NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, July 12, 1999

INCIDENTS

99-151 - Colorado NM (CO) - Follow-up: Fatality
     
On March 24th, rangers responding to a report of an accident and possible DUI
came upon C.P., 24, whose vehicle had run out of gas.  There were no
indications of either an accident or alcohol.  C.P. was offered a ride
into town for gas, but he refused and instead went off on a hike.  When he
failed to return home, a search was begun.  His body was discovered on April
25th in a rugged and remote canyon about a half mile from the point where he
was last seen.  Investigation by rangers, local police and the county coroner
has led to the conclusion that C.P.'s death was due to an accidental fall. 
[Ron Young, CR, COLM, 7/7]

99-364 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (TN/NC) - Car Clouting Arrests

Park dispatch received a report of an attempted car theft at the Ramsay
Cascades trailhead just before 3 p.m. on July 7th.  The side vent windows
were shattered and the vehicle was splattered with blood stains.  The would-
be thieves escaped in a beat-up gray pickup truck with a red fender and a
white door.  A second unusuccessful vehicle theft was reported at the Rainbow
Falls trailhead less than an hour later and 15 miles further east.  One
person drove off in a pickup; the other fled into the woods.  Rangers and
Gatlinburg police seealed off the Roaring Fork motor nature trail, and ranger
Robert Harris stopped the suspect vehicle at 4:50 p.m.  The man and woman in
the truck were detained for questioning.  A few minutes later, a man matching
the description of one of the would-be thieves in the second burglary attempt
was spotted in downtown Gatlinburg and also taken into custody.  Both men
were later identified by witnesses to the two burglary attempts and placed
under arrest.  The woman has not been charged.  [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 7/9]

99-365 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (TN/NC) - Drowning

At 3:30 p.m. on July 8th, ranger Lori Harris received a report of a possible
drowning near Meigs Falls on Little River.  A.S., 17, of Knoxville,
Tennessee, had been inner-tubing with a group of friends after attending
summer school for the day.  Her friends subsequently found her tube, but
there was no sign of A.S..  She'd been missing for 20 minutes when Harris
received the report.  A.S.'s body was found at 3:45.  Her legs and lower
body were trapped in rocks and held down by the strong current.  Rangers
worked for nearly two-and-a-half hours to free the body.  Rescue divers were
available but not used.  District ranger Jack Piepenbring directed the
technical recovery.  [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 7/9]

99-366 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - Drowning

Five juveniles and two adults went swimming at Blue Mountain Lake in the
park's New Jersey District on the afternoon of Sunday, July 11th.  They all
went out to an island in the lake's center; while on the way back, M.B.,
15, of Dover, New Jersey, slipped off his air mattress and
disappeared underwater.  The other members of the group were unable to find
him.  The incident occurred at 3:20 p.m.  A 911 call was relayed to the park
shortly thereafter.  Members of the park's dive team entered the lake at 5:50
p.m. and recovered M.B.'s body within minutes.  An autopsy will be
conducted.  New Jersey state troopers are investigating.  [Ed Whitaker,
Acting CR, DEWA, 7/11]

99-367 - Fort Sumter NM (SC) - Special Event

On July 2nd, a crowd of 500 visitors witnessed the dedication of a marker in
the park honoring "Africans who were brought to this country under extreme
conditions of human bondage and degradation."  The unveiling took place on
Poe Avenue at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.  During the 18th century,
the island served as a main gateway into this country for tens of thousands
of enslaved Africans.  The marker pays tribute to the strengths and
contributions of African-Americans and serves as a symbol of remembrance and
healing.  The ambassador of Sierra Leone, John Leigh, spoke on the
connections between South Carolina and West Africa; state senator Darrell
Jackson also spoke, and the mayors of Charleston and Sullivan's Island and
other dignitaries took part in the event.  A gospel choir sang spirituals,
and there was a trumpet rendition of "Amazing Grace."  [Mike Allen, FOSU,
7/9]

99-368 - Fort Vancouver NHS (WA) - Special Events

Park staff participated in two special events last week.  On July 1st, Canada
Day, park staff and volunteer living history interpreters from the park
traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, to join in that city's celebration of
its 150th anniversary.  The city was established in 1849 when the British
Hudson's Bay Company moved its western headquarters from Fort Vancouver to
Fort Victoria.  The historic move was the result of the final treaty between
the United States and Great Britain, which established today's Canadian
boundary at the 49th parallel.  The mayor of Victoria hosted several
functions in the city for event organizers and the group from Fort Vancouver. 
The modern Hudson's Bay Company, still in operation since being founded in
1670, hosted a ceremony at its store in which the historic Hudson's Bay Flag
from Vancouver was transferred to the mayor for display at the Royal Canadian
Museum.  The mayor and his party were hosted at Fort Vancouver two weeks
prior to this event with a similar re-enactment of the transfer of the flag
from Vancouver to Victoria.  On the evening of July 6th, park staff prepared
and served a five-course historic dinner for a party of 45 in honor of a
visit to the area by members of the House Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee.  The dinner, prepared using historic recipes from the 1840s and
cooked in large part in the reconstructed fort's wood ovens, was held in one
of the reconstructed living history rooms by volunteers and park staff
dressed in period clothing.  Living history vignettes and interpretation,
along with period songs, were provided during the three-hour event. [Tony
Sisto, Superintendent, FOVA, 7/7]

FIRE ACTIVITY

Fire reports from the weekend are not yet available.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

NPS Strategic Plan Meetings - As required by GPRA, the NPS is now in the
process of updating and revising the Servicewide strategic plan to extend
agency goals through FY 2005.  Four employee workshops have been held to
review and recommend revisions to existing goals or to add new goals.  The
GPRA task force and a group comprised of members of the directorate and
superintendents met recently to review this proposed set of goals.  Seven
public/stakeholder and employee meetings will be held between July 20th and
August 5th to preview these proposed goals for the fiscal years from 2001 to
2005.  Employee participation is strongly encouraged.   Public and employee
meetings will be as follows:

o     Alaska Region: Public meeting on Tuesday, July 20th, 3 p.m., Room 300,
      2525 Gambell, Anchorage (contact Lou Waller, 907-257-2548).  Employee
      meeting on the same day and at the same location from 10 a.m. to noon.

o     Intermountain Region: Public meeting on July 20th, 4 p.m., Vitamin
      Cottage Natural Food Market, 12612 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO
      (contact Ron Thoman, 303-987-6702).  Employee meeting on the same day,
      10 a.m. to noon, DSC Room 84, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO.

o     Pacific West Region: Public meeting on July 22nd, 5 p.m., Fort Mason
      Center, Landmark Building A, Golden Gate Room, San Francisco, CA
      (contact Joan Chaplick, 415-427-1444).  No employee meeting scheduled.

o     National Capital Region/WASO: Public meeting on July 27th, 4 p.m.,
      NCRO, Cafeteria, 1100 Ohio Drive, Washington, DC (contact Earle
      Kittleman, 202-619-7222).  Employee meeting on the same day and at the
      same location from 8 to 10 a.m.

o     Northeast Region: Public meeting on July 28th, 4 p.m., Arch Street
      Meeting House, 320 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA (contact Lee Gurney,
      215-597-2284).  No employee meeting scheduled.  

o     Midwest Region: Public meeting on August 3rd at 7 p.m., City and School
      Administration Building, Community Room, 300 6th Street, Rapid City, SD
      (contact Bill Fink, 906-487-9597, or Mike Pflaum, 605-574-2523). 
      Employee meeting on the same day, 10 a.m. to noon, training room, Mount
      Rushmore.

o     Southeast Region: Public meeting on August 5th at 4 p.m., Martin Luther
      King, Jr. NHS, 450 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, GA (contact Troy Lissimore,
      404-562-3278).  Employee meeting on the same day, 10 a.m. to noon,
      Atlanta Federal Center.
 
An intranet site will be available for those who can't attend either the
public or employee meetings.  The address for the site, which will be
available after July 20th, is http://165.83.20.6/amoeba.nsf.  [Heather Huyck,
WASO]

Uniform Program Update - Several developments of note:

o     The annual inventory closeout at R&R will take place on September 1st. 
      Orders must be received at R&R no later than COB August 31st.  Further
      notices and instructions will be forthcoming as the deadline gets
      closer.

o     A color change was recently approved for the Thorlo socks.  The new
      color, which more closely matches the color of the dress socks, will be
      phased in as the old inventory is exhausted.  The current color will
      continue to be approved for wear.

o     There is growing concern that uniform items are being traded and sold
      on the Internet "ebay" site.  The concern is for items that bear the
      arrowhead patch; items such as pants or shirts without the patch are
      not a concern.  Federal law (18 USC 701) prohibits the manufacture,
      sale, or possession of any badge, identification card, or other
      insignia which the Service has adopted for official use, except as
      authorized by the director.  The arrowhead symbol (along with the NPS
      badge) has been officially adopted, and regulations issued by the
      director (36 CFR 11.2) indicate that the director will authorize its
      use only when it will contribute to the Service's education and
      conservation programs. Needless to say, the director has never approved
      of employees selling their excess shirts, sweaters, parkas, etc. in
      public venues.  Besides being illegal, many feel that the sale of the
      arrowhead patch reflects a lack of pride in what it symbolizes.  For
      these reasons, this practice should be stopped.

Additional updates on the program will appear in the future.  [Ken Mabery,
RAD/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

No entries.

CALENDAR

The biweekly calendar of training courses and meetings now appears as a
separate addendum to the Morning Report and follows in the next message.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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