NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, January 26, 1999

INCIDENTS

98-309 - Great Smoky Mountains (NC/TN) - Follow-up: Death of Ranger

The trial of J.L., charged with the first degree murder of ranger
Joe Kolodski, continues in federal court.  Among those who have testified so
far have been several civilian witnesses, a pathologist, and the two Cherokee
game wardens who first apprehended J.L.  The handler for the dog that
tracked J.L. testified at considerable length on Friday and Monday, and was
followed by FBI forensics experts.  [Jack Ramsden, John Mattox, GRSM, 1/24-
25]

98-791 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Hazmat Investigation

In September, 1998, rangers received a tip that a contractor paid to remove
hazmat materials from the park several months previously had instead
illegally placed barrels containing the materials on the beach.  An
investigation was begun by acting chief ranger Mark Foust, with the
assistance of the DOI Office of the Inspector General.  Investigators quickly
ascertained that hazmat containers had in fact been deposited on the beach. 
The investigation is being pursued with active assistance from the
Intermountain Region support office in Santa Fe, the U.S. attorney's office,
the FBI, EPA, and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission. 
Additional information on the investigation will appear in future editions of
the Morning Report.  Any rangers or investigators interested in learning more
about contractor fraud in this case can contact SA Phil Young via cc:Mail at
NP-SWRO-OSFT.  [Phil Young, SA, IMSO, 1/25]

99-19 - Zion NP (UT) - Falling Fatality

On Thursday, January 21st, S.S., 20, of Springdale, Utah, was killed
when she fell 150 feet while climbing the Mountain of the Sun canyoneering
route.  S.S. was climbing with a group of friends and was near the end of
the route.  She was trying to release a jammed rope from their previous
rappel when a rock dislodged, causing her to lose her balance and fall.  The
remaining members of the group did not have a rope long enough to complete
the final rappel.  At 6 p.m., an employee of Zion Lodge heard shouting from
the cliffs above the lodge and contacted park dispatch.  John Hannon, the
first ranger to arrive on scene, found S.S.'s body.  The others in the
group tied ropes, a sling, belts and packs together and lowered them to
rescuers, who attached a 300-foot rope which they pulled up to them.  They
then rappelled down.  S.S.'s body was removed that evening.  The five-hour
operation was conducted in darkness by 15 park employees from all divisions
and three climbers from the local community who train with park staff.  Scott
Brown was IC.  [Tom Haraden, ACI, ZION, 1/23]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

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

Thursday, February 25, 10 a.m.

House Interior Appropriation Subcommittee (Regula): Hearing on the Department
of Interior's FY00 budget request.

Wednesday, March 3, 10 a.m.

House Interior Appropriation Subcommittee (Regula): Hearing on recreation fee
program oversight.  Date tentative.

Thursday, March 18, 10 a.m.

House Interior Appropriation Subcommittee (Regula): Hearing on the National
Park Service's FY00 budget request.  Date tentative.

Floor Action

No votes scheduled.  The following bills either directly or indirectly
pertaining to the NPS have already been introduced in this session of the
106th Congress:

o     H.R. 236 (Rogan, CA) - A bill to exempt prescribed burning on National
      Forest System lands from regulation under the Clean Air Act;
o     H.R. 231 (Regula, OH) - To provide for the retention of the name of
      Mount McKinley;
o     H.R. 193 (Meehan, MA) - A bill to designate a portion of the Sudbury,
      Assabet, and Concord Rivers as a component of the National Wild and
      Scenic Rivers System;
o     H.R. 171 (LoBiondo, NJ) - A bill to authorize appropriations for the
      Coastal Heritage Trail Route in New Jersey, and for other purposes;
o     H.R. 168 (Lantos, CA) - A bill to revise the boundaries of the Golden
      Gate National Recreation Area, and for other purposes;
o     H.R. 154 (Hefley, CO) - A bill to provide for the collection of fees
      for the making of motion pictures, television productions, and sound
      tracks in National Park System and National Wildlife Refuge System
      units, and for other purposes;
o     H.R. 149 (Hansen, UT) - A bill to make technical corrections to the
      Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996;
o     H.R. 139 (Franks, NJ) - To provide for the extension of the New Jersey
      Coastal Heritage Trail into the Township of Woodbridge, New Jersey;
o     H.R. 66 (Wilson, NM) - A bill to preserve the cultural resources of the
      Route 66 corridor and to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
      provide assistance;
o     H.R. 64 (Bereuter, NE) - A bill to require the Secretary of the
      Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the
      Lewis & Clark Expedition, and for other purposes;
o     H.R. 54 (Gilman, NY) - A bill to extend the authorization for the Upper
      Delaware Citizens Advisory Council;
o     H.R. 20 (Gilman, NY) - A bill to authorize the Secretary of the
      Interior to construct and operate a visitor center for the Upper
      Delaware Scenic and Recreational River on land owned by the State of
      New York;
o     S. 25 (Landrieu, LA) - A bill to provide Coastal Impact Assistance to
      State and local governments, to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands
      Act Amendments of 1978, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of
      1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act, and the Federal Aid
      in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the Pittman-
      Robertson Act) to establish a fund to meet the outdoor conservation and
      recreation needs of the American people, and for other purposes;
o     S. 28 (Hatch, UT) - A bill to authorize an interpretive center and
      related visitor facilities within the Four Corners Monument Tribal
      Park, and for other purposes;
o     S. 66 (Moynihan, NY) - A bill to establish the Kate Mullany National
      Historic Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes;
o     S. 81 (McCain, AZ) - A bill to authorize the Federal Aviation
      Administration to establish rules governing park overflights;
o     S. 109 (Coverdell, GA) - A bill to improve protection and management of
      the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in the State of
      Georgia;
o     S. 134 (Feingold, WI) - A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior
      to study whether the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore should be
      protected as a wilderness area; 
o     S. 140 (Moynihan, NY) - A bill to establish the Thomas Cole National
      Historic Site in the State of New York as an affiliated area of the
      National Park System, and for other purposes;
o     S. 144 (Graham, FL) - A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior
      to review the suitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness
      Preservation System of the Everglades expansion area; 
o     S. 167 (Moynihan, NY) - A bill to extend the authorization for the
      Upper Delaware Citizens Advisory Council and to authorize construction
      and operation of a visitor center for the Upper Delaware Scenic and
      Recreational River, New York and Pennsylvania; 
o     H.R. 393 (Miller, CA) - A bill to amend the Uranium Mill Tailings
      Radiation Control Act of 1978 to provide for the remediation of the
      Atlas uranium milling site near Moab, Utah; and 
o     S. 292 (Domenici, NM) - A bill to preserve the cultural resources of
      the Route 66 corridor and to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
      provide assistance. 

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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