NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, February 19, 1999

INCIDENTS

98-745 - Bandelier NM (NM) - Follow-up: ARPA Conviction

On the afternoon of March 1, 1998, ranger Dale Coker responded to an
electronic sensor alarm installed at an archeological site on neighboring
DOE-managed land, which is patrolled and protected by the park through an
interagency agreement.  The site had been looted intermittently since July,
1997.  Coker found B.C., 35, of Santa Fe, actively digging a new hole
at the site.  On December 4, 1998, B.C. pled guilty in federal district
court to one felony count under ARPA and agreed to pay $5,234 in restitution
for rehabilitation costs.  On February 17th, B.C. was sentenced to five
years' probation and 100 hours of community service - 20 hours of
archeological resource protection educational efforts annually, supervised by
the NPS.  [Phil Young, SA, Intermountain SO, 2/18]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Yellowstone NP (WY) - Follow-up: Wolf Reintroduction

Park biologists have successfully captured and radio-collared 24 wolves from
seven packs in and near the park as part of the monitoring and recovery plan
approved in 1995.  This brings the number of wolves collared in the greater
Yellowstone area to 55 out of a total population of 111.  Wolves were
reintroduced to the park in January 1995 (14 wolves) and 1996 (17 wolves) as
a non-essential experimental population under the Endangered Species Act. 
Federal law requires that a recovered gray wolf population be documented in
each of three recovery areas (Yellowstone, central Idaho, and northwestern
Montana) before the wolves can be removed from the endangered species list. 
A recovered population is defined as a minimum of ten pairs of wolves that
have successfully bred for three successive years in each of the recovery
areas.  The radio-collaring effort will enable park biologists to continue to
track reintroduced wolves and their offspring and to determine if and when a
recovered wolf population has been achieved.  Since wolves were reintroduced
into the park in 1995, 69 animals have been captured and radio-collared with
only one loss.  [PIO, YELL, 2/18]

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Solicitor's Ruling on Enforcement Outside Parks - The Office of the Solicitor
has just issued a memorandum (February 17, 1999) regarding the Service's
authority to make arrests outside of park boundaries.  The memorandum states
in part that "the NPS may legally continue its long-standing administration
of its statutory authorities for providing emergency law enforcement
assistance to localities when authorized under State law and a General
Agreement (MOU) with the locality."  The solicitor's ruling stems from a
court case which cast doubt on the Service's authority to make arrests
outside of parks.  Department of Justice attorneys were consulted, and they
concurred with DOI's position.  Those interested in obtaining a copy of the
memorandum should contact their respective regional ranger activities
offices.  [Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO]

Facility Management Software System Update - The work group developing
technical specifications for the proposed replacement software for the MMS
and ICAP programs has completed its two-week project meeting, held at Mather
Training Center.  The work group submitted drafts of the technical
specifications, implementation plan, market research findings and
communication strategy to WASO's Park Facility management Division last week. 
A presentation on the group's work will be made to the Servicewide
maintenance advisory council at its next meeting in San Francisco on Monday. 
A cc:Mail mailbox has been established for questions or comments about the
proposed facility management software system (FMSS) and the NPS facility
management program, which includes FMSS, a training strategy, an inventory
and condition assessment plan, and an implementation strategy.  To send
questions or comments about either, please address your messages to "NPS
Facility Management Plan."  Further information will appear on the
maintenance bulletin board and in the Morning Report.  [Rick Shireman,
FMD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests
pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your servicing hub
coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

                                 --- ### ---