NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, March 23, 1999

INCIDENTS

99-28 - Cape Lookout NS (NC) - Follow-up: Search 

On the morning of January 30th, the Coast Guard received a report of an
overturned vessel just outside of Beauford Inlet, which is on the park's
southwest boundary at Shackleford Banks.  Small craft warnings were in place
at the time.  Coast Guard crews responded and found an overturned 14-foot,
fiberglass, flat-bottom skiff; there was nobody in the area, but a life
jacket was found in the water.  Rangers and others began a search for the
three people who were on board.  On March 17th, resource management
specialist Jeff Cordes came upon a body in the surf on the spit at Cape
Lookout.  Rangers picked it up and transported it by boat to park
headquarters.  The county medical examiner has confirmed that the victim was
B.J.G., one of the fisherman lost in the January accident.  His
remains were found ten miles from where the boat sank.  Another of the
victims was found outside the park a couple of weeks after the accident. 
[Jim Zahradka, SPR, CALO, 3/22]

99-95 - Morristown NHP (NJ) - Attempted Abduction

While tutoring at an after-school program on February 20th, ranger Jeffrey
Brown was contacted by a parent of one of the students being tutored.  The
woman told him that a man in a blue, older model, four-door Oldsmobile had
tried to pull her through a window into his vehicle while she was walking on
Martin Luther King Drive in the park.  She struggled with the man and got
away from him.  He sped away, but she was able to provide Brown with a
description and the vehicle's license plate number.  The information was
relayed to county dispatch.  A week later, the woman again contacted Brown,
telling him that police had not taken action on her report.  Brown
investigated the suspect further, then passed the information directly to the
county prosecutor's sex crimes unit.  The prosecutor's office advised that
the suspect was well known to them, but that they were unable to locate him. 
Following the receipt of additional tips, he was located and arrested outside
of a middle school on charges of attempted abduction and sexual assault. 
Bail was set at $10,000.  [Jeffrey Brown, PR, MORR, 3/22]

99-96 - Joshua Tree NP (CA) - Rescues

On March 7th, rangers conducted two rescues of injured visitors.  C.N.,
25, fell while scrambling on rocks in a remote area near Indian
Cove campground and suffered a complete open dislocation of his left ankle. 
Rangers stabilized and evacuated him to a helispot, where he was airlifted to
Desert Hospital in Palm Springs.  Ranger Patrick Suddath was IC.  Later on
the same day, R.H. fell while rock climbing near the Barker Dam
parking area.  R.H. landed in a hole between several large boulders and
suffered a complete dislocation of his right knee.  His position made
evacuation very difficult and involved several passes through small openings
and over large boulders.  R.H.'s injuries required extensive initial
treatment, thereby further complicating the extrication.  He was taken by
ambulance to the same hospital.  Ranger Pete Roehrs was IC.  [Pat Suddath,
DR, JOTR, 3/19]

99-97 - Coronado NM (AZ) - Drug Seizure; Illegal Aliens

Rangers received a call for assistance from Customs agents working in the
rugged canyons just north of the park on the morning of March 19th.  The
agents and members of a county task force had interdicted a group of 25
smugglers who were backpacking almost a thousand pounds of marijuana into the
United States.  Evidence at the scene also indicated that the drugs had been
smuggled through the park.  When the officers appeared, the smugglers
abandoned their loads and fled south into the park.  Responding rangers were
able to apprehend six of them, several of whom had carrying strap bruises on
their shoulders.  The smuggling of illegal aliens has also increased
dramatically over the past few weeks.  Rangers have apprehended 146 aliens
since mid-February.  [Fred Moosman, CR, CORO, 3/19]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Reports pending.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Incident Reporting Pager Change - The 1998 memorandum on incident reporting
procedures lists three contacts in Ranger Activities who can be contacted if
Shenandoah dispatch can not be reached for emergency reporting purposes.  One
of the pager numbers on that list has changed.  Please note that Bob
Marriott's new pager number is 1-888-687-5613.  

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Yellowstone NP - Ranger Jerry Ryder will be retiring on March 31st.  He began
his career at Yellowstone in 1960 and worked there and at Colorado NM (1974-
78) and Glacier NP (1978-1990) before returning to the park for good in 1990. 
A party is scheduled for April 8th in Gardiner, Montana.  Contributions
(stories, pictures, etc) can be sent to: Chief Ranger's Office, PO Box 168,
Yellowstone NP, WY 82190, Attn: Lisa Helms.  If you'd like to attend the
retirement dinner, contact Lisa at 307-344-2147.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP - The park has a GS-1016-7 full-time museum
tech position open and is working with OPM to fill it.  It closes on April
2nd.  Applications can be obtained by calling OPM at 256-837-0894 or via the
Internet through OPM at www.usajobs.opm.gov.  The OPM ID number is AH90580;
their case number is AH0580.  Call chief ranger Sam Weddle (706-866-9241 x
119) with questions.

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

Wednesday, March 24

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic
Preservation and Recreation (Thomas): Hearing on the following bills:

o     S. 323 (Campbell, CO), a bill to redesignate the Black Canyon of the
      Gunnison National Monument as a national park and establish the
      Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, and for other purposes.
o     S. 338 (Campbell, CO), a bill to provide for the collection of fees for
      the making of motion pictures, television productions, and sound tracks
      in units of the Department of the Interior.
o     S. 568 (Thomas, WY), a bill to allow the Department of the Interior and
      the Department of Agriculture to establish a fee system for commercial
      filming activities in a site or resource under their jurisdictions.

Thursday, March 25

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands (Hansen):
Oversight hearing on the new NPS methodology used to evaluate the achievement
of natural quiet restoration standards in Grand Canyon National Park.  It
will be at 10:00 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Wednesday, March 31

House Resources Committee (Young): Field hearing on:

o     H.R. 701, to provide Outer Continental Shelf Impact Assistance to State
      and local governments, 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 to establish a fund to meet
      the outdoor conservation and recreation needs of the American people;
      and
o     H.R. 798, to provide for the permanent protection of the resources of
      the United States in the year 2000 and beyond.  

It will be at 10:00 a.m. in Anchorage, Alaska.  

Thursday, April 15

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 834, to extend the authorization for the National Historic
Preservation Fund.  It will be at 10:00 a.m. in 1334 Longworth.

Tuesday, April 20

House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands (Hansen):
Hearing on H.R. 791, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the
route of the War of 1812 British invasion of Maryland and Washington,
District of Columbia, and the route of the American defense, for study for
potential addition to the national trails system.  It will be at 10:00 a.m.
in 1324 Longworth.

Wednesday, April 21

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Land Management
(Craig): Hearing on the memorandum of understanding signed by multiple
agencies regarding the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration.  It will be
at 2:00 p.m. in 366 Dirksen.

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 16th):

o     H.R. 1118 (Campbell, 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 of the State grants program of
      the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to provide for the acquisition
      and development of conservation and recreation facilities and programs
      in urban areas (see S. 532).
o     H.R. 1154 (Duncan, TN), a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of
      1986 to allow individuals to designate any portion of their income tax
      overpayments, and to make other contributions, for the benefit of units
      of the National Park System.
o     H.R. 1165 (McInnis, CO), a bill to redesignate the Black Canyon of the
      Gunnison National Monument as a national park and establish the
      Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (see S. 323).

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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