NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, March 3, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

98-85 - Little River Canyon NRA (AL) - Homicide Arrest

F.S. of Fort Payne, Alabama, was found stabbed to death in a
private campground adjoining the park on the afternoon of February
26th.  Evidence soon surfaced that pointed to F.S.'s
grandson, J.F., 24, as a probable suspect.  It appeared that
J.F. likely fled on foot into the woods and might be in the park, as
it borders the campground on two sides.  Weapons missing from the crime
scene included a .357 pistol and a 12 gauge shotgun.  Search teams
comprised of park rangers and county, state and local enforcement
officers were organized; they were assisted in their search efforts by
helicopters and dog teams.  The search was enlarged the following day
in order to check both the woods and the numerous caves and rock
shelters in the area.  One search team found the large bowie knife
believed to have been used to kill F.S. near a stream crossing.  Small
surveillance teams utilizing night vision equipment were stationed that
evening along major trails and near a state park campground within the
NRA and the private campground where the incident took place.  The team
at the latter location spotted J.F. shortly after midnight as he
returned to the campground to get a soda from a vending machine and to
try to enter a building.  Although he did not have the missing weapons
in his possession, he challenged arresting officers with a three-prong
deer antler he was holding.  It's believed that F.S. was going to
evict J.F. from the campground, which precipitated an argument and
led to the murder.  Satanic symbols were found scribbled and placed on
F.S.'s body and on the deer antlers J.F. was holding when
arrested.  [Dwight Dixon, CR, LIRI, 3/2]

98-86 - Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP - ARPA, Drug Convictions

On February 27th, J.M., 32, of Front Royal, Virginia, and
Clyde Burkhart, 29, of Bentonville, Virginia, pled guilty to ARPA and
marijuana possession misdemeanors as part of a plea agreement.  The two
men had parked their vehicle in an area not regularly used by visitors
last August 24th.  Rangers staked out the area and soon saw them
emerge from the woods with several artifacts in their possession. 
These included an unexploded 12-pound Bormann case shot artillery
projectile and a Smith and Wesson .44 magnum revolver.  The artifacts
were seized along with two metal detectors, digging equipment, and
small quantities of marijuana.  Both men had prior convictions for drug
possession.  The judge has ordered pre-sentencing evaluations and has
set sentencing for May 19th.  [Mike Greenfield, SPR, FRSP, 3/2]

98-87 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - Burglary, Drug Arrest

On the morning of March 1st, G.K., who holds a 30-year
historic lease in the park-owned Delaware View House, discovered that
the building, which now houses a general store, had been forcibly
entered, vandalized, and burglarized.  An attempt was also made to cut
phone lines and discontinue power to the building.  Among other items,
the thieves stole some inexpensive jewelry and several hundred one
dollar bills which G.K. had thumb-tacked to interior walls with
business cards attached as part of a charitable fund-raising effort. 
Subdistrict ranger Wayne Valentine had advised G.K. several times
that the display was an invitation to a break-in.  G.K. had marked
most of the bills with a conspicuous pink X immediately to the
left of Washington's portrait.  Suspicions quickly focused on
several nearby Blairstown, New Jersey, residents, and an immediate
effort was made to contact local stores and filling stations in the
area by phone or visit to advise owners to be on the lookout for the
'marked' currency.  The owner of a local convenience store, who had
been notified just an hour earlier, reported that an individual was
using the currency to pay for purchases.  S.C., 18, was
taken into custody shortly thereafter by ranger Chris Kross and a local
officer and charged with possession of stolen property, then
interviewed by criminal investigator Bob Van Nortwick.  Blairstown
police conducted a consent search of S.C.'s quarters and
discovered a substantial amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. 
Charges are pending in Sussex County, where the burglary occurred, in
Warren County, where the stolen property and drugs were found, and in
federal magistrate's court.  S.C. admitted to taking 299 one
dollar bills, but said that he wouldn't be so stupid as to use them
if he knew the bills were marked.  [Barry Sullivan, Acting CR, DEWA,
3/2]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Fee Meeting - A fee program work group is meeting in Washington this
week to develop role and function statements for the entire fee program
(not just the fee demonstration program).  Each region was asked to
send a representative. [Linda Canzanelli, WASO]

1997 SAR Stats - The Service has released the search and rescue
statistics from 1997.  Here are some highlights:

A total of 3,980 incidents were recorded.  These incidents resulted in
2,331 injuries and 153 fatalities.  Another 3,855 visitors were
uninjured.  There were also 774 saves.

The breakdown of incident by type was as follows - 967 hiking, 17
skiing, 185 climbing, 543 boating, 516 swimming, 11 scuba, 78 vehicle,
31 aircraft, 78 stock, 217 mutual aid, and 1,234 "other." 
Another 103 proved unfounded.

A total of 85,756 hours were expended on search operations by NPS staff
and others, two-thirds by the NPS.  The total cost of searches was just
over $1.5 million.

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

Tuesday, March 10

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

Thursday, March 12

House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands: Oversight
hearing on concession reform.

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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