NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, March 13, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

98-56 - Shenandoah NP (VA) - Follow-up on El Nino Winter Storm Impacts

The park has completed an assessment of the damage inflicted by the February
storm which dropped snow, sleet and freezing rain on central Virginia.  The
hardest hit areas included Skyline Drive, most of the park's trails, and
developed areas above the 2,000 foot elevation:

Roads - A total of 81 miles of Skyline Drive and 57 miles of
administrative roads were clogged with fallen trees, limbs and
branches, with thousands of hazardous trees leaning over roadways. 
Many of the destroyed trees were historic, as Skyline Drive is on the
National Register of Historic Places.  About half of Skyline Drive has
been cleared so far.

Trails - A total of 293 miles of trail, including most of the length of
the Appalachian Trail within park boundaries, suffered from moderate to
heavy tree fall and numerous hazardous limbs hanging over trails. 
Approximately 30 miles have been cleared to the point where they are at
least passable.  Most of the work has been done by volunteer trail
workers.

Developed areas - Wood debris carpeted 31 developed areas.  These areas
also had many hazard hanging trees and limbs.

Buildings - Roof, gutter or drainage system damage was inflicted on 25
buildings, seven of them historic.  The Big Meadows fire cache suffered
soot damage from a malfunctioning heater that was not noticed because
the area was inaccessible at the time.

Vehicles - Three park vehicles were damaged.

Power lines - Although not a park responsibility, dozens of power poles
were snapped and miles of lines were knocked down.

At present, it appears that park facilities will open as scheduled, provided
that the weather holds and equipment breakdowns do not increase
significantly.  The park has requested just over $600,000 for clean-up and
repairs.  [Greg Stiles, SHEN, 3/12]

98-100 - Coronado NM (AZ) - Drug Seizure

While monitoring the park's border area for drug smuggling, ranger Bill Smith
and a Customs agent detected electronic sensor activity in an area known for
smuggling.  They employed a thermal night vision scope to check the area out
and spotted between 30 and 35 individuals walking north under cover of
darkness a half mile east of the visitor center.  All were carrying large
bundles.  A Border Patrol helicopter was summoned to illuminate the area. 
The smugglers, however, detected the helicopter and scattered.  Two were
apprehended by Smith and the agent and a total of about 1,118 pounds of
marijuana was seized.  [Bill Smith, CORO, 3/11]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Follow-up on Horse Roundup

The roundup of feral horses at the park was completed on March 5th.  A total
of 108 were caught and checked for equine infectious anemia (EIA).  Three
horses tested positive for EIA and were transferred to a private foundation
that maintains a quarantine site for horses.  Legislation is pending which
would allow the Foundation of Shackelford Horses to maintain the site and
have some influence on the management of the park's herd.  Two horses died
during the roundup - one ran into a fence and broke its neck and the other
drowned in a bog.  [Laurie Heupel, Education Specialist, CALO, 3/9]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Commercial Wedding Photography - Many questions have been asked recently
about issuance of permits to commercial wedding photographers.  There are
three scenarios:

If the park has issued a permit for a wedding and the permittee
contracts with a commercial photographer to take pictures on scene, the
photographer does NOT need a separate permit.  The commercial
photography may be mentioned as a permissible activity in the wedding
special use permit.

If the park has decided that a permit for the wedding is not necessary
and a commercial photographer is contracted by the wedding party to
take pictures, then the commercial photographer needs a permit.  If
this is one-time-only photography, the park should issue a special use
permit; if it will be part of an on-going commercial activity, the park
should issue an incidental business permit (IBP).

If a commercial photographer advertises pre- or post-wedding pictures
or portraits in a national park and brings couples into the park to
take such pictures, then the activity constitutes a for-profit business
operation in a park and the photographer needs an IBP.

Keep in mind that these scenarios deal with business operations; that is,
pictures taken for profit.  The same photographer or any other private
citizen taking wedding pictures for free does not require a permit.  If you
have any questions, please contact Dick S. Young via cc:Mail at NP-COLO or at
757-898-7846.  [Dick Young, RAD/WASO @ COLO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

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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