NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, April 9, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

                         *** NOTICE ***

There will be no Morning Reports on Friday or Monday.  The Morning Report
will resume on Tuesday, April 14th.

INCIDENTS

98-133 - Colonial NHP (VA) - Oil Spill

Assistant chief ranger Hiram Barber noticed unusual fumes along the Colonial
Parkway near Williamsburg at 6:40 a.m. on the morning of Friday, April 3rd,
and soon located petroleum in a nearby drainage.  This turned out to be part
of a leak of about 1,000 gallons of fuel oil from an underground tank at the
nearby Williamsburg Lodge.  Prompt response from the town's fire department
helped contain the spill and limit damage to park property downstream.  About
200 gallons of oil reached the park.  Natural resource manager Chuck Rafkind
coordinated the NPS response and the cleanup of the spill, which was done by
a contractor hired by Colonial Williamsburg.  The prompt detection and
response prevented serious damage that would have resulted had the cleanup
not been completed prior to heavy rains which fell on the area that night. 
Those rains would have washed the oil into a large wetland area and major
waterway just downstream.  Monitoring of the site will continue for some
time.  [Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 4/8]

98-134 - Point Reyes NS (CA) - Resource Violations

On March 29th, ranger Charlie Strickfaden contacted G.H. and A.H. in
the Tule Elk refuge area of the park.  G.H. was wearing rubber boots
similar to those worn by illegal elk antler collectors while searching marshy
areas for dropped antlers at this time of year.  A consent search of an Igloo
cooler they were carrying revealed that they had collected three live
salamanders (California newts), a Pacific tree frog, and about a square foot
of pond plants.  A subsequent search of their vehicle led to the discovery of
three tule elk antlers.  The H.'s were cited for possession of live
animals, plants, and animal parts, and were also cited for giving false
information to a federal officer and attempting to conceal evidence of a
crime, as they initially refused access to the camper of their truck (a key
was later found hidden in A.H.'s lunch bag).  Male elk drop their
antlers between January and March.  The area is open grassland and antlers
are relatively easy to see and retrieve.  G.H. and several other
parties have been seen in the area frequently over the last few years during
this season, and a special effort was made this year to stake out parking
lots and develop a vehicle and suspect database.  This enabled rangers to
identify possible poachers and patterns, and led to this contact and another
citation of a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  An investigation
continues into possible commercial use and sale of antlers for the Asian
animal parts market.  [Frank Dean, CR, PORE, 4/8]

98-134 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Pursuit

USPP detective Jeff Weisenburger spotted a pickup truck being driven
recklessly on Crissy Field at the Presidio on April 7th.  The driver parked
the vehicle and got out with two other occupants.  When Weisenburger
approached them, though, the trio jumped back into the truck and sped away. 
They were immediately pursued by four Park Police units that were in the
area.  After a brief chase through the Presidio, the vehicle left federal
property and began heading in the direction of the Golden Gate Bridge, at
which time the Park Police supervisor terminated the pursuit due to public
safety concerns.  The chase was continued by San Francisco officers and ended
at the San Francisco International Airport when the truck crashed at the
terminal.   The three men fled on foot, climbed a fence onto the tarmac, and
hijacked an airport worker's vehicle.  They were then apprehended by airport
police and charged with numerous violations, including possession of a stolen
vehicle, carjacking, assault, eluding, and trespassing on an airport
restricted zone.  [Sgt. Bert Lewis, USPP, GOGA, 4/8]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Court Ruling on Climbing Management Plan - A federal judge has upheld the
Devils Tower NM climbing management plan.  The innovative plan, which was
implemented in 1995, addresses desecration concerns of American Indians, who
consider the tower sacred.  A key element of the plan is a voluntary June
closure to climbing out of respect for those concerns.  The voluntary closure
has had a compliance rate of nearly 85% over the past three years.  The
Mountain States Legal Foundation and the Bear Lodge Multiple Use Association
challenged the plan, saying that the voluntary closure amounted to "coercion"
and was an unconstitutional government endorsement of American Indian
religion.  The three key elements of the plan which the judge cited in his
decision were the voluntary June closure, a cross-cultural education program,
and a sign which states that the tower is sacred to American Indians and that
visitors should stay on the trail.  [Jim Schlinkmann, CR, DETO]

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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