[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 46 (Monday, November 20, 2000)]
[Pages 2835-2838]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7373--Boundary Enlargement of the Craters of the Moon 
National Monument

 November 9, 2000

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    The Craters of the Moon National Monument was established on May 2, 
1924 (Presidential Proclamation 1694), for the purpose of protecting the 
unusual landscape of the Craters of the Moon lava field. This ``lunar'' 
landscape was thought to resemble that of the Moon and was described in 
the Proclamation as ``weird and scenic landscape peculiar to itself.'' 
The unusual scientific value of the expanded monument is the great 
diversity of exquisitely preserved volcanic features within a relatively 
small area. The expanded monument includes almost all the features of 
basaltic volcanism, including the craters, cones, lava flows, caves, and 
fissures of the 65-mile-long Great Rift, a geological feature that is 
comparable to the great rift zones of Iceland and Hawaii. It comprises 
the most diverse and geologically recent part of the lava terrain that 
covers the southern Snake River Plain, a broad lava plain made up of 
innumerable basalt lava flows that erupted during the past 5 million 
years.
    Since 1924, the monument has been expanded and boundary adjustments 
made through four presidential proclamations issued pursuant to the 
Antiquities Act (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431). Presidential Proclamation 
1843 of July 23, 1928, expanded the monument to include certain springs 
for water supply and additional features of scientific interest. 
Presidential Proclamation 1916 of July 9, 1930, Presidential 
Proclamation 2499 of July 18, 1941, and Presidential Proclamation 3506 
of November 19, 1962, made further adjustments to the boundaries. In 
1996, a minor boundary adjustment was made by section 205 of the Omnibus 
Parks

[[Page 2836]]

and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-333, 110 Stat. 
4093, 4106).
    This Proclamation enlarges the boundary to assure protection of the 
entire Great Rift volcanic zone and associated lava features, all 
objects of scientific interest. The Craters of the Moon, Open Crack, 
Kings Bowl, and Wapi crack sets and the associated Craters of the Moon, 
Kings Bowl, and Wapi lava fields constitute this volcanic rift zone 
system. Craters of the Moon is the largest basaltic volcanic field of 
dominantly Holocene age (less than 10,000 years old) in the conterminous 
United States. Each of the past eruptive episodes lasted up to several 
hundred years in duration and was separated from other eruptive episodes 
by quiet periods of several hundred years to about 3,000 years. The 
first eruptive episode began about 15,000 years ago and the latest ended 
about 2,100 years ago.
    Craters of the Moon holds the most diverse and youngest part of the 
lava terrain that covers the southern Snake River Plain of Idaho, a 
broad plain made up of innumerable basalt lava flows during the past 5 
million years. The most recent eruptions at the Craters of the Moon took 
place about 2,100 years ago and were likely witnessed by the Shoshone 
people, whose legend speaks of a serpent on a mountain who, angered by 
lightening, coiled around and squeezed the mountain until the rocks 
crumbled and melted, fire shot from cracks, and liquid rock flowed from 
the fissures as the mountain exploded. The volcanic field now lies 
dormant, in the latest of a series of quiet periods that separate the 
eight eruptive episodes during which the 60 lava flows and 25 cinder 
cones of this composite volcanic field were formed. Some of the lava 
flows traveled distances of as much as 43 miles from their vents, and 
some flows diverged around areas of higher ground and rejoined 
downstream to form isolated islands of older terrain surrounded by new 
lava. These areas are called ``kipukas.''
    The kipukas provide a window on vegetative communities of the past 
that have been erased from most of the Snake River Plain. In many 
instances, the expanse of rugged lava surrounding the small pocket of 
soils has protected the kipukas from people, animals, and even exotic 
plants. As a result, these kipukas represent some of the last nearly 
pristine and undisturbed vegetation in the Snake River Plain, including 
700-year-old juniper trees and relict stands of sagebrush that are 
essential habitat for sensitive sage grouse populations. These tracts of 
relict vegetation are remarkable benchmarks that aid in the scientific 
study of changes to vegetative communities from recent human activity as 
well as the role of natural fire in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem.
    The Kings Bowl lava field and the Wapi lava field are included in 
the enlarged monument. The Kings Bowl field erupted during a single 
fissure eruption on the southern part of the Great Rift about 2,250 
years ago. This eruption probably lasted only a few hours to a few days. 
The field preserves explosion pits, lava lakes, squeeze-ups, basalt 
mounds, and an ash blanket. The Wapi field probably formed from a 
fissure eruption simultaneously with the eruption of the Kings Bowl 
field. With more prolonged activity over a period of months to a few 
years, the Wapi field formed a low shield volcano. The Bear Trap lava 
tube, located between the Craters of the Moon and the Wapi lava fields, 
is a cave system more than 15 miles long. The lava tube is remarkable 
for its length and for the number of well preserved lava-cave features, 
such as lava stalactites and curbs, the latter marking high stands of 
the flowing lava forever frozen on the lava tube walls. The lava tubes 
and pit craters of the monument are known for their unusual preservation 
of winter ice and snow into the hot summer months, due to shielding from 
the sun and the insulating properties of the basalt.
    Section 2 of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431), 
authorizes the President, in his discretion, to declare by public 
proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, 
and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated 
upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United 
States to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof 
parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to 
the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the 
objects to be protected.

[[Page 2837]]

    Whereas it appears that it would be in the public interest to 
reserve such lands as an addition to the Craters of the Moon National 
Monument:
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 2 of the Act 
of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431), do proclaim that there 
are hereby set apart and reserved as an addition to the Craters of the 
Moon National Monument, for the purpose of protecting the objects 
identified above, all lands and interests in lands owned or controlled 
by the United States within the boundaries of the area described on the 
map entitled ``Craters of the Moon National Monument Boundary 
Enlargement'' attached to and forming a part of this proclamation. The 
Federal land and interests in land reserved consist of approximately 
661,287 acres, which is the smallest area compatible with the proper 
care and management of the objects to be protected.
    All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of 
this monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of 
entry, location, selection, sale, or leasing or other disposition under 
the public land laws, including but not limited to withdrawal from 
location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and from disposition 
under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing, other than by 
exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the monument. For the 
purpose of protecting the objects identified above, the Secretary shall 
prohibit all motorized and mechanized vehicle use off road, except for 
emergency or authorized administrative purposes.
    Lands and interests in lands within the proposed monument not owned 
by the United States shall be reserved as a part of the monument upon 
acquisition of title thereto by the United States.
    The Secretary of the Interior shall prepare a transportation plan 
that addresses the actions, including road closures or travel 
restrictions, necessary to protect the objects identified in this 
proclamation.
    The Secretary of the Interior shall manage the area being added to 
the monument through the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park 
Service, pursuant to legal authorities, to implement the purposes of 
this proclamation. The National Park Service and the Bureau of Land 
Management shall manage the monument cooperatively and shall prepare an 
agreement to share, consistent with applicable laws, whatever resources 
are necessary to manage properly the monument; however, the National 
Park Service shall have primary management authority over the portion of 
the monument that includes the exposed lava flows, and shall manage the 
area under the same laws and regulations that apply to the current 
monument. The Bureau of Land Management shall have primary management 
authority over the remaining portion of the monument, as indicated on 
the map entitled, ``Craters of the Moon National Monument Boundary 
Enlargement.''
    Wilderness Study Areas included in the monument will continue to be 
managed under section 603(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701-1782).
    The establishment of this monument is subject to valid existing 
rights.
    Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish 
the jurisdiction of the State of Idaho with respect to fish and wildlife 
management.
    This proclamation does not reserve water as a matter of Federal law. 
Nothing in this reservation shall be construed as a relinquishment or 
reduction of any water use or rights reserved or appropriated by the 
United States on or before the date of this proclamation. The Secretary 
shall work with appropriate State authorities to ensure that water 
resources needed for monument purposes are available.
    Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish 
the rights of any Indian tribe.
    Laws, regulations, and policies followed by the Bureau of Land 
Management in issuing and administering grazing permits or leases on all 
lands under its jurisdiction shall continue to apply with regard to the 
lands in the monument administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
    Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing 
withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the

[[Page 2838]]

national monument shall be the dominant reservation.
    Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to 
appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of this monument and 
not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of 
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence 
of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.
                                            William J. Clinton

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:46 a.m., November 14, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
November 15. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.