NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT
   
   
   To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
   
   From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
   
   Day/Date:   Thursday, December 30, 1999
   
   INCIDENTS
   
   99-657 - Systemwide - Follow-up: Special Event - Millennium 2000
   
   The Service's Type I incident management team has been assigned to 
   coordinate Y2K-related information Servicewide. The team is now in place 
   at the command center in Washington and is making final preparations for 
   the Y2K reporting period. Computer and phone systems have been installed 
   and the installation of backup Iridium telephone and radio systems should 
   be completed today. A total of 28 people have been assigned to the 
   incident, including the points of contact at the ten "mission essential 
   facilities" (seven regional offices, WASO, USPP headquarters and AOC) and 
   two "mission critical systems" (the campground reservation system and the 
   National Register of Historic Places). The command center will operate 
   from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today; 24-hour coverage will begin at 8 a.m. 
   tomorrow morning and continue until 6 p.m. on Monday, January 3rd. 
   Information on NPS Y2K readiness and the latest reports on related 
   computer viruses can be found at http://y2k.itc.nps.gov. The NPS web page 
   (www.nps.gov) will be kept up during the holiday weekend. Reports on 
   Y2K-related incidents will appear in the Morning Report. Ranger Activities 
   also passes on the following reminder from SA Joel Wright, the NPS liaison 
   at the interagency El Paso Information Center: "While there are no 
   specific terrorist threats against the United States at this time, Customs 
   and INS/Border Patrol have increased their security nationwide at all 
   border ports-of-entry for possible terrorists entering the U.S. Please 
   remain alert and vigilant for any suspicious activity at all NPS areas 
   during this New Year. There are persons, both foreign and domestic, who 
   may want to take advantage of this time to cause disruption or make 
   political statements. Remain safe and be careful." [Skip Brooks, IC, IMT, 
   12/29; Joel Wright, SA, RAD/WASO, 12/29]
   
   99-751 - Pictured Rocks NL (MI) - Snowmobiling Fatality
   
   On December 28th, R.M., 27, of Brown City, Michigan, succumbed to 
   injuries suffered in a snowmobile accident that occurred when he failed to 
   negotiate a curve on a designated snowmobile trail near the Grand Sable 
   visitor center. R.M.'s snowmobile left the roadway and hit a large 
   tree. Ranger Neil Korsmo and a Alger County deputy were called out and 
   jointly investigated. R.M. was transported by ambulance to Munising 
   Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Initial investigation 
   indicates that speed and alcohol were contributing factors in the 
   accident. The investigation is continuing. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 12/29]
   
   99-752 - Lake Roosevelt NRA (WA) - MVA with Two Fatalities
   
   A single-vehicle accident occurred on State Highway 25 north in the Kettle 
   Falls District on the morning of December 27th.  Park, state and county 
   units responded and found that the vehicle had left the road on a curve, 
   struck a guardrail, traveled about 300 feet down a steep embankment, then 
   landed in 30 feet of water, 50 feet from shore.  Divers recovered the 
   vehicle and passenger later that day and the driver the next day. Neither 
   of the occupants was wearing a seatbelt.  Speed, alcohol and drugs were 
   involved. The Washington State Patrol is leading the investigation. (Gig 
   LeBret, DR, Gifford District, LARO, 12/29)
   
   99-753 - Guadalupe Mountains NRA (TX) - Assist; Serious MVA
   
   The park received a request for EMS assistance at a single-vehicle 
   accident outside the park on Highway 62/180 near the base of Guadalupe 
   Pass at 6:20 a.m. on December 19th. Rangers Teri Stoia and Steve Martin 
   responded in the park's ambulance. A tractor trailer hauling lettuce had 
   left the road and rolled 60 to 70 feet down an embankment. The driver had 
   been ejected from the vehicle; he had an altered level of consciousness 
   and was suffering from multiple injuries.  The driver was a very large 
   person, weighing approximately 350 pounds.   Additional park personnel 
   responded to help raise him on a Stokes litter up the steep embankment to 
   the road.  A medevac helicopter was requested from Fort Bliss in El Paso, 
   and the driver was taken to William Beaumont Army Hospital. Once there, he 
   became enraged, breaking the hand of one medic, punching another in the 
   face, and tearing up a set of three-inch-wide leather restraints.  Drug 
   screening at the hospital showed that he was under the influence of 
   methamphetamines.  The accident is under investigation by the Texas 
   Highway Patrol.  The driver faces additional federal charges by the 
   military for his actions at the hospital.  (Bruce Malloy, Acting CR, GUMO, 
   12/23)
   
   99-754 - Big Bend (TX) - Drug Arrest and Prosecution
   
   On October 4th, rangers and Border Patrol agents stopped a pickup truck 
   within the park for traffic violations. A consent search of the vehicle 
   revealed a false bed under the pickup truck's bed and 246 pounds of 
   packaged marijuana. On December 11th, a suppression hearing was held in 
   federal district court. The traffic stop was found to be legal, which made 
   the evidence admissible. The court determined that the stop was fully 
   legal even though the stop for a traffic violation was pretextual in 
   nature. The charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to 
   distribute will therefore move forward. [Cary Brown, DR, BIBE, 12/22]
   
   99-755 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Poaching
   
   On November 27th, a ranger and USFWS agents arrested G.T. for 
   hunting in the park. G.T. was seen firing at a six-point buck inside 
   the park and was found to have previously baited the area with corn. He's 
   suspected of having hunted on park land for the past several years. 
   G.T. is a licensed taxidermist and known hunting videographer. 
   Several CFR charges were filed against him. [Tom Nash, CHOH, 12/7]
   
   99-756 - Cape Hatteras NS (NC) - Poaching
   
   On December 8th, the park received a tip that a local man may have poached 
   several deer in the park. Rangers Michelle Uhr and Rick Roberts went to 
   the residence of 19-year-old R.L. in Buxton. During 
   questioning, R.L. said that the deer had been killed in the park, and 
   implicated 38-year-old Wayne Cameron, also of Buxton. That evening, 
   rangers Uhr, Roberts and Mark White, two state wildlife officers and a 
   county deputy went to Cameron's residence and questioned him. He admitted 
   to being with R.L. and taking all of the deer on park property between 
   10:30 p.m. and midnight the previous night. Roberts seized evidence, 
   including meat, antlers and a weapon, and issued mandatory appearance 
   violations, including illegal hunting, illegal possession of a weapon, use 
   of artificial light to spotlight animals, and Lacey Act violations. The 
   investigation is continuing. [Jeff Cobb, CR, CAHA, 12/10]
   
   RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
   
   No submissions.
   
   OPERATIONAL NOTES
   
   NPS Web Page - FTP access to www.nps.gov will be restored on Monday, 
   January 3rd, barring unforeseen circumstances arising over the coming 
   weekend. Your patience and understanding during the Y2K rollover period 
   are appreciated. [Steve Pittleman, WASO]
   
   MEMORANDA
   
   No submissions.
   
   INTERCHANGE
   
   No submissions.
   
   PARKS AND PEOPLE
   
   Cuyahoga Valley NRA - Ranger Mike Wilson was recognized last month at the 
   Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) kickoff ceremony for their annual 
   "Red Ribbon" campaign against drunk driving. He was recognized as a Red 
   Ribbon award winner for making a difference by keeping intoxicated drivers 
   off of area roads. Wilson's aggressive work in identifying people under 
   the influence of drugs and alcohol has resulted in arrests, citations and 
   juvenile court appearances for some 25 people since last June. [Dale 
   Silvis, SDR, CUVA]
   
   National Capitol Parks - The Park Police received first place honors in 
   the 1998 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) "Chiefs' 
   Challenge" awards at the IACP conference held in North Carolina in 
   November. The Chiefs' Challenge program targets three major traffic safety 
   priorities - speeding, impaired driving, and occupant protection. The USPP 
   were cited for excelling in each of these three priorities in the federal 
   agency category of the awards. 
   
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   Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by 
   park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please 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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