NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT
     
     
     To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
     
     From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
     
     Day/Date:   Monday, November 22, 1999
     
     INCIDENTS
     
     99-677 - Caribbean Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Lenny
     
     Christiansted NHS and Buck Island Reef NM remain closed.  The two 
     parks were struck by hurricane winds of over 150 mph.  All employees 
     are accounted for and are in good health.  Phones are working 
     intermittently and some areas are still experiencing electrical and 
     water outages.  Contract cleanup operations will begin today; a damage 
     assessment is underway.  [Superintendent, CHRI, 11/19]
     
     99-685 - Gettysburg NMP (PA) - Significant Vandalism
     
     On the evening of Thursday, November 18th, a Park Watch volunteer 
     discovered what appeared to be vegetable oil on the 17th Connecticut 
     Infantry monument on Wainwright Avenue and notified ranger Andrew 
     Suppiger.  Further investigation revealed that eight other monuments 
     on East Cemetery Hill also had oil poured onto them.  The markers 
     damaged included the 75th Ohio right flank marker, the 25th and 75th 
     Ohio Infantry monument, the 25th Ohio right flank marker, the 4th Ohio 
     Infantry monument, the 68th New York Infantry monument, the 14th 
     Indiana Infantry monument, Cooper's Battery B/1st Pennsylvania Light 
     Artillery monument, and the equestrian statue of Major General Oliver 
     Howard.  In many instances, small quantities of the oil were poured 
     onto each corner of the monument.  In other cases, the oil may have 
     been poured onto the top of the stone or onto a bronze fixture.  The 
     park's monument preservation crew was advised of the damage early the 
     next morning and immediately began working to remove the oily 
     substance with assistance from volunteers.  Work continued throughout 
     the day. Some time between noon and about 2:30 p.m., a similar oil was 
     poured onto the four corners of the Soldiers and Sailors monument and 
     the New York state monument, both in the National Cemetery.  This 
     discovery prompted a second search for damaged markers.  The 21st 
     Pennsylvania Cavalry monument, the 60th New York Volunteers monument, 
     the 66th Ohio right flank marker, the marker indicating the falling of 
     Major J.G. Palmer of the 66th Ohio, the equestrian statue of Major 
     General Henry Slocum, and the base of the observation tower at Culp's 
     Hill were all found to have been similarly anointed. The monument 
     preservation crew was again notified and worked most of Saturday to 
     remove the oil.  Thus far, it appears that efforts to safely remove 
     all the oil may not be fully successful and that some staining may 
     linger for years. This incident shows remarkable similarities to 
     incidents investigated in the spring of 1998 at Vicksburg NMB, Tupelo 
     NB, Brices Cross Roads NBS, and Shiloh NMP.  The investigation 
     continues.  [Pete Walzer, SPR, GETT, 11/21]
     
     99-686 - Manassas NBP (VA) - Multiple MVA; Pesticide Spill
     
     On November 17th, county police asked chief ranger Kim Coast to 
     respond to an overturned vehicle that was carrying pesticides on Route 
     234 through the park. Coast was first on scene, followed shortly by a 
     county hazmat crew. The crew secured the area and determined that the 
     chemical, chlorpyrifis, did not pose an immediate threat to the 
     public. Coast and other county officers provided traffic control while 
     the hazmat crew neutralized the chemical for cleanup. While cleanup 
     operations were underway, only one lane of traffic was open.  Coast 
     had traffic stopped when a fast moving dump truck carrying sand and 
     gravel failed to heed flares and stopped traffic, careened across the 
     highway, and skidded into an agriculture field in the park across from 
     first accident site. Due to the quick response of the hazmat crew, the 
     pesticides did not have any effect on park resources. Neither of the 
     drivers was injured. The driver of the dump truck was cited for 
     reckless operation of a vehicle. Resource damage was incurred as a 
     result of the dump truck accident; the park will accordingly be 
     working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to seek restitution for the 
     damage.  (Kim Coast, CR, MANA, 11/18)
     
     99-687 - Manassas NBP (VA) - Civil ARPA Case
     
     On September 23rd, ranger Scotty Ryan saw D.K. searching the 
     recently rain-washed trail between Stone House and Mathews Hill, site 
     of a major component of fighting during the First Battle of Manassas. 
     Over a half-hour period, D.K. several times reached down and picked 
     up materials from the trail surface. When Ryan confronted him, D.K. 
     indicated he was looking for mini-balls and said he knew that doing so 
     "ain't cool."  He also said he had read the recent newspaper articles 
     about relic hunters who had recently been convicted for taking 
     artifacts from the park.  A search of D.K.'s person and vehicle 
     yielded neither artifacts nor any related paraphernalia other than a 
     leatherman tool.  Investigation of the area yielded no excavations. On 
     November 18th, D.K. agreed to a civil settlement finding him in 
     violation of attempted ARPA.  Due to the lack of site damage and of 
     other relic-hunting tools, there was no financial penalty.  The 
     benefit of the settlement to the park is that an official finding of 
     violation has been made, which sets D.K. up for automatic felony 
     charges for any future ARPA violation. The settlement is consistent 
     with the Eastern District of Virginia's zero tolerance policy for ARPA 
     violations.  This case is apparently the first civil adjudication of 
     attempted ARPA where no damage was done.  (Scott Ryan, PR, MANA, 
     11/18)
     
     RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
     
     No submissions.
     
     OPERATIONAL NOTES
     
     No submissions.
     
     MEMORANDA
     
     "1999 Outstanding Team Achievement Award, Federal Lands Highway 
     Program, Park Roads and Parkways," signed on November 3rd by the 
     acting associate director, Park Operations and Education, and sent to 
     all regional directors.  A reply is due by January 7th.  The text 
     follows:
     
     "Your region is invited to participate in the 1999 Outstanding Team 
     Achievement Awards Program for Federal Lands Highway projects.  This 
     program recognizes an outstanding Federal Highway Administration 
     (FHWA) team effort on a National Park Service (NPS) road or parkway 
     project. 
     
     "Goals of the NPS in park road construction include projects which are 
     not only technically sound and cost effective but also reflective of 
     NPS values of resource protection, visitor experience, and aesthetics. 
     Teamwork by NPS and FHWA design and construction personnel is the key 
     to achieving these goals.  Therefore, we are pleased to present these 
     awards to our FHWA partners for outstanding team effort.   FHWA is 
     similarly being asked to nominate NPS employees for recognition.
     
     "Each of the NPS Regional Federal Lands Highway Program (FLHP) 
     Coordinators may nominate, with concurrence from the regional 
     director, one FHWA design team and/or one construction team who worked 
     on a project which was completed in FY 1999.  See the attached 
     nomination form and guidelines.  Regional FLHP Coordinators are 
     encouraged to seek input from park staff, Denver Service Center 
     personnel, and others.  Final selection of the winning team will be 
     made by the Park Facility Management Division of the Washington 
     Office. 
     
     "If you have any questions regarding this award program, please 
     contact Lou DeLorme at 202/565-1254."
     
     INTERCHANGE
     
     No submissions.
     
     PARKS AND PEOPLE
     
     Lake Roosevelt NRA - The park will be recruiting for two positions - 
     GS-11/12 team leader for interpretation and visitor services (merit 
     promotion announcement) and GS-11/12 team leader for planning and 
     resources management.  The latter will be advertised as an 
     interdisciplinary positions and will be open to merit promotion 
     candidates and to all sources.  The vacancy announcements should be 
     open in early January.  If you have any questions, please contact 
     superintendent Vaughn Baker at 509-633-9441 ext. 110.
     
     TRAINING/MEETING CALENDAR
     
     The NPS training/meeting calendar follows this edition of the Morning 
     Report as a separate message.
     
                               *  *  *  *  *
     
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     address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your 
     servicing hub coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on 
     the web at http://www.nps.gov/morningreport
     
     Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
     cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
     
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