a retirement program.  Ranger Activities and Personnel are no longer able to
answer individual case questions, as all records have been sent to Boise. 
Individuals or parks with any questions regarding individual 6(c) cases or
positions should contact the team directly by mail, telephone or cc:Mail. 
NPS 6(c) program questions may still be directed to Bill Sanders in Ranger
Activities or Deborah Martin in Personnel.  The mailing address for FLERT is
as follows:

     Department of Interior
     Bureau of Land Management
     Firefighter and Law Enforcement Retirement Team
     National Interagency Fire Center
     3833 South Development Avenue
     Boise, ID 83705-5354

The team leader is Marcia L. Scifres (208-387-5345) and the NPS
representative on the team is Marilee Pospahala (208-387-5044).  Marilee is
still listed in the NPS cc:Mail directory for the time being, but has a new
Internet address: mpospaha@nifc.blm.gov.  The team's fax number is
208-387-5723.  [Bill Sanders, RAD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

EXCHANGE

No entries.

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.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

Wednesday, February 11

House Subcommittee on National Park and Public Lands: Oversight hearing on
Endangered Species Act reauthorization.

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Hearing on S. 1069, to
designate the American Discovery Trail as a national discovery trail, a newly
established national trail category; and S. 1403, to establish a historic
lighthouse preservation program within the National Park Service.

Thursday, February 12

Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation: 
Hearing on S. 62, to prohibit further extension or establishment of any
national monument in Idaho without full public participation and an express
act of Congress; S. 477, to amend the Antiquities Act to require an act of
Congress and consultation with the governor and state legislature prior to
the establishment by the president of national monuments in excess of 5,000
acres; S. 691, to ensure that the public and the Congress have both the right
and a reasonable opportunity to participate in decisions that affect the use
and management of all public lands owned or controlled by the government of
the United States; H.R. 901, to preserve the sovereignty of the United States
over public lands and acquired lands owned by the United States and to
preserve state sovereignty and private property rights in non-federal lands
surrounding those public lands and acquired lands; and H.R. 1127, to amend
the Antiquities Act regarding the establishment by the president of certain
national monuments.

Tuesday, February 24

House Subcommittee on National and Public Lands: Hearing on H.R. 1728, to
provide for the development of a plan and a management review of the National
Park System and to reform the process by which areas are considered for
addition to the National Park System; H.R. 2993, to provide for the
collection of fees for the making of motion pictures, television productions
and sound tracks in the National Park System and National Wildlife System.

Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation: 
Oversight hearing on the visitor center and museum facilities project at
Gettysburg NMP.

Thursday, February 26

House Subcommittee on National and Public Lands: Oversight hearing on the
implementation of the recreational fee demonstration program - successes and
failures.

Tuesday, March 10

House Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations and Related Agencies: Hearing
on the FY99 budget request for the Department of Interior.

Tuesday, March 31

House Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations and Related Agencies: Hearing
on the FY99 budget request for the National Park Service.

FLOOR ACTION

No action scheduled on NPS legislation.

                              *  *  *  *  *

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.

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