NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, February 24, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

98-56 - Assateague Island NS (MD/VA) - Follow-up on Winter Storm Impacts

An assessment of the damage inflicted on the park by the nor'easters of
January 28th and February 4th-5th has been completed:  

Maryland - An 8,400-foot section of the island in the northern portion
of the park was scoured from beach to bay.  The sustained overwash
reduced the elevation of this section by five-and-a-half feet.  The
dune line in the developed zone lost a third of its mass for a stretch
of 1.2 miles.  High tides eroded the shoreline, virtually eliminating
recreational beaches in the developed zone.  The developed area horse
exclosure fencing was washed away, and overwash caused damage to road
shoulders along two miles of entrance road.  Trails and hunting and
service roads were washed out or covered by sand.  Ten hunting blinds
were destroyed or damaged.  Significant lengths of fencing were damaged
or destroyed, including the state line fence separating the two
Assateague pony herds.  A total of 451 large and small boundary markers
were washed away.  A section of the sewage treatment plant roof was
blown off.  Boardwalks and shorelines in developed areas were washed
away.  Damage in this section has been placed at $558,965.

Virginia - Facilities at Chincoteague were extremely hard hit by the
storm.  About 100 feet of beach front was lost, and 515 of 961 parking
sites were wiped out.  The remaining parking spots were covered by
between three and five feet of sand.  Half of the 5,000-foot roadway
which services beach and recreational areas was washed away.  The
utility and electrical systems to the bathhouses were completely
destroyed, as were the visitor center's condenser units and the sheds
used to support beach operations.  Damage in this section has been
placed at $913,069.

The Corps of Engineers will be an important player in efforts to stabilize
the northern section of the park, but specifics have not yet been worked out. 
[John Burns, CR, ASIS, 2/23]

98-74 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Airplane Accident with Fatality

D.S., 46, of San Antonio, Texas, was killed when his airplane
crashed in the Ridgeland District on Sunday, February 22nd.  D.S. had
just taken off from a local airport.  The exact cause of the accident is not
known.  The FAA is investigating.  [Tim Francis, ACR, NATR, 2/23]

98-75 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Rock Slide with Fatality

A rock slide occurred on Batoff Mountain above Route 41 on the afternoon of
February 21st.  The rocks fell on a Chevy S-10 Blazer with two female
occupants which was passing by at that moment.  M.E., 68, was killed
instantly; her daughter, who was driving, walked away from the accident with
only a minor injury.  Responders included three enforcement agencies, a fire
department, an ambulance service, and the state's highway department.  Both
lanes of the road were closed for about three hours while heavy equipment
broke-up and disposed of the rock.  [Rick Brown, NERI, 2/23]

98-76 - Amistad NRA (TX) - Rock Art Vandalism Conviction

Two juvenile females were recently convicted in state court for damaging a
rock art site in the park with graffiti written in charcoal last August 23rd. 
The rock art dates from 5,000 to 7,000 years ago; although the culture is not
known, the technique is significant enough to warrant its own style name -
Pecos rock art.  Part of the site was also in Seminole Canyon State Park. 
The estimated cost for repair of the damage was placed at $3,000.  Under a
new Texas law, graffiti that causes damage in excess of $1,500 is a felony. 
The mother of the juveniles was ordered to pay $2,400 in restitution to cover
the actual cost of professional mitigation of the damage.  The girls were
also ordered to perform 240 hours of community service, placed on eight-months'
probation, and barred from the park during the period of their
probation.  This is the first local case in which vandalism was prosecuted as
a felony under the new law.  [Rod Danner, CR, AMIS, 2/18 and 2/23]

98-77 - Rock Creek Park (DC) - Robbery Arrest

During the period from last September to this February, there were five armed
robberies in Fort Totten Park, administered by Rock Creek Park.  On February
19th, Park Police detectives culminated a prolonged investigation of these
robberies with the arrest of C.O., 20, of Silver Spring, Maryland. 
C.O. has been charged with the most recent robbery, and is believed to have
been connected with the others.  Other suspects are being sought.  [Dale
Dickerhoof, CIB, USPP, 2/20; Bill Lynch, RLES, NCRO, 2/20]

98-78 - Fort McHenry NM&HS (MD) - Special Event

President Clinton and vice president Gore flew in and departed from the park
en route to events in Baltimore on February 19th.  The two were greeted at
the park's visitor center by Maryland's governor and lieutenant governor, a
senator, a congressman, the mayor of the city, and the superintendent.  The
park's staff coordinated the visit with numerous law enforcement agencies. 
The park was closed to the public during the event.  There were no incidents. 
[Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 2/20]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Photography in Parks - The following article by Steve Simmons appeared in a
recent edition of the magazine "View Camera" and is being reproduced here
because of its pertinence to the issue of photography in National Park
Service areas: 

"There has been some confusion in the last few years about filming and
photography in National Parks and public lands.  We have all probably heard
stories about photographers being asked to leave to leave certain areas,
permits being required for commercial photographic activities, etc.  Since
many of us enjoy being out in nature and combining this outdoor activity with
photography, I decided to try and determine the rules and policies regarding
photography and photographers for View Camera Magazines readers.  The basic
policy of the National Park Service (NPS) seems to be to encourage
photographers, within certain limits, who want to work in National Parks. 
'There is a long history of photographers working in National Parks,' states
Tony Bonanno, who is the Chief of Visitor Services and Resource Protection in
the Denver office of the Intermountain Region of the NPS.  'Photography is a
wonderful thing to do in the parks,' said Bonanno, who is a photographer
himself and a subscriber to View Camera's sister publication CameraArts. 
Indeed, Chris Andress, Chief of Ranger Activities in the Washington, D.C.
office of the NPS, told me that a normal visitor to a park, going where
everybody else goes, and doing what everybody else does, does not require any
special permit.  That includes photography.  A lone photographer, even with
tripod and multiple lenses, is free to photograph as much as he/she pleases,
as long as the rules of the park regarding opening and closing hours, staying
out of restricted areas, not blocking trails so other visitors can pass, are
obeyed.  'However, if a photographer uses a model(s) or props, for the
purpose of making a photograph for a commercial application, then a permit
may be required and a fee may be charged depending on the amount of activity
and the impact on the park.'  Activities such as shooting background shots
for possible future stock sales is not regarded as a commercial activity as
long as the photographer goes where and does what any other visitor does, and
the activity does not have any impact on the park greater than any other
visitor.  If the photographer wants access outside of normal hours or into
restricted areas, then a permit may be required as a fee may be charged.  The
policy seems fair to me.  Indeed, if a photographer cares enough about the
natural environment to want to photograph it, then it seems reasonable that
we should also act in ways that not only protect the land for future
visitors, but for future photographers who want to have the same privileges
we now enjoy.  'One of our concerns is educating our own employees who have
sometimes assumed that a tripod meant the photographer was doing commercial
work,' stated Bonanno.  Andress agreed and stated, 'The last thing we want to
do is hassle photographers.  Our intent is to be very fair with photographers
who want to work in the parks.'  Readers who want to get a copy of the Still
Photography guidelines for the National Parks may call Mr. Bonanno at
303-969-2729 or write to him c/o National Park Service, 12795 W. Alameda Pkwy.,
Denver, CO 25287."  [Tony Bonanno, RCR, IMRO]

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

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.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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