NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, May 17, 1999

INCIDENTS

99-180 - Zion NP (UT) - Attempted Armed Robbery; Shots Fired

Rangers responded to a report of shots fired on the Zion Canyon scenic drive
on the evening of Thursday, May 13th.  Two women sitting in their vehicle at
a pullout reported being approached by a man with a gun who demanded their
money.  After they told him that they had no money, the man reached for the
vehicle keys, at which point the women drove off.  Several shots were fired,
striking the left front tire, left rear door, and rear window.  A roadblock
was established, but failed probably due to the length of time it took before
a passerby reported the incident at the park lodge.  A sheriff's department
search dog and crime scene technician were called in and recovered a
considerable amount of evidence; a composite sketch of the suspect is being
prepared.  Climbers on the adjacent cliff face have provided a vehicle
description and a western states lookout has been distributed.  [Brent
McGinn, ZION, 5/14] 

99-181 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Drowning

V.B., 49, was swimming in Chili Pepper Cove on the afternoon of
May 13th when he began having difficulty.  He went under before bystanders
who saw he was in trouble could reach him.  His body was located in about 21
feet of water by the park's dive team.  [Dispatch, LAME, 5/13]

99-182 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Drowning

J.R., 28, dove off a boat at Hemenway Fishing Point to swim to shore
on the afternoon of May 13th.  He never surfaced.  The park's dive team found
his body in eight feet of water.  [Dispatch, LAME, 5/13]

99-183 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Drowning

L.M.-D., 22, disappeared while swimming at the North Swim Beach on
the afternoon of May 13th.  A park diver found him in about six feet of water
and brought him to shore.  CPR was begun immediately; he was flown to a
nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.  Alcohol is
believed to have been a contributing factor.  [Dispatch, LAME, 5/13]

99-184 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Possible Suicide

A patrol ranger came upon a vehicle near a dumpster in Gypsum Wash on the
afternoon of May 15th and discovered a burned body inside.  The Las Vegas
Metro Police Department is handling the investigation.  The victim has been
identified as Richard Crawford, 60.  The preliminary investigation indicates
a possible suicide.  [Dispatch, LAME, 5/15]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                      Thu     Fri    %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT      5/13    5/14  Con  Con

NM   Mescalero Agency      * Telephone        T2         -   2,000   NR  NR

FL   Everglades NP           Brown            --       650   1,940   80  5/15
     State                   Bonita Springs   --       400     530   90  NEC
                           * McMullin         --         -     200   NR  NR
                           * Tosohatchee      --         -   1,000   NR  NR

                                  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

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Wednesday, 5/12      1      3         3       0       58      0        65
Thursday, 5/13       0      2         5       0       38     10        55
Friday, 5/14         1      6         0       4       49     10        70
Saturday, 5/15                -- Sunday report not available --

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Wednesday, 5/12      8         31           4             1           123
Thursday, 5/13      19         29           6             6           118
Friday, 5/14        18         29           4             4           128
Saturday, 5/15                -- Sunday report not available --

CURRENT SITUATION

Large fires and initial attack activity were reported in the South and
Southwest on Friday.  There was little activity elsewhere.

Very high and extreme fire indices were reported in Michigan, New Hampshire,
Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba,
Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.  [NICC Incident Management Situation
Report, 5/14-15]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Prescribed Fire

The park has successfully managed a lightning-caused fire for resource
benefits for the second time since its fire management plan was approved
three years ago. The Collins II Fire occurred last month and burned 130 acres
over a three-day period. It burned mostly in hardwood forest and is believed
to have had significant ecological effects. The fire burned near Smokemont
campground and the Cherokee community, making smoke and visibility two major
concerns.  Since 1996, the park has conducted 19 prescribed fires for the
purposes of improving habitat for endangered species and rare plants, helping
recreate the park's historical viewshed, and reducing hazardous fuels in an
urban interface. To date, a total of 1,408 acres have burned under prescribed
conditions. Public reaction to the fires has been favorable. The success to
date is attributed to support from all park divisions.  Since cattle will
likely be removed from Cades Cove within the next year, prescribed fire may
play an even larger role in park management in the future.  [Leon Konz, FMO,
GRSM]  

Washita Battlefield (OK) - Prescribed Fire

The park conducted its first ever prescribed burn last Wednesday.  The burn
was the first step in prairie restoration project that the park is now
undertaking.  A 57-acre plot of Old World bluestem, an exotic species
introduced in the early 1980s before the area became a park, was burned off
and will be turned over in the next week to prepare the area for a crop of
wheat.  Assisting in the burn were staff from the Forest Service's Black
Kettle National Grasslands, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's
Cheyenne office, the Oklahoma State Wildlife Conservation Department, and the
Cheyenne Volunteer Fire Department.  The burn was a complete success.  [Steve
Black, CI, WABA]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Chiricahua NM - The GS-11 chief ranger position at the park will soon become
vacant. The position will be filled through an acting temporary detail for 30
to 120 days in early June.  This is strictly a detail opportunity. 
Interested employees should submit a one-page resume detailing work history,
educational background and any special qualifications.  Government housing
will be provided.  Travel and per diem will be paid by Chiricahua; base pay
must come from the applicant's park.  Applications are now being accepted. 
Resumes should be sent to superintendent Alan Cox via cc:Mail by May 19th.

TRAINING AND WORKSHOP CALENDAR

Two calendars alternate in the Morning Report on Mondays - this one, which
contains training courses and workshops, and a second, which contains
meetings, conferences and events.  If you know of a conference, meeting,
workshop or training session with Servicewide interest and implications,
please send the information along.  

Entries are listed no earlier than FOUR months before the event, EXCEPT in
instances in which registration dates close much earlier.  Asterisks ( )
indicate new entries; pound signs (#) indicate revisions to entries that have
appeared previously.  Brevity in entries is appreciated.

Dates:      June 7 - 18 *
Course:     Summer Land Conservation Program
Location:   University of Vermont, Burlington, VT; Shelburne, VT
Details:    There will be several related offerings:
            o     Land Conservation: Aims and Methods (6/7-8)
            o     Ecology and Field Science in Land Conservation (6/9-10)
            o     Real Estate Law in Land Conservation (6/11)
            o     Community Sense of Place (6/14-15)
            o     Farmland Preservation (6/16-17)
            o     Protecting Working Landscapes: An International Perspective
                  (6/18)
            Course costs run from $50 to $100.  Co-sponsored by NPS
            Conservation Study Institute, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP.
Closes:     June 1st
Contact:    Natural Areas Center
Phone/fax:  802-656-4055; ---
E-mail:     www.uvm.edu/~envprog/
Submitter:  Steve Hastings, HOAL

Dates:      July 26 - 30 
Course:     Administration For First-Line Supervisors
Location:   NCTC, Shepherdstown, WV
Details:    The course will teach first-line supervisors competencies for
            supervision, management and leadership in administrative
            functions.  Preference will be given to non-administrative
            personnel.
Closes:     May 24th
Contact:    Tom Ferranti
Phone/fax:  907-257-2550; ---
E-mail:     ---
Submitter:  Joyce Howe, STMA

Dates:      August 2 - 6 *
Course:     Protecting Cultural Resources in Flood Zones
Location:   Mather Training Center, Harpers Ferry, WV
Details:    The course will focus on strategies necessary to address the
            impacts of flooding and water damage on cultural resources.
Closes:     June 16th
Contact:    Bruce Noble
Phone/fax:  304-535-6158; 304-535-6244
E-mail:     Bruce Noble at NP--NCR
Submitter:  Joyce Howe, STMA

Dates:      August 9 - 13 *
Course:     Access to Historic Sites and Interpretation
Location:   Philadelphia, PA
Details:    General sessions of this course will lead participants through
            the needs of people with disabilities and the principles of
            universal design.
Closes:     June 7th
Contact:    Jode La Rocque
Phone/fax:  765-349-9240; 765-342-6658
E-mail:     www.indiana.edu/~nca
Submitter:  Joyce Howe, STMA

Dates:      August 16 - 20 *
Course:     Chiefs of Interpretation Workshop
Location:   Mather Training Center, Harpers Ferry, WV
Details:    Course designed for field interpreters and other staff who become
            chiefs of interpretation, with the objective of helping them make
            the transition from the field to supervisor, manager and leader.
Closes:     June 14th
Contact:    Dave Dahlen
Phone/fax:  304-535-6405; 304-535-6408
E-mail:     ---
Submitter:  Joyce Howe, STMA

Dates:      September 13 - 16 
Course:     Retrofitting for Accessibility
Location:   Gatlinburg, TN
Details:    Designed to educate maintenance professionals, facility managers,
            site access coordinators and planners on the barriers that can be
            eliminated to promote full access to recreation facilities for
            people with disabilities.
Closes:     July 12th
Contact:    Jodie LaRocque, National Center on Accessibility
Phone/fax:  765-349-9240; 765-342-6658
E-mail:     www.indiana.edu/~nca
Submitter:  Joyce Howe, STMA

Dates:      October, 1999, through June, 2000 
Course:     Maintenance Skills (Carpentry, Electrical, Masonry, Plumbing,
            Trails and Landscape)
Location:   California Department of Parks and Recreation, Mott Training
            Center, Asilomar, CA
Details:    The notice is being run at this time because of the early
            application deadline.  Send the training nomination form and
            course questionnaire to your regional employee development
            office.  See the Learning Place and Maintenance BBs for further
            info.
Closes:     June 30th
Contact:    Steve Hastings, HOAL
Phone/fax:  520-638-7986; ---
E-mail:     ---
Submitter:  Same

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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