Protection sought for frail land

RUPERT, Idaho — Bill Babcock said he has not scratched the surface in his 50 years exploring the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, but he is glad a new federal proposal protects geology and other features of the volcanic plain.

“I’ve never been a believer in locking land up so no one can enjoy it,” said Babcock, a member of the Craters of the Moon National History Association.

Explorers of the Great Rift — the 62-mile-long crack in the Earth’s crust covering 618 square miles between Arco and Minidoka — know it as rugged yet delicate country.

In the final days of his administration, President Clinton expanded the monument from 54,000 acres to more than 700,000 acres. The expansion offered more protection for the region’s fragile geologic features. But it is also likely to attract more visitors, increasing use and the chance for more damage.

The management plan, prepared by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, seeks to balance those issues. The Park Service manages the original monument and the lava flows in the expanded area, while the Bureau of Land Management oversees the rangeland that makes up about 38 percent of the monument.

The 400-page document offers three management options, with the agencies backing one option including aggressive sagebrush habitat restoration, continued public access on existing roads and little added development. The other two options include less or more development.

The proposal estimates management costs at about $3.35 million a year, compared to $2.75 million and $3.38 million in the other two options. The actual plan adopted could combine a combination of all three options, Monument manager Jim Morris said.

The plan allows continued grazing on rangeland and increases protection for geological resources such as lava rock.

Spelunker Chris Anderson, a member of the Silver Sage Grotto club, said he is concerned that the proposal may not offer enough protection for caves or the public.

“Unfortunately, the recommended alternative is probably the worst one as far as our group is concerned,” he said.

Anderson said the plan should have called for either full-blown visitor development to protect inexperienced hikers or decreased access to discourage visitors. He said the middle-of-the-road plan does little to reduce the dangers awaiting inexperienced explorers in the monument’s caves.

“We’ve just been lucky that no one has been killed in there,” Anderson said. “There are a number of caves in the area that are deadly.”

Morris said he also is concerned about the south end lava flows.

“We’re not going to promote it, advertise it or make the roads better,” he said.

But at the same time, people already are traveling to the area, he said. Plans call for signs warning of the dangers and may include a parking area and a couple of well-defined trails to protect the lava flows from damage.

Spelunkers may be required to earn a permit for some caves by proving they have the necessary equipment and skills, Morris said. Outfitters would be encouraged to offer visitor experiences throughout the monument for guided visits.

The public can offer comments on the plan until July 28. The agencies will consider the comments before making a final decision.