NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, October 6, 1999

INCIDENTS

99-86 - Wilson's Creek NB (MO) - Follow-up: ARPA Case

On September 24th, J.I., 22, pled guilty in federal court to a
misdemeanor count of violating ARPA.  Last March, J.I. was seen digging in the
Ray House yard by ranger Sam Martinsen.  Martinsen contacted J.I. and found
that he had a variety of artifacts and a long-bladed knife (used as a digging
tool) in his possession.  Through a plea agreement, J.I. agreed to restitution
of $3,494.21 and a year's supervised probation.  Final sentencing is pending. 
[John Sutton, CR, WICR, 10/4]

99-543 - Moores Creek NB (NC) - Follow-up: Hurricane Floyd

A portion of the park reopened to the public yesterday, 20 days after closing
for Hurricane Floyd.  The visitor center, restrooms and Tar Heel trail are
open.  The historic causeway and bridge site remain underwater, as does most
of the boardwalk.   The park's multi-purpose structure, Patriots Hall, was
inundated with flood waters just under two feet deep.  The history trail and
the hall remain closed to the public.  The hall is scheduled to reopen on
Sunday, October 10th; the trail will remain closed until the water recedes
and downed trees are removed.  The ground is still very wet, and additional
rain fell on Monday night.  Saw crews to help handle the downed trees are
scheduled to arrive next week, pending drying conditions.  Employees are glad
to be back at work and to have at least a portion of the park accessible. 
[Ann Childress, Superintendent, MOCR, 10/5]

99-600 - Big South Fork NRRA (KY/TN) - Homicide

A man's body was found in the river below a bridge abutment near the point
where O&W Road meets White Oak Creek on the afternoon of October 3rd.  He had
extensive trauma to the right side of his head and face and to his chest. 
The man, subsequently identified as S.R., 32, apparently had been
dead and lying at that location for 24 to 48 hours.  S.R. had been
reported missing from his residence in Kentucky since September 30th. 
Evidence of foul play was found, and an investigation by rangers and deputies
is underway.  The park has consulted with the local FBI office.  Ranger Ron
Parrish is leading the investigation for the park.  [F. Graham, CR, BISO,
10/5]

99-601 - Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - Indictment for Assault

On September 16th, D.F., 29, of Cape Coral, Florida, was indicted by
a federal grand jury on one felony count of assaulting federal officers and
two misdemeanor counts of assaulting children under 16 years of age.  The
indictments stemmed from an incident that occurred in the park on July 16,
1998.  Rangers Melanie Brunet and Joni Jones responded that day to a report
of a naked woman on Mount Baldy Beach.  They saw the nude D.F. committing
obscene acts, using obscene language and accosting park visitors.  She
resisted arrest, spitting on the rangers.  EMS personnel were summoned, as it
was believed that D.F. might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 
D.F. continued to struggle and tried to spit on the medics.  Her mouth
was covered with a towel and she was taken to a local hospital.  She was
released the next day and subsequently left the area.  During the follow-up
investigation, Brunet and Jones learned that D.F. had approached a
family, intentionally thrown sand into the face of a five-month-old infant,
and pinched a two-and-a-half-year-old child.  An attempt to subpoena
D.F.'s hospital record is being resisted by the hospital.  D.F. was
found in Florida by the park's criminal investigator.  A plea and voluntary
appearance agreement with D.F. and her attorney broke down, which led to
the indictments.  Jones testified before the grand jury.  [Rich Littlefield,
CR, INDU, 10/4] 

99-602 - Saguaro NP (AZ) - Felony Flight

Ranger Andy Brinkley made a traffic stop on a man suspected of driving under
the influence on Picture Rocks Road on the afternoon of September 30th.  The
man - M.S., 38, of Avra Valley - resisted arrest, jumped back into
his vehicle, and took off at a high rate of speed.  The vehicle stalled about
a mile down the road, at which point M.S. grabbed two cased long guns from
the back seat and fled into the park.  Rangers, a sheriff's department SWAT
team and FBI agents conducted a full-scale search, employing dogs and a
Customs helicopter.  The road was closed for five hours during the search in
order to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.  M.S. was arrested at
his home the following morning, charged with felony flight, and booked into
jail on a $5,500 bond.  Additional charges are pending, including interfering
with agency functions, reckless driving, and possession of crack cocaine. 
There was extensive live coverage of the incident via a news helicopter,
followed by numerous front-page newspaper stories.  [Robert Stinson, DR,
SAGU, 10/4]

99-603 - Canyonlands NP (UT) - Assist; Fatal Boating Accident

M.T., 29, of Salt Lake City, Utah, died while rafting in Westwater
Canyon of the Colorado River on the afternoon of Saturday, October 2nd. 
M.T. was a member of a rafting group consisting of eight people in two
inflatable paddle rafts.  Both rafts flipped in a massive hydraulic in Skull
Rapid.  The bow line from a raft wrapped around M.T.'s leg; he floated on
one side of a rock but remained connected by the rope to the boat, which was
on the opposite side of the rock.  Expert kayakers attempted to reach M.T.
for about an hour, but were unable to do so because of the violent water. 
The force of the water eventually removed M.T.'s life jacket and he
drowned. This tragedy was observed from a close distance by his mother and
brother.  Westwater Canyon is Class IV whitewater and was flowing at
approximately 6,800 cubic feet per second with a water temperature of
approximately 58 degrees.  At the request of the local sheriff's office,
Canyonlands rangers evacuated the eight stranded boaters from the canyon
early on Saturday morning.  County SAR personnel and rangers from BLM, Utah
State Parks and the NPS then used vertical rock rescue techniques to reach
the point where M.T. was last seen to probe for his body with a pike pole. 
They were unsuccessful.  County rescue personnel and rangers will continue
recovery efforts on a daily basis for a reasonable period of time.  [Steve
Swanke, DR, CANY, 10/5]

99-604 - Shenandoah NP (VA) - Poaching

Rangers Bruce Gagnon and Mark Cyr were on poaching patrol on opening day of
the state archery season during the early morning hours of October 2nd when
they saw a green Ford pickup cruising Skyline Drive and being operated in an
erratic manner.  They stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, B.L.B.
of Shenandoah, Virginia.  They saw a bow and several arrows on the
passenger seat, and, in the subsequent search of the truck, discovered a
loaded crossbow bolt, a spotlight, several knives, a machete, three boxes of
buckshot, and other hunting items.  B.L.B. told the rangers he was in the
park to "get meat."  He was arrested and charged with hunting in the park,
possession of a loaded weapon in a motor vehicle, and possession of a weapons
in a national park.  [Scot Bowen, SHEN, 10/5]

99-605 - National Capital Parks Central (DC) - Drowning

On September 11th, USPP officers were notified by a citizen that a young man
was having trouble swimming in the Washington Channel near Case Bridge. 
Although the officers were only a few hundred feet away, the boy had gone
under by the time they got to he shore.  Two officers and a citizen entered
the water and searched for the victim, but without luck.  The body was found
later that evening.  [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/29]

99-606 - George Washington Memorial Parkway (VA) - MVA with Fatality

A motor vehicle accident occurred in the northbound lane of the parkway near
the 14th Street bridge on September 28th.  The vehicle left the road,
continued at a relatively slow rate of speed along the grass area adjacent to
the parkway, passed through a row of shrubs, and came to rest against the
abutment of a railroad bridge.  The lone occupant was unconscious and taken
to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.  Evidence indicates that he
suffered a coronary or other disabling ailment before the vehicle left the
road.  An investigation is underway.  [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/29]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                      Mon      Tue   %  Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT      10/4     10/5 Con Con
 
CA    Shasta-Trinity NF      Big Bar Cx      AC/2T1 99,013  101,973  41 UNK 
      Tehama-Glenn RU        Gun 2           ST     60,390   60,390  95 10/6
      Los Padres NF          Kirk Cx         2T1    76,285   80,720  50 UNK 
      Cleveland NF           La Jolla        T2      6,000    7,500  80 10/6
      San Diego RU           Shockey         --      3,300    3,885 100 CND
      Sierra South Region  * Sliger          --          -      150  40 10/6

OR    Siskiyou NF            Repeater        T2      1,980    1,980  70 10/7
      Vale District        * Horse Creek     --          -    1,000  NR NR

ID    Salmon-Challis NF      Upper Antelope  --        360      360 100 CND 

TX    State                * Moccasin Pond   --          -      350 100 CND

CO    Craig District       * East Fawn       --          -      240 100 CND

                                  Heading Notes

Unit        Agency or Area Office = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA
            state resource or ranger unit; RD = CA state ranger district;
            Region = CA state region; FO = BLM field office; District = BLM
            district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire        * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex 
IMT         AC = Area Command; 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; RBF = resource benefit fire, no containment action being
            taken; LR = last report unless significant activity occurs

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Saturday, 10/2       0      1         2       0       34     24        61
Sunday, 10/3         0      0         4       0       32     13        49
Monday, 10/4         0      2         4       0      152     29       187
Tuesday, 10/5        2      7         6       0       72     19       106

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Saturday, 10/2     388        545         114            14         1,985
Sunday, 10/3       412        559         111             0         1,922
Monday, 10/4       426        569          96             0         2,574
Tuesday, 10/5      459        587         110             2         2,523

CURRENT SITUATION

There was little initial attack anywhere, but new large fires were reported
in the Northwest and the Rockies yesterday.

The firefighter who was injured on October 3rd on the La Jolla fire died
yesterday morning.  

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, Oregon,
Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Illinois, Indiana and Georgia. 

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 10/6]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION 

Saguaro NP (AZ) - Mine Inspection Survey

Over the past year, ranger Dave Fox conducted an extensive survey and
inspection of over 120 mines throughout the park's 24,000-acre Tucson
Mountain District.  Every mine was documented by plotting sites on a GIS map
utilizing a PLGR real-time GPS unit.  A comprehensive database with risk
classifications was then developed which will be used for all mine safety
reviews in the future.  Fox undertook the project on top of his regular
duties and was cited by the park for his efforts.  [Paula Nasiatka, CR, SAGU]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Court Ruling - The Ninth Circuit has ruled that the search of a rented
houseboat floating on Lake Powell based on probable cause that the houseboat
contained evidence of BASE jumping violations was a valid search under the
Carroll Doctrine for vehicle searches.  In effect, the Ninth Circuit joined
the Tenth Circuit in holding that a houseboat found on open public waters is
a "vehicle" for the purposes of the Fourth Amendment and may be searched like
any other vehicle if probable cause exists to believe the houseboat contains
or is evidence of a crime.  United States v. Albers, 136 F.3d 670 (9th Cir.
1998).  [Don Usher, FLETC]

Training Update - Results are in from the universal competencies needs
assessment conducted this year.  They can be found at The Learning Place web
site (www.nps.gov/training) under "current events." A total of 2,000
employees were asked to identify their most important training needs in the
competencies arena.  The information will be used to help set priorities for
training development and delivery Servicewide.  A new web page has been
created to help employees create individual development plans (IDPs)
identified in the NPS career planning and tracking kit that came out in 1995. 
The web page can also be found under "current events."  Please send any
comments and/or suggestions about this page to Betty Browning via cc:Mail. 
[Maia Browning, Albright TC]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Intermountain Support Office - A vacancy announcement will be issued on
October 8th for the GS-13/14 regional chief ranger (visitor and resource
protection) for Intermountain Support Office - Denver, Intermountain Region. 
It will close on October 22nd.  For more information, contact either Peggy
Ponder at 303-969-2630 or Hal Grovert at 303-969-2800.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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