[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 15, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 69221-69225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-29452]



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Part VII





The President





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Proclamation 7373--Boundary Enlargement of the Craters of the Moon 
National Monument



Proclamation 7374--Vermilion Cliffs National Monument



Proclamation 7375--Veterans Day, 2000


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 15, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 69221]]

                Proclamation 7373 of November 9, 2000

                
Boundary Enlargement of the Craters of the Moon 
                National Monument

                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 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

[[Page 69222]]

                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.

                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

[[Page 69223]]

                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 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.

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                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.

                    (Presidential Sig.)<Clinton1><Clinton2>

                Billing code 3195-01-P

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                [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TD15NO00.001
                

[FR Doc. 00-29452
Filed 11-14-00; 8:46 am]
Billing code 3195-01-C