NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, January 29, 1999

INCIDENTS

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

The trial of J.L. for the first degree murder of ranger Joe
Kolodski continues.  The prosecution rested on Wednesday and the defense
began calling witnesses.  The defense argued that J.L. was too intoxicated
to either remember or commit the shooting.  A forensic psychiatrist testified
that the combination of alcohol, exercise, diabetes medication and lack of
food could account for J.L.'s lack of recall of the events of June 21st and
would also make it difficult for him to think and plan ahead.  The first
character witness for J.L. was the principal chief for the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians, who knew him as a quiet student in school and as a "quiet,
church-going man."  She acknowledged the sadness in the community over the
loss of Kolodski, who worked and taught with Cherokee EMS, and the
possibility that a member of the community committed the crime.  The main
witness for the defense, however, was J.L.  He recounted events leading up
to getting his car stuck in the mud near the scene of the shooting, but
claimed to have no recollection of any event thereafter.  J.L. said he
remembered being questioned by the Cherokee game wardens who apprehended him
on the evening of the 21st, about three hours after the shooting.  Possible
contradictions to his reported lack of memory were brought out by the
prosecution with each of the witnesses.  J.L.'s ability to plan an assault,
his state of mind, and his intentions on that day have been the major points
of dispute between the U.S. attorney and the defense.  [Jack Ramsden,
Communications Center, GRSM, 1/28]

99-24 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Poaching

Two elk kill sites were found along Coastal Drive on January 21st.  On the
following day, NPS and state park rangers joined state fish and game wardens
in executing a search warrant at a residence in Klamath.  They found and
confiscated two Roosevelt elk carcasses, a .22 caliber rifle and ammunition,
a spotlight, a small quantity of marijuana, and other items.  Evidence will
be sent to the state crime lab to match the elk DNA with DNA recovered from
the two sites in the park.  Federal and state wildlife charges are pending. 
One of the suspects is a convicted felon; additional charges for possession
of the rifle may accordingly be sought.  [David Bauer, PR, REDW, 1/28]

99-25 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MS/AL/TN) - Assault

On January 25th, D.C., 25, of Cloverdale, Alabama, was traveling along
the parkway when a vehicle approached from behind.  As it came closer, the
driver began flashing the vehicle's lights and turned on its emergency
flashers.  D.C. accordingly pulled over.  The driver approached D.C. and told
him to stay away from a woman they both were seeing.  A fight ensued, during
which the driver of the other vehicle pulled out a firearm which discharged
and struck D.C. in his left arm.  The driver then got back in his car and
drove off.  D.C. was able to drive home and call for assistance.  The
investigation continues.  [Tim Francis, ACR, NATR, 1/27]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Assateague Island NS (MD/VA) - Return of Rare Species

Last August, a park wildlife technician discovered sea beach amaranth growing
in the park.  Sea beach amaranth is a threatened species under the federal
Endangered Species Act and had not been recorded in the park for 32 years. 
The plant must grow each year from a seed presumed to have adapted to
transportation by salt water and possibly very long-lived.  The plant grows
on open, often recently overwashed upper beach areas of barrier islands and
spits and is regarded as an indicator of unimpaired natural shoreline
processes.  It is a "fugitive" species that does not tolerate competition
from other plants.  The number of plants at any given location may fluctuate
greatly, and the plant may suddenly disappear or appear from an area from
year to year.  It has been considered extirpated from most states throughout
its historic range from Massachusetts to South Carolina.  Shoreline 
development has undoubtedly interfered with creation of new habitat where sea
beach amaranth can disperse and maintain its population.  As of 1998, the
species was known to exist only on Long Island and in the Carolinas.  NPS
wildlife technician Shanna Ramsey found a single plant on Assateague while
she was monitoring piping plovers.  Ramsey's familiarity with the plant from
previous work at Cape Lookout NS was crucial in her recognizing the small
plant.  A subsequent parkwide search located only one other plant, which was
growing nearby.  In late August, storm surges from Hurricane Bonnie
threatened both plants as they were beginning to produce fruit.  While sea
beach amaranth seeds are well adapted to salt water transport, growing plants
have little tolerance for salt water inundation.  Because of the potential
importance of these two plants for restoring the species in the mid-Atlantic
gap between known populations, a decision to intervene was made by the park,
the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.  One entire plant was removed, while branch cuttings were taken from
the second plant, leaving the root system and central stem in place in hopes
that it might survive and produce fruit on site.  Volunteer horticultural
staff from the Adkins Arboretum provided invaluable expertise in
transplanting the cuttings.  The locations of both plants were subsequently
inundated, and the plant left in place died soon thereafter.  Branch cuttings
survived, but did poorly and failed to produce viable seed.  The intact plant
thrived in a greenhouse, producing hundreds of apparently viable seeds.  The
different responses of cuttings and rooted plant were the reverse of previous
experience with transplanting the species.  The park and Fish and Wildlife
Service will be funding a seed production effort by the Maryland Department
of Agriculture and the University of Kentucky to produce the thousands of
seeds needed for an experimental restoration.  Since propagating this number
of seeds would take two generations of plants, it's anticipated that
reintroduction will be undertaken in 2000.  As it is possible, and perhaps
likely, that a seed bank exists on the island, intensive searches will be
made in 1999 to attempt to locate naturally recruited plants. [Chris Lea,
ASIS, 1/25]

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

"Recruitment: National All-Risk Incident Management Team," signed on January
15th by the associate director for park operations and education and sent to
all regional directors, associate regional directors for operations and
superintendents.  The reply due date is February 15th.  The text follows:

"With the concurrence of their superintendents, Skip Brooks, Colonial
National Historical Park and J.D. Swed, Denali National Park, have been
appointed as co-incident commanders (serving on a rotational basis) for the
National Park Service Type I All-Risk Incident Management Team.   

"In addition, we are currently accepting applications for several vacant
positions on this national incident management team.  The vacant positions
include:

o     Information Officer
o     Safety Officer (two positions)
o     Planning Section Chief
o     Operations Section Chief
o     Logistics Section Chief
o     Finance Section Chief

"This team maintains two designated members for each position.  Availability
for callouts rotates with a counterpart, usually on a monthly basis. 
Individuals selected for these positions are expected to serve for at least
one 3-year period.  Applications must include supervisory approval to serve
on this team.  We particularly encourage members of the regional Type II All-
Risk Incident Management Teams to consider applying for the national team.

"Interested applicants should forward a r,sum,, including a detailed summary
of incident management experience, training, and qualifications to Rick Gale,
Deputy Chief Ranger, at the National Park Service Fire Management Program
Center, at 3833 South Development Avenue, Boise, Idaho 83705.  Applications
must be postmarked by February 15, 1999.

"This team is critical to the National Park Service's ability to manage
large, complex, preplanned events and emergency responses, and provides
outstanding management experience for qualified National Park Service
employees.  Your support of this ongoing program is greatly appreciated."

INTERCHANGE

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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