NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, March 9, 1999

                           *** SPECIAL NOTICE ***

All flags are to lowered to half staff today, Tuesday, March 9, 1999, in
tribute to Supreme Court associate justice Harry A. Blackmun.  Flags will
return to full staff on the morning of March 10th.

INCIDENTS

99-68 - Biscayne NP (FL) - Probable Drowning

An intense storm blew through park waters early on the afternoon of March 3rd
and capsized a vessel near Stiltsville.  The boat's two occupants, F.U.
and A.V., immediately became separated in the rough seas.  F.U.
was able to swim to one of the nearby stilt houses.  After the storm cleared,
F.U. sought and found A.V. floating face down in the water.  He retrieved
A.V.'s body, returned to the same stilt house, and awaited assistance. 
Nearly six hours later, he was able to flag down a passing vessel and was
rescued.  F.U. was suffering from hypothermia by that time.  Officers from
the Florida Marine Patrol are leading the investigation.  The boat has not
yet been found.  [David Pharo, PR, BISC, 3/4]

99-69 - Mount Rainier NP (WA) - Special Event

The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on March 2nd.  The commemoration of
the centennial began with a flag-raising ceremony with a staff color guard
and an ROTC drill team.  Events included interpretive programs, a narrative
slide show by author Ruth Kirk, and snowshoe walks and cross-country ski
tours at Longmire and Paradise.  A replica of the mountain in the form of a
230-pound birthday cake was cut and served.  A special pictorial centennial
stamp cancellation was available, as was a centennial commemorative coin. 
Other activities are planned for throughout the year in the park and outside
communities.  The weather was beautiful, and the road to Paradise was open
for the first time in days.  The park has had near record snowfall this
year - a total of 832 inches at Paradise (281 inches still on the ground) and
50 inches at Longmire.  [Becky Ingle, MORA, 3/5]

99-70 - Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - Special Event

The annual "Sand Drags and Mud Bog," sponsored by the West Texas Outlaws, was
held just outside the Rosita Flats area of the park on the weekend of
February 26th through the 28th.  The sand drag is a timed-light event
involving ATVs, four-by-four vehicles, stocked jeeps, home-built dune
buggies, and modified and experimental vehicles.  The event drew 240 entries
and approximately 26,000 people; competitors came from as far away as Oregon,
California, Ohio, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico.  About 500 people camped
in the park each night.  Rangers issued 17 violation notices for operating
without a safety helmet, six for minors in possession of alcohol, one for
DUI, and one for operating with an open container of alcohol in a motor
vehicle.  They also made 100 verbal warnings.  Two accidents occurred outside
the park; both patients were flown to the hospital via helicopter.  [CRO,
LAMR, 3/2]

99-71 - Petroglyph NM (NM) - Suicide

The body of B.C., 54, was found on the top of Butte Volcano in the
northwest corner of the park on February 16th.  A container of anti-freeze
was found beside him, and indications are that his death was a suicide.  The
body was reported by a visitor who said he'd seen B.C. sitting there the
previous day.  When the visitor returned on the 16th and saw that B.C. was
not moving, he reported the incident to the county sheriff's office. 
Meanwhile, ranger Fermin Salas was trying to find B.C., as his unattended
vehicle had been parked near the park boundary since the 14th.  Salas spoke
to B.C.'s roommate on the 16th and determined that B.C. had been missing
since the 14th and that he had personal and financial problems.  Salas
returned to the vehicle to begin a search and encountered officers who were
responding to the report of the discovery of B.C.'s body.  Although autopsy
results are not yet available, the coroner believes that the death was a
suicide through ingestion of the anti-freeze.  [Michael Quijano, CR, PETR,
2/23 and 2/25]

99-72 - American Memorial Park (Saipan) - Attempted Suicide

On the evening of March 5th, a park visitor reported an injured person behind
the amphitheater.  Rangers Chuck Sayon and Robert Mitsuyasu responded and
found 30-year-old S.P. lying on a bench over a large pool of blood. 
He was unresponsive and bleeding from a deep laceration to his left wrist.  A
double-edged razor was found on the adjacent table.  The rangers treated
S.P. until local fire and ambulance personnel arrived on scene.  Local
authorities said that S.P. attempted suicide by similar methods last year. 
Alcohol may have been a contributing factor.  An investigation is pending. 
[Robert Mitsuyasu, Acting CR, AMME, 3/6]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Cultural Resource Training - The cultural resource training initiative for FY
2000 has been announced.  For a copy of the program announcement, application
and selection criteria, contact Michael Auer via cc:Mail at NP-WASO-HPS or
call him at 202-343-9594.  Please specify whether you want the material to be
sent to you in Microsoft Word or in Word Perfect.  Although the application
is available electronically, submissions must be in paper format.  The
application deadline is June 15th; awards will be announced around September
15th.

Office Change - The CIRS (Criminal Incident Reporting System) office is
moving from SERO to Building 64 at FLETC and should be up and running at that
location by March 15th.  Bob Reid, the CIRS program manager, can be reached
by phone, at least temporarily, at 912-267-2245.  His Lotus Notes email
address is Robert W. Reid/OPER/WASO/NPS/DOI.

Internships in Ergonomics/General Industrial Hygiene - The NPS Risk
Management Division, in conjunction with DOI's Office of Managing Risk and
Public Safety, is seeking parks to place graduate and/or senior
undergraduates for internships this summer.  Certified industrial hygienists
will guide work assignments.  The variety of tasks performed by park
employees varies greatly - from office work and fee collection to trail and
road construction, and fire fighting.  Reduction in preventable injuries may
be possible by addressing ergonomic (equipment design and usage) issues
associated with some of these tasks.  General industrial hygiene (safety)
evaluations may also need to be considered in some units and facilities to
reduce the potential for hearing loss and respiratory injury/illness from
fumes, gases, mists and particulates.  Hazard communication training, job
safety analyses, environmental sampling, and assessments for occupational and
environmental health injury and illness issues in the workplace may be other
considerations.  Parks or units interested in summer interns that can provide
funding at the GS-4 salary level for undergraduates and the GS-5 salary level
for graduate students should contact their regional safety managers.  For
further information, contact either Tim Radtke, Department of Interior,
Office of Managing Risk and Public Safety (303-236-7130, ext. 226, or 
tim_radtke@ios.doi.gov), or Claudia Finney, Risk Management Office, WASO
(202-565-1116, or Claudia Finney at NP-WASO-MIB).  

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

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

Tuesday, March 9

House Resources Committee (Young): Hearing on:

o     H.R. 701 (Young, AK), a bill to provide outer continental shelf impact
      assistance to state and local government, to amend the Land and Water
      Conservation Fund Act of 1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery
      Act of 1978, 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; and
o     H.R. 798 (Miller, CA), a bill to provide for the permanent protection
      of the resources of the United States in the year 2000 and beyond (see
      S. 446).

The hearing will be held at 11 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Thursday, March 11

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on:

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; and
o     H.R. 659 (Weldon, PA), a bill to authorize appropriations for the
      protection of Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields in Pennsylvania, to
      direct the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study of
      Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields, to authorize the Valley Forge Museum
      of the American Revolution at Valley Forge National Historical Park,
      and for other purposes.

The hearing will be at 10 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (Chafee): Hearing on: 

o     S. 507, a bill to provide for the conservation and development of water
      and related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to
      construct various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of
      the United States, and for other purposes.

The hearing will be at 9:30 a.m. in 406 Dirksen.

Thursday, March 18

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies (Regula):
Hearing on the National Park Service's FY00 budget request.  The hearing will
be at 10 a.m. in B-308 Rayburn.

House Resources Committee (Young): Hearing on:

o     H.R. 883 (Young, AK), a bill to preserve the sovereignty of the United
      States over public lands and acquired lands owned by the United States,
      and to preserve State sovereignty and private property rights in
      non-Federal lands surrounding those public lands and acquired lands
      (see S. 510). 

the hearing will be at 1:30 p.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Thursday, April 22

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior (Gorton): Hearing on the
Department of Interior's FY00 budget request.  The hearing will be at 9:30
a.m. in 124 Dirksen.

FLOOR ACTION

No votes scheduled.  

LEGISLATION INTRODUCED

The following bills either directly or indirectly pertaining to the NPS have
been introduced since the last Morning Report listing of new legislation
(March 2nd):

o     H.R. 883 (Young, AK), a bill to preserve the sovereignty of the United
      States over public lands and acquired lands owned by the United States,
      and to preserve State sovereignty and private property rights in
      non-Federal lands surrounding those public lands and acquired lands
      (see S. 510). 

o     H.R. 940 (Sherwood, PA), a bill to establish the Lackawanna Heritage
      Valley American Heritage Area.

o     H.R. 947 (Young, AK), a bill to address resource management issues in
      Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (see S. 501).

o     S. 497 (Moynihan, NY), a bill to redesignate Great Kills Park in the
      Gateway National Recreation Area as "World War II Veterans Park at
      Great Kills" (see H.R. 592).  
     
o     S. 501 (Murkowski, AK), a bill to address resource management issues in
      Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (see H.R. 947).  

o     S. 507, a bill to provide for the conservation and development of water
      and related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to
      construct various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of
      the United States, and for other purposes.
     
o     S. 510 (Campbell, CO), a bill to preserve the sovereignty of the United
      States over public lands and acquired lands owned by the United States,
      and to preserve State sovereignty and private property rights in
      non-Federal lands surrounding those public lands and acquired lands
      (see H.R. 883).  
      
o     S. 532 (Feinstein, CA), a bill to provide increased funding for the
      Land and Water Conservation Fund and Urban Parks and Recreation
      Recovery Programs, to resume the funding to the State grants program of
      the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and to provide for the
      acquisition and development of conservation and recreation facilities
      and programs in urban areas.
     
o     S. 536 (Warner, VA), a bill entitled the "Wendell H. Ford National Air
      Transportation System Improvement Act of 1999" (to the Committee on
      Commerce, Science, and Transportation).

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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