NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, August 13, 1999

INCIDENTS

99-452 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Two Climbing Fatalities

On August 3rd, R.D., 75, apparently slipped off the Narrows section
(13,600 feet) of the Keyhole route on Long's Peak and fell 100 feet to his
death.  Off-duty rangers in the area coordinated a long-line extraction of
his body.  On August 4th, rangers received a report of a fallen climber near
the Gorrell's Traverse area (13,000 feet) of Long's Peak.  J.P., 56,
was on the approach route with his son when he slipped on wet rock and fell
about 100 feet, sustaining significant head injuries.  J.P. was still
conscious when his son left him after three hours to seek help.  This little-
used approach to the back side of the summit is along the Loft Route between
Meeker and Long's Peak.  Technical rescue teams were unable to locate J.P.
that evening due to lack of an exact location and rain and heavy fog that
created unsafe conditions for rescuers.  His body was found in a steep gully
below the traverse at 6:30 a.m. the next morning.  The body was removed by
helicopter on August 6th after a difficult raising effort.  Jim Detterline
was IC for both incidents.  [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO, 8/11]

99-453 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Lightning Fatality

M.H., 24, was struck and killed by lightning while hiking with a
church group on the Cow Creek trail in the northeast corner of the park on
the afternoon of August 7th.  Two other hikers were injured.  Rangers
responded and provided EMS and evacuated the victim's body.  [Joe Evans, CR,
ROMO, 8/11]

99-454 - Gateway NRA (NJ/NY) - Burglary; Two Arrests

Park Police canine officer McFadden spotted a burglary in progress at the
Riis Park concession facility just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, August 8th.  the
building had been burglarized twice during the previous week.  McFadden
arrested one juvenile with the assistance of his dog, "D.;" two others
fled the scene.  The identity of one of them was learned in the subsequent
investigation and he was arrested on August 10th by detective Riepe.  The two
men arrested will be charged in federal court.  Criminal Investigations Unit
detectives are actively seeking the third burglar.  [John Lauro, GATE, 8/11]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

The preparedness level has dropped 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 

                                                     Tue      Wed    %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT     8/10     8/11  Con  Con

NV    Battle Mtn. FO         Eureka Cx        --   82,000   82,000   70  8/12
      Elko FO                Sadler Cx        T1  209,500  209,500  100  CND 
                             East Canyon      --      800      800   90  8/11
   
WA    Wenatchee NF           Lk. Wenatchee Cx T2       80       80   90  8/11

OR    Warm Springs Agency  * Island           --        -      400  100  CND

ID    Salmon/Challis NF      Soldier         FUM    2,438    2,438    0  -  
      Payette NF             Ramey           FUM      350      350    0  UNK
      Sawtooth NF            Scott Creek     FUM      123      123    0  UNK
      Nez Perce NF         * Renshaw          --        -      107    0  UNK

MT    State                  Pine Ridge       --    3,850    3,850  100  CND 

NY    State                  Black Bear Mtn.  --      900      900   60  NR

                                  Heading Notes

Unit        Agency or Area Office = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA
            state resource or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; FO =
            BLM field office; District = BLM district; NWR = USFWS wildlife
            refuge
Fire        * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex 
IMT         T1 = Type I Team; T2 = Type II Team; T3 = Type III Team; ST =
            State Team; FUM = Fire Use Management Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained: UNK = unknown; NR = no report
Est Con     Estimated containment date: NEC = no estimated date of
            containment; CND = fully contained; UNK = unknown; NR = no report

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Sunday, 8/8          4      6        20       0       71    102       203
Monday, 8/9          2      3        13       0      369     82       469
Tuesday, 8/10        9      2        12       0      114    138       275
Wednesday, 8/11      1      9        35       0       97     82       224

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Sunday, 8/8        190        338          71             1           805
Monday, 8/9        155        281          60             0           860
Tuesday, 8/10      159        312          61             1           885
Wednesday, 8/11    114        160          48             0           709

CURRENT SITUATION

Significant progress was made on fires in the Northwest and northern Rockies
on Wednesday.  Moderate initial attack was reported in the Northwest and
California.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in 21 states - Oregon,
Washington, California, Montana, North Dakota, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona,
Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New
Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/12]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Update on Secretary's Law Enforcement Study - The following update on the
Congressionally-mandated NPS law enforcement study undertaken this year was
prepared jointly by Maureen Finnerty, Associate Director, Park Operations and
Education, and Robert Langston, Chief, USPP:  "Drafts of the park police and
park ranger analyses of the NPS law enforcement study (required by Public Law
105-391) passed through Director Stanton's surnaming process last week.  The
drafts will now undergo Departmental review, which we hope will conclude by
August 27.  In late August, the drafts will go to a professional contractor
for a three-week period, during which the two analyses will be identically
aligned into a common format prescribed by Harper's Ferry Publication Center. 
The printing process (estimated at six weeks) will begin in late September
upon approval of the contractor's lay-out proof.  We fielded a number of
comments during the regional surnaming round, expressing the opinion that the
two analyses be transmitted together in a uniform format.  While the statute
calls for separate analyses, these reports are the result of a coordinated
effort between rangers, park police officers and contributors from several
NPS offices.  This coordinated approach will continue through the layout
process to produce a uniformly presented report, reflecting not only the
cooperative spirit of several months of work, but also the mandate of Section
II of Secretary Babbitt's task directive, dated February 1, 1999.  Any
physical differences observed in the analyses last week are the result of
their stage of development in draft status."

Update on NPS/BSA Partnership - Director Stanton announced a new partnership
with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)last year to identify and complete
potential service projects that need to be accomplished on national park
lands.  The partnership is known as "Service To America."  BSA has committed
one million hours of service to the national parks.  This undertaking is in
response to the President's Summit on America's Future and is being
coordinated by Eastern National (EN) on behalf of the NPS.  Over the past six
months, over 3,000 hours of service have been completed by Scouts and their
leaders in 180 parks.  If your park would like to participate in this
program, you can get started by notifying Megan Sullivan of Eastern National
(megans@easternnational.org) of your available service projects.  Megan will
enter them into a new web site from which adult Scout leaders will select
appropriate projects to be accomplished under the Scout leader's supervision.
The website address is www.servicetoamerica.org.  When Scout leaders access
the site, they simply click on their state, find the participating park they
would like to work with, view the service projects that are available, then
contact the park volunteer coordinator to begin the work.  Once each
participating Scout has completed 12 hours toward a project, he or she
qualifies for a patch to be issued through BSA, as well as a patch that will
be available from EN.  These records will be maintained through the adult
Scouter who supervises the project.  The program is available to scouts and
adults who are registered in the Boy Scouts of America.  The point of contact
in the Washington Office is Jim Poole, 202-565-1174, (jim_poole@nps.gov). 
The point of contact at Eastern National is Jennifer Allen, 215-283-6900
(jennifera@easternnational.org). 

MEMORANDA

"Updated FY 2000 and 2001 Federal Lands Highway Program Project Lists,"
transmitted on July 20th to all regional directors and the director of Denver
Service Center.  The text follows MINUS the references attachments:

"Attached are the National Park Service's (NPS) currently proposed Federal
Lands Highway Program (FLHP) project lists for FY 2000 and FY 2001.

"In FY 2000, the Category I - Reconstruction (4R) Program will continue to be
administered by the Washington Office (WASO).  In FY 2000, however, the
regions will begin administering the Category I - Resurface, Repair and
Rehabilitation (3R) portion of the program, based on a gross allocation of
funds according to the formula published in the 'Revised Funding Allocation
and Project Prioritization Criteria' for FLHP dated January 1998.  Beginning
in FY 2001, 4R program funds will also be allocated to regions based on the
same formula, and managed at the regional level.  Category II projects
(Completion of Congressionally Authorized Parkways) and Category III projects
(Alternative Transportation Systems) will continue to be managed by WASO from
a national pool of project submissions.

"As regions take over management of the 3R project funds in FY 2000, and both
3R and 4R project funds in FY 2001, these allocated funds must be managed by
the region to allow for all anticipated and unanticipated expenditures
associated with the program for the fiscal year.  This includes all costs for
construction contracts (Federal Highway Administration or NPS administered)
and all project and program support costs.  Support costs include
construction engineering (CE) for the current construction season as well as
any ongoing CE for prior year projects; planning, design and preliminary
engineering (PE) for programmed outyear projects; construction contingencies;
salaries for regional FLHP coordinators; engineering studies for future
project work; etc.

"Based on the percentages shown in the summary tables attached for FY 2000
and 2001, some regions may need to reevaluate the amount of funding being
reserved for project and program management and support.  Additional PE may
be required in FY 2000, because the 3R regional programs will grow
substantially in the outyears.  An appropriate estimate for all non-net-
construction support costs for FY 2000 should be 30 to 40 percent of the
region's allocation.  Our goal, based on the objectives of the National
Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Report, is to have preliminary
planning and design average 18 percent of net construction funds for a
region's 4R program and 10 percent for their 3R program.  Construction
engineering should average 10 percent with a maximum limit of 15 percent for
both programs. An additional 5 percent should be reserved for construction
contingencies, engineering studies and program management.

"Guidance regarding specifics about the type of work that constitutes CE, PE
and construction is partly covered by the revised eligibility guideline dated
June 3, 1999, and will be further clarified when the Funding Allocation and
Project Prioritization Criteria for FLHP is updated this fall. The Federal
Lands Highway Division (FLHD) Offices have been doing this type of program
management for some time and may be of considerable assistance to regions in
managing program funding at the regional level.  We encourage regional
coordinators to work with FLHD counterparts in developing necessary and
appropriate procedures.

"In order to ensure that the FLHP is being effectively administered and to
fulfill reporting requirements to Congress, WASO will require regions to
periodically submit certain program documentation.  Specific timing, format
and content of regional documentation requirements will be outlined by a
subsequent memorandum in time for implementation in FY 2000.

"Note that specific project lists for the 3R program are not included with
this transmittal.  Those projects with current, signed project agreements on
file in WASO have been approved for funding.  For further information
regarding project agreement requirements, please refer to the Associate
Director, Park Operations and Education's memorandum of April 22, 1999.  Each
region should ensure that the servicing FLHD has a copy of all proposed 3R
and 4R project agreements (including those administered by NPS).

"NPS construction programs continue to be under the watchful eye of the
Congress and the public.  As the program begins to implement new criteria and
procedures, we seek your continued cooperation and dedication to facilitate
an accountable, successful program.

"Please direct questions to Mark Hartsoe at 202/565-1265, or Lou DeLorme at
202/565-1254."

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Capitol Reef NP - The park has a GS-025-7/9 ranger position open in the
visitor and resource protection division.  The announcement closes on August
30th.  A law enforcement commission is required for this permanent, full-time
position, which has 6c primary designation.  Duties include both frontcountry
and backcountry patrol.  Capitol Reef, a 378-square mile park, is known for
its extensive backcountry and the spectacular slot canyons of the Waterpocket
Fold.  See announcement number IMDE-99-50 on the USAJOBS bulletin board.  For
additional info, contact Tom Cox at 435-425-3791 ext 130.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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