Idaho group renews push for Craters Monument status upgrade

ARCO, Idaho – An Idaho group wants state lawmakers to sign off on its efforts to get national park status for a national monument near Arco.

The Capital Press reported that Nov. 8 ballot measure shows that Butte County residents support making Craters of the Moon National Monument into a National Park. President Calvin Coolidge created the monument under the Antiquities Act in 1924.

The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation says it will continue fighting the status change, which it fears will enable the federal government to place new restrictions on agricultural producers.

The Coalition to Change the Name secured the endorsement of leaders from nearby cities, five contiguous counties, the Idaho Association of counties and the Idaho Senate in 2015. The issue died in the state House of Representatives without a vote.