There are subspecies of pika, Great Basin pocket mouse, and yellow pine chipmunk which live only in the vicinity of the Great Rift. Four species at Craters of the Moon are federal category 2 candidate species. This means that they may be endangered or threatened, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service has insufficient data to list them. They are the ferruginous hawk, Townsend's big-eared bat, lynx, and blind leiodid cave beetle. It is important to establish current conditions so that changes in air quality can be documented and counteracted.
Air quality is critical to visitor health and enjoyment of scenic vistas.
Clean air is also necessary to maintain healthy living things and pure water, and to preserve historic and prehistoric objects. Craters of the Moon has some of the clearest air in the continental United States. The Environmental Protection Agency uses this location as a baseline reference for visibility - how far the eye can see. Even so, there is evidence that air quality at the monument is beginning to deteriorate. Preserving the pristine quality of the air in the face of increasing external threats is a primary focus at Craters of the Moon.