NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, September 28, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-612 - Southeast Region - Hurricane Georges

A number of parks in Southeast Region are either recovering from the
hurricane's impacts or are still weathering it as it slowly moves inland:

o     San Juan NHS (PR) - Power is still out at the park.  Some generators
      arrived on Saturday; more should be delivered to the park on Tuesday
      and Wednesday.

o     Biscayne NP (FL) - The park was closed on Tuesday afternoon as the
      hurricane approached, but reopened on Sunday morning.  Park facilities
      suffered only minimal damage from tropical storm force winds on
      Thursday and Friday.  All employees are okay.  Margie Ortiz was IC.

o     Big Cypress NP (FL) - All but seven employees were released on Friday
      and evacuated from the area, which was under a mandatory evacuation
      order.  Storm damage was very minor - a few trees and window screens. 
      There was no storm surge.  Power, water and phone service continued
      without interruption.  Hurricane shutters were removed over the weekend
      and the park is back in operation today.

o     Dry Tortugas NP (FL) - The park, which includes Fort Jefferson, was
      struck by sustained winds of 100 mph for about two hours.  Employees
      rode out the storm in their residences and were joined by hundreds of
      birds seeking refuge.  A preliminary assessment revealed the following:
      damage to slate roofs on two residences, water damage to paint in the
      visitor center, numerous downed trees, several broken antennas, and
      damage to parts of the sea wall.  Clean up should take three to four
      days.  Some members of the staff report significant damage to their
      homes in the Keys.

o     Everglades NP (FL) - The park's northwest districts began to return to
      full operations (with limited interpretive and concession services) on
      Saturday.  The main park road and entrance remains closed due to an
      extensive amount of vegetation blocking the roadway and over 100 trees
      down in Flamingo.  Access to the Florida Bay district offices is
      limited because of the closure of highways to the Keys, although
      patrols of the bay and other areas of the park continued throughout the
      storm's passage.  All employees are safe and report only minimal
      property damage.  Both Everglades and Dry Tortugas continue to function
      under ICS.  It's expected that full operations will resume in both
      areas by the end of the week.

o     Gulf Islands NS (FL/MI) - The park activated its hurricane plan last
      Friday.  Islands in Mississippi were evacuated, and mandatory
      evacuations were ordered for Florida side of the park.  All employees
      were released except for a few protection rangers who remained on duty
      in each district.  Rangers in the Florida District are patrolling
      evacuated areas with Gulf Breeze police and Escambia County deputies.

o     Jean Lafitte NHP&P/New Orleans Jazz NHP (LA) - The parks closed at noon
      on Friday and all employees were released to secure private property. 
      Employees will be using Natchez Trace NHP for emergency notification
      and contact both during and after the hurricane.  

[Ken Garvin, SERO, 9/25-28; Joe O'Haver, BICY, 9/25-26; JR Tomasovic, GUIS,
9/25-26; Rob Shanks, BISC, 9/26; Maureen McGee-Ballinger, EVER, 9/26; Roberta
D'Amico, EVER, 9/27; Jim Carson, JELA/JAZZ, 9/27; Rick Black, SAJU, 9/27]

                       [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE/INCIDENT ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Thu      Sun    %  Est
State      Unit             Fire/Incident     IMT    9/24     9/27  Con Con
-----      ----             -------------     ---    ----     ----  --- ---

PR   Roosevelt Roads NB     Hurricane Georges T1     Distribution center
     Caribbean NF           Hurricane Georges T1     Clean-up operations

FL   Jacksonville           Hurricane Georges T1     Distribution center

AL   Montgomery             Hurricane Georges T1     Distribution center

LA   Camp Beauregard        Hurricane Georges T1     Distribution center

                                  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; FUT = Interagency
            Fire Use Management Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown
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
                    ---    ---      ---     ---    ------   ----     ----
Thursday, 9/24       1      1         1       0       36     23        62
Friday, 9/25         0      6         3       0       47      8        64
Saturday, 9/26       0      2         4       0       34     10        50
Sunday, 9/27         0      2         3       0       55     11        71

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead
                  ----      -------    -----------    ----------   --------
Thursday, 9/24      13         97          13             2             7
Friday, 9/25        14         85           7             2           213
Saturday, 9/26      25         81           6             4           201
Sunday, 9/27        15         77           9             2           239

CURRENT SITUATION

Fire activity remains minimal.  Five national Type 1 teams have been
committed to Hurricane Georges relief and recovery efforts.  One is leading
clean-up efforts in Caribbean NF, three are geared up to assist affected
southern states with dissemination of supplies, and the fifth is actively
engaged in supporting local communities in Puerto Rico.  The team has so far
received the following for dissemination as needed - 820,000 gallons of
water, 3,000 cots, 11,000 blankets, 240,000 pounds of ice and 21,000 rolls of
plastic.

Very high and extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in Nebraska,
Oregon, Colorado and Kansas.

No fire weather watches or warnings have been posted for today.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/24-28]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS CALENDAR

Two calendars alternate in the Morning Report on Mondays - this one, which
contains meetings, seminars, conferences and events, and a second, which
contains workshops and training courses.  If you know of a conference,
meeting, workshop or training session with Servicewide interest and
implications, please send the information along.  

Entries are listed no earlier than FOUR months before the event, EXCEPT in
instances in which registration dates close much earlier.  Asterisks indicate
new entries; brackets at end of entry indicate source of information. 
Brevity is appreciated.

Dates:      October 10 - 13   
Meeting:    Third Biennial North American Water Trails Conference/Chesapeake
            Water Trails Workshop
Location:   National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV
Details:    Topics include access, stewardship, building partnerships, and
            reducing conflicts.  There will be a presentation by Parks Canada
            and field trips on October 10th.
Closes:     Not given, but registration will be limited.
Contact:    Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Phone/fax:  717-236-8825; 717-236-9019
E-mail:     acbpa@pipeline.com
Submitter:  Don Briggs, RTCAP Potomac Field Office, PSO

Dates:      October 13 - 16 
Meeting:    Seventh Annual Watchable Wildlife Conference
Location:   Albuquerque, NM
Details:    $199
Closes:     Registration closing date: Not given.
Contact:    Diana Trujillo
Phone/fax:  505-248-6821; ---
E-mail:     diana_trujillo@fws.gov
Submitter:  Kathy Jope, PNRO

Dates:      October 15        
Meeting:    Call for Papers: "On the Frontiers of Conservation: Discovery,
            Reappraisal, and Innovation," Tenth Conference on Research and
            Resource Management in Parks and on Public Lands
Location:   Asheville, NC
Details:    The conference will not be held until March 22-26, 1999, but the
            deadline for papers is October 15th.  Abstracts are welcome on
            any topic related to research, resource management, and education
            in parks and protected areas, and from any field in cultural or
            natural resources.  There will be a management track to highlight
            case studies and practical applications, a track for research
            findings and policy discussions, and a regionally-focused
            Appalachian issues track.
Closes:     N/A
Contact:    George Wright Society
Phone/fax:  906-487-9722; 906-487-9405
E-mail:     gws@mail.portup.com; www.portup.com/~gws/ gws99.html
Submitter:  Dave Harmon, GWS; Bob Krumenaker, SHEN

Dates:      October 24  
Event:      35th Anniversary, Horace Albright Training Center
Location:   Grand Canyon NP, AZ
Details:    An open house and evening program will take place on the 24th. 
            If you are a former training manager, instructor or student,
            please send along your tales, impressions, thoughts or memories
            regarding the center.
Contact:    Bob Karotko
Phone/fax:  520-638-7988; 520-638-2953
E-mail:     Bob Karotko at NP-HOAL
Submitter:  Same

Dates:      October 24  
Event:      25th Anniversary, Opening of Alcatraz
Location:   Golden Gate NRA, CA     
Details:    Tentative plans are for a day-long celebration and re-dedication
            on Saturday, October 24th.  An overnight stay is included.  The
            park is attempting to contact every NPS employee "who has ever
            done time on the Rock."  
Contact:    Jim MacDonald or John Cantwell
Phone/fax:  415-705-1045; ---
E-mail:     GOGA Alcatraz at NP-GOGA, or goga_alcatraz@nps.gov
Submitter:  John Cantwell, GOGA

Dates:      October 27 - 30 *
Meeting:    Tenth Annual Meeting, Federal Preservation Forum
Location:   BLM Conference Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Details:    Conference on current issues of importance to federal cultural
            resource preservation professionals, including revised section
            106 regs, NAGPRA and federal archeology issues, development of
            CRM data standards, cultural landscapes, and Native American
            issues.  Registration is $40 through October 16th, $50
            thereafter.  For further details, see the FPF web page, located
            at www.ca.blm.gov/cdd/1998fpf.html
Closes:     Registration closing date: Early registration runs through
            October 16th, but you can also register on site.
Contact:    Jan Townsend
Phone/fax:  703-440-1678; ---
E-mail:     jtownsen@bellatlantic.net
Submitter:  Anne Vawser, MWAC

Dates:      October 31 *
Meeting:    "Eisenhower and Korea: The Forgotten War," Third Annual
            Eisenhower Seminar
Location:   Cyclorama Center, Gettysburg NMP, PA
Details:    This year's seminar examines the Korean War during the 45th
            anniversary year of its armistice.  A diverse group of historians
            and veterans will offer their perspectives on how the war
            started, the Truman-McArthur controversy, the GI in Korea, battle
            action, and Eisenhower and the end of the war.  Registration is
            $40.
Closes:     Registration closing date: N/A
Contact:    Eisenhower NHS
Phone/fax:  717-338-9114; ---
E-mail:     John Joyce at NP-EISE
Submitter:  Same

Dates:      November 5 - 7 # (change in title of meeting)
Meeting:    Annual Woodland Indian National Conference
Location:   Porter, Indiana
Details:    The theme of the annual conference is trade on southern Lake
            Michigan from 1634-1834.  The conference will bring together
            anthropologists, Native Americans, archeologists, historians and
            other subject matter experts on the 200 year period of Lake
            Michigan fur trading.
Closes:     Registration closing date: Not given.
Contact:    Laura Gundrum, INDU
Phone/fax:  219-926-7561 x 232; 219-926-7561 x 537
E-mail:     npsindu@niia.net
Submitter:  Laura Gundrum, INDU

Dates:      November 12 - 14 *
Meeting:    Washita Symposium: Past, Present and Future
Location:   Washita Battlefield NHS, OK
Details:    The park is celebrating its first anniversary with a symposium/ 
            There will be a bus trip to Fort Supply State Historic Site and a
            tour of the battlefield on the 13th; speakers on the 14th include
            historians, archeologists, and representatives from the Arapaho,
            Cheyenne, Kiowa and Osage.  Individual presentations will be
            followed by panel discussions.  The symposium concludes with a
            banquet on Saturday night.
Closes:     Registration closing date: N/A.
Contact:    Steve Black, WABA
Phone/fax:  580-497-2742; ---
E-mail:     Stephen Black at NP--SWR
Submitter:  Same

Dates:      November 16 - 19
Meeting:    NPS Leadership Seminar
Location:   Mather Training Center, Harpers Ferry, WV
Details:    Essentially the same as the leadership seminars of the past two
            years, but 32 hours long.  Offered to all employees who did not
            attend the earlier seminar.  Tuition is $500 - $300 for
            Benchmarks, which will be covered by an NPF grant for small parks
            with operating budgets of less than $600,000.
Closes:     Registration closing date: October 7th.
Contact:    Susan Cook, Homestead NMA
Phone/fax:  402-223-3514; 402-223-4231
E-mail:     HOME Administration (Susan Cook) at NP-HOME
Submitter:  Jim Bellamy

Dates:      December 7 - 9 
Meeting:    School for Scanning: Issues of Preservation and Access for Paper-
            Based Collections
Location:   Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, New Orleans, LA
Details:    Conference on digital technology, equipping participants to
            select applicable technology and make critical decisions in the
            management of digital projects.  $255 until October 15th; $325
            thereafter.
Closes:     Registration closing date: Early registration runs through
            October 15th, late registration through November 18th.
Contact:    Ginny Hughes
Phone/fax:  978-470-1010; 9780475-6021
E-mail:     ghughes@nedcc.org
Submitter:  Diane Vogt O'Connor, CSD/WASO

Dates:      December 8 - 12
Meeting:    Association of National Park Rangers' Rendezvous XXIII
Location:   Holiday Inn City Center Hotel, Tucson, AZ
Details:    Invited keynote speakers include Director Stanton, Assistant
            Secretary Barry and Senator McCain.  Panels and workshops will be
            held on current NPS issues of interest to all employees.  pre-
            registration information will be sent to all members in the near
            future.  Hotel reservations can be made by calling 520-624-8711.
Contact:    Bill Wade
Phone/fax:  520-615-9417; ---
E-mail:     jwbillwade@aol.com
Submitter:  Same

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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