For the week of  September 12 - 18, 2001

Delegation wants review of Craters expansion

Monument staff begins 
management planning

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

Expansion of Craters of the Moon National Monument last year is still a sore point for Idaho’s congressional delegation.

The volcanic features of Craters of the Moon National Monument are among the newest on the continent. Express photo by Ken Retallic

Idaho’s congressional members and Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, apparently seeking a sympathetic ear from the Bush administration, asked Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton Friday to consider opportunities to review the process and results—including reviewing the boundaries—of the national monuments designated by the previous administration.

Former President Bill Clinton signed a proclamation Nov. 9 that expanded Craters of the Moon National Monument near Carey from 53,000 acres to 750,000 acres. The expanded monument stretches from the Pioneer Mountains on the north to the Snake River on the south and includes wide-spread volcanic features.

In a letter to Norton, Idaho’s political leaders said they are concerned about the limited citizen involvement in the decision making processes by the Clinton administration. It was signed by Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo, Reps. Mike Simpson and Butch Otter and Kempthorne.

The letter also asked that any new management plans include involvement from Idaho’s local communities "every step of the way."

"Regarding the Craters of the Moon National Monument, we feel the department should consider recommending any necessary boundary adjustments," the letter stated. "We believe the expansion should be reviewed to justify the size."

Craters Superintendent Jim Morris said he had only briefly reviewed the letter, but added that "there’s no ongoing effort to re-evaluate the monument’s boundaries" at this time.

"We’re operating on the understanding that (Clinton’s) proclamation redefined the boundaries," he said.

The monument’s expansion created a unique management environment. The National Park Service and three Bureau of Land Management districts are included in the expansion. The BLM’s Shoshone Field Office is taking the lead for the three BLM offices involved.

But the cooperative management of the area is also a bone of contention for Idaho’s congressional delegation and governor.

"The ‘partnership’ between the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management was not defined before the expansion," the delegation’s letter stated. "Thus, it is not known how their joint responsibilities will affect the user groups.

"Our communities and user groups should not have to live with the kind of uncertainty threatened by the ill-advised expansion of Craters of the Moon."

Morris said BLM officials are working this fall to survey the new monument’s boundaries, and Park Service and BLM officials are preparing to begin a three-year planning process for the monument this fall.

The planning process, which will include extensive solicitation of public comments, will guide future management of the area.

"I think a lot of (the delegation’s) concerns and interests are going to be included in the planning process," Morris said.

But the problem might be piquing people’s interest in the process, he predicted.

"The public often times doesn’t get involved unless there are polarized types of issues," he said. "Right now, at Craters of the Moon, we don’t have those types of issues. Our challenge is going to be to get people involved."

Morris said communities near the monument don’t appear to be upset about the monument expansion, but are apprehensive about how the three-year planning process will pan out.

"They’re concerned about what this may mean about lands in their back yards and what it may mean for their communities," he said.

Carey, he said, has been the most vocal community.

"They’re very concerned about the quality of life they have in Carey. They want to make sure their interests and their quality of life are considered."

Beyond preparing for an exhaustive planning process and potentially awaiting new orders from Norton and the Bush administration, Morris said monument managers are also waiting to see what happens to a bill introduced by Simpson last spring.

Simpson’s bill would reclassify the expanded monument as a National Preserve, an action that would allow hunters access to portions of the monument that are under National Park Service jurisdiction.

But, he said, "we’re operating under the assumption that it will not pass in time for this year’s hunting season."

The bill passed the House of Representatives, but has not yet passed the Senate.

Nonetheless, passage of Simpson’s bill will probably change little about management of Craters of the Moon. Most hunters don’t probe the areas Simpson’s bill targets, Morris said.

"More than anything, it’s an emotional issue," he said. "We’re hopeful that the legislation will pass and make life easier for everybody. We don’t consider it a big issue, and we don’t want to make it such."

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