NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, February 19, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

98-56 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Follow-up on El Nino Winter Storm Impacts

Most of the park's main roads have been cleared of windfalls, and the damaged
roof of the Prairie Creek visitor center has been temporarily repaired.  The
park may close Coastal Drive due to significant sliding of the road's
surface.  Many trails are still closed due to slides and fallen trees. 
Repair work to trails in old growth forests will be slow due to constraints
on the use of mechanized equipment necessitated by the presence of two
threatened and endangered birds - the spotted owl and marbled murrelet - in
the woods.  A series of significant storms is predicted for the area over the
next few weeks.  [Bob Martin, CR, REDW, 2/18]

98-71 - Glacier Bay NP&P (AK) - Sinking; Rescue

Rangers on the patrol vessel "Talus" received a distress call from the
fishing vessel "Oaxaca" in the Beardslee Islands while on a fisheries
enforcement patrol on February 15th.  Rangers Dennis Kaleta, Jim Capra and
Chuck Young responded to the area, which is known for its many shoals,
shallow rocky areas and navigational hazards.  P.T., the owner/
operator of the vessel, a 36-foot, wood-hulled trawler, and his companion,
C.D., had been passing one of these shoals when the vessel struck hard
aground.  The vessel immediately keeled over onto its port side, allowing
water to rush in over the gunwales and into the hull.  With the water
temperature in the low 40s and the vessel sinking quickly, the two
individuals began donning immersion suits and put out a "mayday" call.  
Several other vessels in the area also responded to help with the rescue of
the pair and to assist in stabilizing the sunken vessel.  One fishing boat
arrived on scene before C.D. and P.T. had to enter the water.  The 
rangers and others attempted to stabilize the "Oaxaca" and de-water it, but
were unsuccessful because the vessel refused to remain upright.  It
eventually sank in about 25 feet of water.  The vessel, which carried
approximately 230 gallons of diesel fuel in its tanks, began leaking fuel out
its vents, but P.T. stopped the majority of the leaks by sealing off the
vents.  Rangers deployed 160 feet of absorbent boom around the sunken vessel
to soak up any residual leakage.  P.T. was treated for cuts and scrapes and
mild hypothermia.  The "Oaxaca" was refloated by a salvage vessel on February
16th and towed out of the park.  [Chuck Young, DR, GLBA, 2/18]

98-72 - Dry Tortugas NP/Everglades NP (FL) - Rescue; Stolen Boat

On New Year's Eve, J.O., 37, left his 35-foot sailboat at anchor
in a state park on Bahia Honda Key and went out to celebrate the holiday. 
Left on board was his mixed breed dog, Venus.  When he returned at about 4:30
a.m., the boat was gone.  A stolen boat report was filed and the Florida
Marine Patrol issued a notice to be on the lookout for it.  On January 7th,
the boat was spotted from a freighter about 35 miles southwest of Dry
Tortugas NP and 135 miles from Bahia Honda.  A Coast Guard helicopter
verified that the boat was J.O.'s and determined that it had evidently
been abandoned and that the dog was still on board.  Since Dry Tortugas NP
was the closest source for assistance, ranger Roy Appugliese and chief of
operations Wayne Landrum and "Activa" captains Cliff Green and Linda Vannaman
went out to the boat, accompanied overhead by the Coast Guard helicopter. 
They reached the sailboat that afternoon.  Vannaman and Appugliese swam
through eight-foot seas to the sailboat to assess the situation.  They found
the dog in good health but thirsty.  Appugliese stayed on board during the
five-and-a-half hours it took to tow the boat back to park headquarters at
Garden Key.  J.O. picked up his boat at the park, made repairs to a
damaged rudder, and sailed back to Miami with Venus.  [Roy Appugliese, DRTO,
via Phil Selleck, EVER, 2/18]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Fee Survey - The University of Minnesota's cooperative park studies unit
(CPSU) conducted a survey of more than 1,600 visitors in eleven parks last
summer to determine their reactions to the fee demonstration program.  A
total of 1,306 respondents either completed the self-administered
questionnaire or took part in focus group discussions.  Interviewers also had
informal discussions about the new fees with at least 300 other visitors,
park staffers, and concession personnel.  Respondents and survey group
participants came from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto
Rico, and 24 countries.  The almost equal number of female and male
respondents represented a wide range of ages and tended to be caucasian and
above average in income and education.  The CPSU's summary revealed that:


60% of visitors were not aware of the new fees before coming to the
park;

71% of the visitors thought the fees were "about right," 12% thought
the fees were "too low," and 17% thought the fees were "too high;"

96% of the respondents preferred either to keep all the recreational
fee money collected by the park in the park or to keep most of it in
the park and distribute the rest among other NPS units;

96% of the respondents indicated that the new fees had not made them
change plans for their stays in the parks.

Many visitors expressed concerns that the new fees might lead Congress to
reduce appropriations to the NPS and did not want this to happen.  [CPSU,
University of Minnesota, via Intermountain Region "Morning Line" and Tim
Stone, RAD/WASO]

Accessibility Project Assistance - This past fall, the National Park Service,
Telephone Pioneers of America (TPA), and National Center on Accessibility
(NCA) signed a five-year memorandum of agreement which ensures a continuing
partnership dedicated to increasing accessibility to national parks for
people with disabilities.  The joint program, entitled "Access Partners in
the Parks," focuses on increasing accessibility through utilization of
volunteers to assist on projects.  TPA is the world's largest industry-
related community service organization, and is comprised of over 800,000
current and retired employees of the telecommunication industry.  NCA is an
organization committed to the full participation of people with disabilities
in parks, recreation and tourism.  Liaison between NCA and the Service is
through the accessibility management program in the Park Facilities
Management Division (PFMD).  NCA provides technical assistance and
educational opportunities on park and recreation accessibility issues, and
also conducts, promotes and facilitates research on related matters.  NCA
will assist parks in locating volunteers to help with accessibility projects. 
If you have such a project and would like volunteer assistance, please
contact NCA at their Internet address (nca@indiana.edu).  Some examples of
completed projects can be viewed on the NCA web site (www.indiana.edu/~nca). 
If you have previous projects that you would like added to the web site, or
would like more information on the "Access Partners" program, please contact
either Ray Bloomer or Kathy Mispagel at 765-349-9240 or 800-424-1877, or call
Tom Coleman in the PFMD accessibility program office at 202-565-1256.  Tom
will serve as the liaison between WASO and the project.  [Dave Parks,
PFMD/WASO]

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.

                             --- ### ---