NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, February 12, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

98-21 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Follow-up on Elk Poaching

On January 12th, E.E., 35, and P.H., 37, were arrested for
illegally killing a three year old bull in the Margaret White area of the
park.  On February 11th, both were found guilty in state court; they were
ordered to pay a total of $8,000 in fines and restitution, had their hunting
licenses suspended for four years, and received suspended two year jail
sentences.  The elk was killed with a .22 magnum rifle on January 3rd. 
Information from a confidential informant led to rangers and state game
officers serving a federal search warrant at the E.E. residence and
interrupting family members who were eating elk steaks for dinner.  [Bob
Howard, LES, BUFF, 2/11]

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:

Big South Fork NRRA (KY/TN) - The storm of February 3rd dropped over
two feet of wet snow over the entire park and caused massive power
outages and numerous road closures.  Highway 297 through the middle of
the park was reopened to traffic on Saturday, February 7th, but power
was not restored to the headquarters area until February 10th.  The
Bandy Creek visitor center is still without power, so the Stearns
visitor center, normally closed in the winter, has been opened to
provide visitor information.  Crews continue to open major roads
through the park, with the emphasis placed on the most heavily used
public accesses.  The Divide road has been opened to the state line
from highway 154; Fork Ridge, Twin Arches and Terry Cemetery roads are
also open.  Crews will move to the south end of the park today and
begin work on the Burnt Mill/Honey Creek area.  Blue Heron road and
Bear Creek road (as far as Bear Creek horse camp) are open on the
Kentucky end of the park.  The road to Alum Ford and Yahoo Falls was
worked on yesterday.  An aerial assessment of the park is planned for
tomorrow or early next week.  It appears that the park's 500 miles of
trails sustained major damage, and that it could take the remainder of
the year to get them repaired.

Fire Island NS (NY) - The park is keeping an eye on several "hot spots"
on the beach, the most significant of which is just east of the Fire
Island lighthouse.  The offshore bar has a hole in it and is causing
erosion on the beach.  The park lost about 800 feet of dunes and the
ocean is washing over what remains of the dunes and flowing onto a park
road about 100 yards further north.  

Reports from other parks that have also been significantly affected by these
storms would be appreciated.  [Frank Graham, CR, BISO, 2/11; Jay Lippert, DR,
FIIS, 2/12]

98-65 - Everglades NP/Biscayne NP (FL) - Drug Seizure and Arrests

On Monday, January 12th, a 24 foot vessel which was transporting narcotics
through the park crashed and burned on shore in Blackwater Sound in
Everglades NP.  Earlier that evening, two Florida Marine Patrol officers
stopped two boats in Barnes Sound just east of the park.  The 24 foot boat,
which was occupied by two men, sped off west toward the Everglades, dumping
bails of marijuana in the sound.  The officers pursued.  The two smugglers
jumped overboard just before the boat entered the park, but were captured and
arrested.  The boat continued onward until it ran aground at high speed on
the northwest shore of the sound, traveling 150 feet before stopping.  The
bought caught fire and burned nearly to the waterline.  Customs agents
intercepted the second, larger vessel (32 feet) in Biscayne Bay in Biscayne
NP.  Thirteen bails of marijuana weighing 800 pounds - all of which came from
the 24 foot boat - were recovered from the sound.  A GPS plotter on board the
32 foot boat contained the "waypoints" for the smuggling route through
Biscayne NP prior to the initial contact.  Salvage of the crashed vessel is
on-going.  Federal charges for destruction of natural features are pending,
with probable inclusion of civil penalties for the same offense.  Rangers
from the Florida Bay District of Everglades NP are investigating.  [Dave
King, DR, EVER, 2/11]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

"21st Century Recreational Fee Objectives," signed on February 11th by the
associate director for park operations and education and sent electronically
(no hard copy to follow) to the regional directors, the associate director
for administration, and the assistant director for external affairs.  A
summary of the memorandum follows, as it transmits documents which are too
long to repeat in or attach to the Morning Report. 

The memorandum transmits the recommendations of the recreational fee program
task group which met in Washington in December "to identify objectives and an
action plan for managing the recreational fee program of the National Park
Service," and notes that the director was briefed on the objectives and fully
concurs with them.  The group recommended that national work groups be
convened to address some of the task actions.  A list of prospective task
group members is attached to the memorandum.  Regional directors are asked to
review the nominees from their respective regions and send a list of
selections for each task group in priority order by February 20th.  

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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