NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, March 4, 1999

INCIDENTS

98-798 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Poaching Conviction

On the morning of October 24, 1998, rangers in the park's Western Maryland
District were operating a decoy deer in an abandoned apple orchard near the
canal towpath.  They saw J.G. drive slowly past the decoy, then return a
few minutes later, get out of his vehicle, and fire one round at the decoy
from his muzzleloader rifle.  J.G. was cited for taking wildlife in the park
and his weapon was seized.  He appeared in magistrate's court on February
19th and entered a guilty plea.  The magistrate fined him $1,000 and ordered
his rifle and scope forfeited to the government.  [Mark Spier, CHOH, 2/26]

99-63 - Vicksburg NMP (MS) - Special Event

The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 21st.  Centennial
activities began with rededication ceremonies on Saturday, February 20th, at
the General Stephen Lee (CSA) and Captain William Rigby (USA) monuments, with
Lee's great grandsons and Rigby's granddaughter speaking in tribute to their
military service and accomplishments.  It was through the efforts of these
two men, who became the best of friends after the war, that the park was
established in 1899.  Lee and Rigby, fittingly, were named the park's first
commissioners.  The ceremony was followed by a reception attended by U.S.
senator Thad Cochran and by a concert of Civil War music presented by the
renowned musician Bobby Horton.  A day-long reception was held at the park on
Sunday.  At 3 p.m., Grant's Canal in Madison Parish, Louisiana, was
officially dedicated.  The area commemorates the place where Grant had his
troops attempt to dig a canal through Desoto Point and bypass Vicksburg's
batteries and where the second engagement of black troops occurred during the
Civil War.  The land was made available through a private donation and
federal legislation which passed in 1990.  The park constructed a new parking
area, walkways and three wayside exhibits and replaced a missing State of
Louisiana bronze highway tablet.  [Greg Zeman, VICK, 3/1]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Olympic NP (WA) - Winter Trail Maintenance

Hurricane Ridge Road and the park's winter use area have been closed for a
month due to the over 22 feet of snow that have fallen on the area. 
Hurricane District rangers and volunteers have been monitoring avalanche
conditions daily to ensure the safety of the park's snow removal crew, and
have also been busy completing resource management and low-elevation trail
maintenance projects.  Over ten miles of trail have been cleared of damage
caused by wind storms, including the Heart O' Forest, Geyser Valley, West
Elwha and Griff Creek trails.  Rangers and volunteers have also continued
removing non-native Scotch broom along the parkway; more than 200 plants have
been pulled to date.  [Curt Sauer, OLYM, 3/1]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

The former "Park Dispatches" section has been renamed and revised and will
now include, on an experimental basis, BRIEF entries regarding park
employees, including position openings and retirements - both at the repeated
request of readers from across the NPS.  If the section proves unmanageable,
it may be pared back or eliminated.  So keep your notes brief, with a name
and phone number and/or cc:Mail address for further info.

Acadia NP - Chief ranger Norm Dodge is retiring on June 30th after 20 plus
years as chief at Acadia and 35 years as a ranger.  His GS-0025-13 position
has been announced, with a closing date of March 15th.  If you're interested,
the announcement number is ACAD-99-01, and the contact is Catherine James,
who can be reached by name on cc:Mail at NP-ACAD or at 207-288-9561.

Canyonlands NP - Walt Dabney, current superintendent of Canyonlands NP and
the Southeast Utah Group and past chief ranger for the NPS, will be retiring
shortly after almost 30 years of federal service and will become director for
state parks in Texas.  A send-off will take place in Moab on April 10th.  For
info on commemorative activities, contact Penny Jones by name via cc:Mail or
at 435-259-3911 x 2103 as soon as possible.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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