[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 135 (Thursday, October 7, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12234-S12235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CRAIG (for himself and Mr. Crapo):
  S. 1705. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into 
land exchanges to acquire from the private owner and to convey to the 
State of Idaho approximately 1,240 acres of land near the City of Rocks 
National Reserve, Idaho, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.


          castle rock ranch/hagerman fossil beds land exchange

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill to 
authorize the Castle Rocks Ranch/Hagerman Fossil Beds Land Exchange in 
my home state of Idaho.
  Mr. President, in Idaho we have one of the foremost rock climbing 
destination sites in the world. It is called the City of Rocks National 
Reserve and is located in South Central Idaho. Most of the Reserve is 
owned by the National Park Service with parts of it being owned by the 
State of Idaho, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and 
private landowners. The State of Idaho runs the Reserve with a 
cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.
  The Reserve has unique geologic features--essentially, large rock 
formations jut out of the ground. I can't give it justice with my 
description--it is really something that must be seen, so I invite 
everyone to come to Idaho and visit the City of Rocks. Besides the rock 
formations, many of which are used extensively and known 
internationally for rock climbing, the site has unique historic 
significance. The California Trail, one of the major trails for 
Westward expansion during the 19th Century, passes through the Reserve. 
One of the Reserve's major attractions, Twin Sisters, was a landmark 
for this trail and is currently being protected for historic 
significance. Additionally, wagon trains often stopped in the area to 
maintain their wagons. During these stops, pioneers wrote their names 
on the rocks with wagon grease. Many of these names are still visible 
on the rocks today and serve as a record of our ancestors who passed 
through the area.
  Near the Reserve exists the Castle Rock Ranch, an approximately 1,240 
acre ranch containing similar rock formations, which are ideal for fork 
climbing. Additionally, the Ranch contains irrigated pasture land. The 
Ranch was recently purchased by The Conservation Fund and other 
conservation groups in order to put it into the public domain for 
recreation. It is currently being operated as a working ranch. However, 
the State of Idaho would like to acquire this Ranch to make it into a 
state park. They would open up the rock formations for rock climbing, 
provide for camping and hiking, and, where irrigated pasture land 
exists, trade that irrigated land for dry land inholdings within the 
Reserve. This would help local ranchers acquire irrigated land, which 
is more valuable than gold in Southern Idaho, and allow the state to 
consolidate inholdings within the Reserve.
  A couple of counties to the West and across the mighty Snake River 
exists the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. This National 
Monument contains the Hagerman Fossil Beds, which is important because 
it contains the world's most important fossil deposits from a time 
period known as the late Pliocene epoch, 3.5 million years ago. They 
represent the last glimpse of time before the Ice Age. Additionally, 
the beds contain the largest concentration of Hagerman Horse fossils in 
North America. While the State of Idaho owns the actual fossil beds, 
the National Park Service runs and maintains the facility.
  The State of Idaho wants to divest its interest in the fossil beds 
and acquire the Castle Rock Ranch. Additionally, the National Park 
Service wants to acquire the Fossil Beds. This would make it easier for 
everyone to work to protect the resources we have and open up 
opportunities for recreation. Consequently, I am introducing this 
legislation.
  In brief, the legislation would authorize the National Park Service 
to acquire the Castle Rock Ranch, exchange the Ranch with the State of 
Idaho for the Hagerman Fossil Beds, and mandate that the State exchange 
land within the Ranch for inholdings within the City of Rocks. In the 
end, the National Park Service would run and own the Hagerman Fossil 
Beds, the State of Idaho would own and run a state park in part of the 
Castle Rock Ranch, and voluntary inholders in the

[[Page S12235]]

City of Rocks would be able to trade their inholdings for irrigated 
land on the Castle Rock Ranch.

  The only concern I have is the existence of an easement on the 
Hagerman Fossil Beds for the local irrigation company. This is the only 
way for farmers in the local area to get water to their farms--a 
necessity in that region. Section 4(e) of this legislation was included 
to ensure that this easement will continue to exist. It is vital to the 
existence of family farms in the area, and, for the record, it is not 
my intent to harm--and I will do all in my power to prevent this 
legislation from harming--this easement or the irrigation in the local 
area.
  Mr. President, this is a unique proposal that makes fiscal sense for 
taxpayers and has garnered the support of the National Park Service, 
the State of Idaho, The Conservation Fund, The Access Fund (a national 
climbing group), other conservation groups, local legislators, and many 
local residents. I hope that my colleagues will recognize the 
importance of this legislation and work for its enactment.
                                 ______