NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, May 19, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-211 - Big Cypress NP (FL) - Assault on Ranger

On May 17th, ranger Dusty Olson was struck in the face by W.M. of
Miami after Olson stopped him on his ATV in a remote area of the park. 
W.M. was one of a group of six riders.  He was initially compliant, but
became angry and combative when asked to perform a field sobriety test.  As
W.M. attempted to re-start his ATV and escape, Olson took the key from the
ignition.  W.M. then struck Olson and got off his ATV.  Olson took a
defensive stance with his baton, then employed pepper spray on W.M.. 
W.M. fled on another ATV.  Rangers, assisted by sheriff's deputies and the
park's contract aircraft, tracked W.M. to a remote area a few miles away. 
He surrendered to rangers without incident.  The FBI and assistant U.S.
attorney were contacted and are planning to charge W.M. with assault on a
federal agent (18 USC 111(b)).  Olson sustained a facial fracture in the
altercation.  [Joe O'Haver, ACR, BICY, 5/18]

98-212 - Canyonlands NP (UT) - Hiking Fatality

D.D., 60, of Fruita, Colorado, died while hiking on the Mesa Arch
trail in the Island of the Sky District on the evening of May 18th.  D.D.
was hiking with her husband when she collapsed.  Visitors in close proximity
found that she was not breathing and had no pulse, so began CPR.  A cellular
phone was used to notify authorities.  Rangers and members of a county
ambulance crew employed advanced life support techniques in an attempt to
revive D.D.  She was taken to a hospital in Moab, where she was pronounced
dead.  An autopsy is being conducted.  Ranger Colin Smith was IC.  [Steve
Swanke, DR, CANY, 5/19]

                     [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Sun      Mon    %   Est
State      Unit             Fire/Incident     IMT    5/17     5/18  Con  Con

CO   Pike-San Isabel NF     Big Turkey        T2      500      600   80  5/19

MI   Hiawatha NF            Camp Faunce       --    1,400    1,700   50  5/18
     Huron NF             * River Road II     --        -      100   50  5/18

MT   Miles City District  * Sandburn          --        -      600   35  5/18

TX   State                  Cibolo Creek      --   58,000   60,000   90  5/19

Heading Notes

Unit      Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
          or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
          district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire      * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT       T1 = Type I; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con     Percent of fire contained
Est Con   Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
          containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Friday, 5/15         -      -         -       -        -      -         -
Saturday, 5/16       0      1         0       0        7      2        10
Sunday, 5/17         0      1         0       0        6     12        19
Monday, 5/18         0      0         1       0       36     10        47

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Friday, 5/15         -          -           -             -             -
Saturday, 5/16      15         10           4             3            64 #
Sunday, 5/17        30         57           9             6           136
Monday, 5/18        30         57          13             1           201

All numbers reflect partial reports (none from the South)

CURRENT SITUATION

Fire activity increased yesterday in the East and in the northern Rockies.
Very high and/or extreme fire indices were reported in Colorado, Kansas,
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Michigan.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 5/19]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Olympic NP (WA) - Bear Management

On May 6th, two backpackers reported an encounter with a black bear in the
vicinity of Marys Falls Camp in the Elwha Valley.  The meadows along the
Elwha River are prime spring habitat for an unusually large number of bears. 
The bear would not leave their camp, causing the hikers to have a very uneasy
night.  On May 7th, another bear report was received from three miles up the
valley in the Elkhorn area.  This time a large bear came into a single
hiker's camp and obtained human food which was located 15 feet from the
hiker.  The bear refused to leave until trail crew workers pelted it with
rocks, forcing it up a tree.  A six-mile area of the Elwha was accordingly
closed to camping.  A ranger spent five days in the area, monitoring bears
and educating hikers about the closure.  The area remains closed to overnight
camping.  The park is continuing the process of installing cable food storage
systems throughout the hire use areas of the backcountry.  [Curt Sauer, CR,
OLYM, 5/18]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

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 or kindred agencies.  For
inquiries regarding legislation pertaining to the NPS, please contact the
main office at 202-208-5883/5656 and ask to be forwarded to the appropriate
legislative specialist.

HEARINGS/MARK-UPS

TUESDAY, MAY 19

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands - Hearing on
the following bill:

H.R. 3830, to provide for the exchange of certain lands in Utah.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20

House Resources Committee - Mark-up of the following bills (among others):

H.R. 1154, to provide for administrative procedures to extend federal
recognition to certain Indian groups, and for other purposes; 

H.R. 1635, to establish within the NPS the National Underground
Railroad Network to Freedom program, and for other purposes;

H.R. 2411, to provide for a land exchange involving Cape Cod NS and to
extend the authority for the Cape Cod NS Advisory Commission;

H.R. 2812, to provide for the recognition of certain Native communities
under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and for other purposes;
and

H.R. 3520, to adjust the boundaries of Lake Chelan NRA and the adjacent
Wenatchee NF (subject to a discharge from the Subcommittee on National
Parks and Public Lands).

THURSDAY, MAY 21

House Resources Committee - Mark-up of the following bills (among others):

H.J. Res. 113, to approve the location of a Martin Luther King, Jr.
Memorial in the Nation's Capitol; 

H.R. 2223, to amend the act popularly known as the Recreation and
Public Purposes Act to authorize transfers of certain public lands or
national forest lands to local education agencies for use for
elementary or secondary schools, including public charter schools, and
for other purposes; 

H.R. 2776, to amend the Morristown NHP enabling legislation to
authorize the acquisition of the Warren property; 

H.R. 1042, to amend the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor
Act of 1984 to extend the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor
Commission;

H.R. 1894, to reauthorize the Delaware Water Gap NRA Citizen Advisory
Commission for ten additional years;

H.R. 2993, to provide for the collection of fees for the making of
motion pictures, television productions and sound tracks in the
National Park System and National Wildlife Refuge System units, and for
other purposes; and 

H.R. 3047, to authorize the expansion of Fort Davis NHS by 16 acres.

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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