Nick Rahall: “Resource Committee Democrats did not object to, and in fact, support consideration of H.R. 601 because it represents a…”

“Resource Committee Democrats did not object to, and in fact, support consideration of H.R. 601 because it represents a technical amendment to the recently expanded Craters of the Moon National Monument. The legislation in no way seeks to repudiate the November 2000 action taken by the Clinton Administration to expand the monument. In this regard, H.R. 601 simply allows hunting, a traditional use of the expanded area, to continue. Except for hunting, no other change is made or contemplated to the management of the significant natural resources of the Craters of the Moon area. By way of background, Craters of the Moon National Monument was initially established by Proclamation of President Coolidge in 1924 and is administered by the National Park Service. Meanwhile, the 661,287 acres of additional Federal lands added to the monument by President Clinton had been managed by the Bureau of Land Management and hunting was permitted on these lands.”