EL MALPAIS AND CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENTS: MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION, AND DISCOVERY

El Malpais and Craters of the Moon are analogous National Monuments managed by the National Park Service in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management. These two monuments, with the surrounding wilderness/public lands, contain a vast amount of remarkable lava fields. Within these lava fields, a wide variety of volcanic features along with a rich archaeological history among many other natural resources can be found. Most notable are the lava tube cave systems, which often contain archaeology, various biota, and geological resources important for studying and understanding. With the aid of the GeoCorps program, these important resources are becoming well documented for future preservation.

To date, each Monument and the surrounding lands have recognized well over 300 lava tube caves, some of which contain world-class resources that are open to the public by various means. Along with lava tubes, hundreds of other important geologic resources are documented such as tree molds, surface tubes, and hornitos. Through extensive field work, documentation, and management, the caves and other features are protected so that the public may responsibly visit and enjoy.

During the past two summers, hundreds of miles have been surveyed within the Monuments, leading to the discovery and reassessment of a multitude of natural resources. New policies and management processes are then created or amended to reflect these new surveys, allowing for the Monuments to further grow and develop to handle novel issues.