NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, April 23, 1999

                               *** NOTICE ***

Please see "Parks and People" below for information on the impacts of the
Columbine High School tragedy on NPS employees in Denver and information from
IMRO on what you can do to help.

INCIDENTS

99-134 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Assist: Rescue

Around 9:30 p.m. on the evening of April 19th, a car driven by K.H.
skidded off Highway 140 about six miles west of the park and ended up
in the Merced River.  It quickly filled with water and settled onto a rock
about 30 feet from shore.  K.H. got out of the car through the T-roof and
stood on a small area of the trunk which was still above water.
Unfortunately, the vehicle was not visible from the highway.  K.H. stood on
the car for 45 minutes until a passing motorist who had stopped to heed
nature's call heard K.H. yelling for help and reported the accident.  The
county sheriff's office requested assistance from the park.  A rescue truck,
fire engine, and ambulance responded from El Portal and were first on scene. 
Lighting was set up and rescue swimmers and rescuers with throw bags were
posted downstream.  An aerial ladder truck from the county fire department
eventually arrived on scene.  A rescue harness was lowered from the extended
ladder and K.H. was lifted from the car and brought to shore.  She was
treated for hypothermia and released later that night.  [Mark Harvey, Ops
Chief, El Portal, YOSE, 4/21]

99-135 - Central District Parks (DC) - Drug Arrests

Park Police officers responded to recent citizen complaints of drug activity
in Dupont Circle Park with three operations this spring which targeted these
drug traffickers:

o     On March 17th, nine people were arrested for violations of D.C. drug
      laws, including a 15-year-old girl who was purchasing heroin. 
      Quantities of crack cocaine and heroin were seized.  
o     On April 1st, a similar operation led to ten arrests for drug
      violations.  Seizures included crack cocaine and a 1993 Ford Bronco
      driven by a drug purchaser.  
o     On April 9th, nine more people were arrested for drug violations and a
      quantity of marijuana was confiscated.

The Park Police have since received a good deal of positive feedback from
residents in that area.  Several recently testified in superior court at a
sentencing hearing for a convicted drug dealer who was arrested in the park
last September.  [Rob MacLean, USPP, 4/19]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

The preparedness level has gone up one step.  Preparedness Level II goes into
effect when the following conditions are met: One geographic area
experiencing high fire danger.  Numerous Class A, B, and C fires occurring
and a potential exists for escapes to larger (project) fires.  Minimal
mobilization of resources from other geographic areas occurring.  The
potential exists for mobilizing additional resources from other geographic
areas. 

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Wed      Thu    %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT     4/21     4/22  Con  Con

GA   Okefenokee NWR          Hickory Island   --    4,700    5,491   16  NR 

FL   Florida NFs             Apalachicola Cx  T1    2,827    9,389   50  4/25
                             Cypress Creek    --      800    2,000  100  CND

NC   North Carolina NFs      Singecat         --      150      160   50  4/22

KY   Daniel Boone NF       * Bee Shoals       --        -      120  100  CND

CO   Craig District          Ebler            T3      350      350  100  CND 

                                  Heading Notes

Unit        Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
            or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
            district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire        * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex; LSS =
            limited suppression strategy; CSS = containment suppression
            strategy
IMT         T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained
Est Con     Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
            containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report; LPS = limited
            protection status

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Tuesday, 4/20        0      4         4       0      589     35       632
Wednesday, 4/21      0      7         1       0      199      9       216
Thursday, 4/22       0     10         0       1      283      8       302

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Tuesday, 4/20       24         79          21             0           127
Wednesday, 4/21     39         74          16             0           180
Thursday, 4/22      35         45          17             0           209

CURRENT SITUATION

A unified command was established for the entire state of Florida on
Wednesday.  Substantial progress is being made on most large fires despite
adverse weather conditions.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 4/22]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Cape Cod NS (MA) - Right Whale Recovery

On Tuesday, April 20th, the park received a call from the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Woods Hole reporting that a deceased right whale
was adrift approximately five miles off Great Island in Cape Cod Bay.  They
requested assistance in locating a site to land the mammal so it could be
examined, necropsied and disposed of.  The whale was estimated to be 50 feet
long and weigh 55 to 60 tons.  Complicating the decision of where to land the
carcass was the need for access for heavy equipment (a bulldozer and a front-
end loader) and the onset of piping plover nesting, which is an endangered
species (as is the right whale).  Permission was eventually obtained from the
town of Wellfleet to use the access at Duck Harbor Beach, and the whale was
winched ashore on the high tide at 3 a.m. on April 21st.  Necropsy team
members from the New England and Mystic Aquarium began work on Wednesday
along with members of the Cape Cod Stranding Network, the Whale Stranding
Network and the Center for Coastal Studies.  It will likely take several days
to complete.  Negotiations continue between the NMFS and the town of
Wellfleet for permission to remove the museum-quality skeleton and other
remains via the same access.  The incident is generating local and regional
media coverage.  Park staff are involved in managing access, controlling
crowds, and providing public information and resource protection.  The whale
is a well-known female which was first documented in 1974 and is known to
have had six calves.  She was last observed alive in Cape Cod Bay in mid-
January.  It's estimated that fewer than 300 of these mammals remain in
existence. [Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CACO, 4/21]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

Grand Canyon NP - The park has two Setina van-sized model 10-VS vehicle
cages, both with lexan windows, and two heavy-duty push bumpers for 97 Crown
Victorias (one of them brand new and never used).  They'd like to trade all
or part for two Setina model 10-S sedan cages with lexan windows.  Contact
Dirk Murphy at 520-638-7811.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Denver Area Offices - The children of several NPS employees who work at Park
Service offices in the Denver area attend Columbine High School.  Although
information is still anecdotal at this juncture, it appears that none was
killed or injured, although one or two evidently had close calls.  Many other
NPS families have been affected, however, because of their close ties to the
Littleton community.  The Denver area NPS Employees Association is
coordinating a number of activities to support the high school's students,
families and faculty.  Donations are being collected which will be
transferred to a "healing fund" established by the United Way.  Local
business are matching every dollar donated with a $.50 contribution.  If you
would like to contribute, send your check to the NPS Employee Association,
Attn: M.E., 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80228.  Denver area
employees may also contribute blood or volunteer to help other support
groups.  A blood drive will take place within the next two weeks at the
Denver Federal Center.  Those who would like to volunteer their time and
services to any area support organization seeking such help should contact
either M.E. (303-969-2370), V.W. (303-969-2205), or S.D.
(303-969-2200).  [Marcia Kubera, Donna Petty, IMRO]

Katmai NP&P - The park is advertising a temporary detail for an acting GS-
025-11/12 chief ranger for the time period from June through mid-September. 
The chief ranger oversees all law enforcement, aviation management, search
and rescue, and coordination of both remote operations and operations at
Brooks Camp; supervises two permanents and seven seasonals; and manages 200
incidental business permits and a remote concession operation at Brooks Camp. 
And there's more: "Amenities include travel, park housing in King Salmon, per
diem, all the fish your can eat, and bears big enough to humble any mere
mortal."  Send a note expressing your interest and your supervisor's support
to unit manager John Bundy by May 3rd, or call him at 907-246-2133.  The
permanent position will be advertised this summer, with an expected EOD of
October 1st.  [Deb Liggett, LAKA]

Assateague Island NS - The park needs to fill up to five GS-3 and GS-4
seasonal lifeguard positions ASAP.  The EOD is May 18th.  Housing is
available.  Applicants should have some level of lifeguard experience. 
Candidates must successfully complete a training program with includes First
Responder certification, surf rescue, and a 500 yard open swim in under ten
minutes. Contact Scott Allen, chief lifeguard, via cc:Mail or at 757-336-
6577.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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.

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