Congressional Record, Volume 147 Issue 57 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)

[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H1680-H1682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 601) to ensure the continued access of hunters to those
Federal lands included within the boundaries of the Craters of the Moon
National Monument in the State of Idaho pursuant to Presidential
Proclamation 7373 of November 9, 2000, and to continue the
applicability of the Taylor Grazing Act to the disposition of grazing
fees arising from the use of such lands, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 601

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SPECIAL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL LANDS
RECENTLY ADDED TO CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL
MONUMENT, IDAHO.

(a) Redesignation.--The approximately 410,000 acres of land
added to the Craters of the Moon National Monument by
Presidential Proclamation 7373 of November 9, 2000, and
identified on the map accompanying the Proclamation for
administration by the National Park Service, shall, on and
after the date of enactment of this Act, be known as the
``Craters of the Moon National Preserve''.
(b) Administration.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the
Craters of the Moon National Preserve shall be administered
in accordance with--
(A) Presidential Proclamation 7373 of November 9, 2000;
(B) the Act of June 8, 1906, (commonly referred to as the
``Antiquities Act''; 34 Stat. 225; 16 U.S.C. 431); and
(C) the laws generally applicable to units of the National
Park System, including the Act entitled ``An Act to establish
a National Park Service, and for other purposes'', approved
August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.).
(2) Hunting.--The Secretary of the Interior shall permit
hunting on lands within the Craters of the Moon National
Preserve in accordance with the applicable laws of the United
States and the State of Idaho. The Secretary, in consultation
with the State of Idaho, may designate zones where, and
establish periods when, no hunting may be permitted for
reasons of public safety, protection of the area's resources,
administration, or public use and enjoyment. Except in
emergencies, any regulations prescribing such restrictions
relating to hunting shall be put into effect only after
consultation with the State of Idaho.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley).

General Leave

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks, and included extraneous material, on H.R. 601, the bill
presently being considered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), to explain H.R. 601, which he
introduced.
Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr.
Hefley) for yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, on November 9, 2000, former President Bill Clinton
issued Presidential Proclamation 7373 to expand the boundaries of the
Craters of the Moon National Monument. Prior to Clinton's proclamation,
the monument, which was established by President Coolidge in 1924,
comprised 54,440 acres.
Former President Clinton's proclamation expanded the boundaries to
include approximately 661,287 acres of additional Federal land. The
area is managed by the Secretary of Interior through the National Park
Service and

[[Page H1681]]

the Bureau of Land Management. The National Park Service manages
approximately 410,000 acres of the expansion, while the Bureau of Land
Management manages the remaining 251,000 acres. When the monument was
expanded, it was understood both by the congressional delegation and by
the Governor of the State of Idaho that continued access to hunting
would be maintained in the expanded area. However, when the
proclamation was issued, hunting was restricted in the area of the
expansion which was managed by the National Park Service.
Under this legislation, areas that were open to hunting before the
expansion will remain open to hunting. In addition, the amended bill
includes language requested by the administration to ensure that the
Secretary has appropriate oversight, in cooperation and consultation
with the State of Idaho, over hunting activities within the expanded
area managed by the National Park Service.

Finally, the bill, as amended, designates the expanded area under the
jurisdiction of the National Park Service as a national preserve rather
than a national monument.
Unfortunately, due to the outmoded and antiquated national monument
process, there was not a formal means by which the State of Idaho, the
congressional delegation, and the general public could comment on the
proposed monument expansion.
While the Idaho Fish and Game Department expressed their interest in
working with the Secretary of Interior to allow for appropriate
wildlife management in the expanded area, their concerns largely went
unheard.
When the Idaho congressional delegation and the Governor spoke with
the Secretary of the Interior regarding the Craters of the Moon
expansion, we were led to believe, as I mentioned earlier, that hunting
would not be affected. However, when that proclamation was issued, it
was realized that current Park Service regulations preclude hunting in
the area of the expansion managed by the National Park Service,
therefore denying access to traditional hunting grounds.
H.R. 601 is about fairness and ensuring that Idahoans are not locked
out of traditional hunting areas. H.R. 601 has the support of the Idaho
Fish and Game Commission, the Idaho Fish and Game Advisory Committee,
Idaho Wildlife Council, Idaho Wildlife Federation, and local county
commissioners. It is a bipartisan bill. It has broad bipartisan support
and is also supported by the administration.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman
from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), for his work on this and the staff, the
majority staff's work on this, and also the ranking member, the
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), for her work,
and the minority staff's work on this piece of legislation. I urge my
colleagues to support H.R. 601.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. UNDERWOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 601 would provide for hunting on the
Federal lands that were included within the Craters of the Moon
National Monument when the monument was enlarged on November 9, 2000.
The bill as introduced also provided for the disposition of grazing
fees arising from the use of the expansion area. In hearings on this
legislation before the Committee on Resources, the administration
testified in support of allowing hunting in the 410,000-acre expansion
area administered by the National Park Service, citing unique
circumstances regarding shared management and problems with
enforcement.
The administration also recommended an amendment to provide authority
for the Secretary to exercise jurisdiction over hunting consistent with
what has been done in other areas. The administration further
recommended deleting the grazing language, as it is unnecessary.
On a bipartisan basis, the Committee on Resources developed and
approved an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The changes made
by the amendment address not only matters raised by the administration
but also allow us to handle this issue in a manner consistent with
long-standing park policies and procedures.
Except for the minor change made by the amendment, no other change is
being made to the monument designation or to the management of the
significant natural resources of the Craters of the Moon area.
Since it is long-standing policy not to permit hunting in national
monuments administered by the National Park Service, the committee
amendment redesignates the approximately 410,000-acre expansion area
that the National Park Service manages as the Craters of the Moon
National Preserve. This change is consistent with previous acts that
authorize hunting in national park system units.
Other than hunting, the preserve will be managed exactly the same as
the original Craters of the Moon National Monument that the National
Park Service also administers.
The committee amendment also includes the administration-requested
language on hunting jurisdiction and deletes the unnecessary reference
to grazing.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the cooperation of the majority members of
the Committee on Resources in amending this legislation. While H.R. 601
is a relatively minor clarification of a small management issue, I am
encouraged by collaboration exhibited in addressing this matter. I
believe we have an improved legislative product with the amendment
adopted by the Committee on Resources, and I am pleased to support the
bill as amended; and I congratulate the gentleman from Idaho (Mr.
Simpson) for his work.

{time} 1500

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to emphasize one point that the
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) made: H.R. 601 is supported by the
administration, and it does have strong bipartisan support. I would
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 601, as amended.
Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, Resource Committee Democrats did not object
to, and in fact, support consideration of H.R. 601 because it
represents a technical amendment to the recently expanded Craters of
the Moon National Monument.
The legislation in no way seeks to repudiate the November 2000 action
taken by the Clinton Administration to expand the monument.
In this regard, H.R. 601 simply allows hunting, a traditional use of
the expanded area, to continue. Except for hunting, no other change is
made or contemplated to the management of the significant natural
resources of the Craters of the Moon area.
By way of background, Craters of the Moon National Monument was
initially established by Proclamation of President Coolidge in 1924 and
is administered by the National Park Service.
Meanwhile, the 661,287 acres of additional Federal lands added to the
monument by President Clinton had been managed by the Bureau of Land
Management and hunting was permitted on these lands.
Under the Clinton Proclamation, the NPS now manages approximately
410,000 acres of the expansion area which contain nationally
significant exposed lava flows, while the BLM continues to administer
the remaining 251,287 acre portion of the expanded monument.
As such, while hunting can continue on a portion of the expanded
area, since this activity is normally not allowed in monuments
administered by the NPS it is not allowed on the other portion of the
expanded area.
H.R. 601 addresses this minor discrepancy by redesignating the
approximately 410,000 acre expansion area that the NPS manages as the
``Craters of the Moon National Preserve.'' Except for hunting, the
preserve will be managed exactly the same as the original Craters of
the Moon National Monument.
Again, except for hunting, the preserve will be managed exactly the
same as the original Craters of the Moon National Monument.
This bill then in no way reflects a rollback of the Clinton
Administration monument designations nor does it signal the willingness
of Resources Committee Democrats to support any such move.
Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hastings of Washington). The question is
on the motion offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) that
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 601, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.

[[Page H1682]]

The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to
redesignate certain lands within the Craters of the Moon National
Monument, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________