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Idaho Senate OKs bill supporting a national park

The Idaho Senate has backed a proposal urging Congress to turn Idaho’s Crater of the Moon National Monument into a national park. (The Spokesman-Review file)
Associated Press

BOISE – The Idaho Senate has backed a proposal urging Congress to turn Idaho’s Crater of the Moon National Monument into a national park.

Sen. Jeff Siddoway, a Republican from Terreton, says the goal is to convert the 54,000-acre monument into a national park with no changes to how it’s presently managed.

Currently, Idaho has no national parks inside its borders.

County officials who surround Craters of the Moon have all voiced support for the project with hopes that the change will spark more tourism in the quiet rural region.

However, the influential Idaho Farm Bureau opposes the measure, arguing that such a designation could negatively impact the state’s agricultural community.

The Idaho Senate voted 20-13 to send the measure to the House on Monday.