Notable among this year's accomplishments was completion of planning and award of the contract to remodel and expand the park's visitor center/headquarters building and completion and release of the joint NPS/BLM Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve Draft Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for public review and comment. In addition several notable facility maintenance projects were completed and important resource inventory projects initiated on the National Preserve lands added to the park in late 2000.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

The attached charts display the park operational and project budget and staffing for fiscal year 2004. Given that the park is relying more on volunteers and partners to provide visitor services and complete projects it is significant to note that volunteers contributed 3,802 hours of time to the park this year.

PUBLIC USE

Visitation: Annual visitation was 183,112, up slightly 2.4% from calendar year 2003.

Visitor Survey: For the seventh consecutive year we surveyed a sampling of park visitors.

• 95% indicated an overall satisfaction with facilities and services
• 88% reflected an understanding of the significance of the resources of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve following their visit.

RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• 2004 was the first year the WASO funded Northern Rocky Mountain Exotic Plant Management Team's (EPMT) Craters based crew has been fully operational with full staff. Plant Ecologist Wolken supervised the program; Dan Kohring served as a permanent subject-to-furlough crew leader; and Cassi Wood and Jeremy Mills served as crew members. The crew visited all five parks served by the team one or more times.

• Jesse Brunson was hired as a biological science technician to conduct cyclic weed control on road corridors throughout the northern areas of the National Preserve. Jesse, the Craters EPMT crew, with SCA interns Rachel Zack and Michelle Giles completed weed control on 70 miles of road corridor and 30 isolated leafy spurge sites in the Raven's Eye wilderness study area. Superintendent's Annual Report, 2004

• An interagency agreement was completed with the Natural Resource Conservation Service's Aberdeen Plant Material Center to produce container plants and additional seed from locally collected seed. Mike Bell was hired as a biological science technician to complete seed collection from selected native plant species. The native plants and seed produced will be used in revegetation of areas disturbed by loop road construction planned for 2006.

• Rachel Zack served as a Student Conservation Association (SCA) Conservation Associate from April to November. Rachel made significant contributions to the park's GIS database including conversion to the NAD83 datum standard and creation of metadata for all park created GIS data sets.

• Annika Quick served as SCA Resource Assistant working half time for the Interpretative Division and half time with the Resource Division. During her time with Resources, Annika updated the park's cave inventory and added an additional 75 caves mapped by volunteer groups to the database.

• Initiated project field work with Cooperative Ecosystem Study Units at Boise State University (Assessment of Habitat for Sage Dependent Birds, 1-year, $25K), Idaho State University (Survey of Kipukas, 2 years, $75K), and University of Oregon (Archeological Overview and Assessment, 1 year, $20K).

• Initiated a task agreement with the Great Basin CESU for development of a geological feature inventory and monitoring protocol.

• Initiated an agreement with Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument for Phil Gensler to serve as museum curator for Craters of the Moon collections.

INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION

• Although budget constraints had the park relying more upon interns, volunteers and Bureau of Land Management staff than in previous years to provide regular interpretive programs, provide orientation programs to visiting school groups, and operate the visitor center daily, the park was able to maintain a vibrant summer interpretive program. Nearly 3,000 school children participated in in-park programs.

• In cooperation with the University of Idaho the park completed a comprehensive Visitor Use Survey to gather information on our park visitors; what they do and where they go during a visit; satisfaction with park facilities and programs; and feedback on services provided in gateway communities. Results from the survey will be provided in early 2005.

• Four winter ecology programs, each filled to capacity, were presented. In addition, in cooperation with the Sawtooth Science Institute the park provided two teacher's workshops and a geology workshop.

• Ted Stout attended a workshop provided by the NPS and NASA which will aid in developing the park's interpretive and educational programs and further the park's partnership with the Idaho Space Grant Consortium.

• New or replacement trail waysides were designed, fabricated and installed at the Caves Trailhead, Broken Top, Spatter Cones and Kings Bowl.

CRATERS OF THE MOON NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION

The Association, in addition to assisting park staff in providing visitor assistance in the visitor center and providing funds to support interpretation and resources management efforts, continues to seek new opportunities for partnering with the NPS and BLM in the preservation of park resources and the education and enjoyment of visitors. The Association is spearheading the planned Great Rift Science Symposium scheduled for October 2005.

VISITOR AND RESOURCES PROTECTION

• Park Ranger Tammie Henderson served two "Homeland Security" details helping provide enhanced security to other NPS sites.

• Completed the second year of operations under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bureau of Land Management whereby BLM and NPS rangers closely coordinate and assist one-another within the exterior boundaries of the monument and preserve.

• Replaced one of the two old park patrol vehicles.

FACILITY DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE

• Contract awarded to C-2 Construction, Inc. of Mountain Home, Idaho and construction work began on major rehabilitation and expansion of the Visitor Center / Headquarters building in July.

• The Spatter Cones Trail, which leads visitors to a major icon of the park, was completed with a concrete surfaced walkway and viewing platform. The trail greatly improves protection of these natural features and enhances visitor accessibility. Funding was made possible by the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program and private grants.

• Public Land Corps and Youth Conservation Corps working along with park staff patched and sealed all of the asphalt trails in the park reducing resource impacts and improving conditions for visitors. Funding was provided from the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program.

• Maintenance staff initiated use of the Facility Management Software System and completed a comprehensive assessment of the condition of park buildings and utilities.

• The Maintenance building roof was replaced with a PVC product that should insure many more functional years in this facility.

• A new wayside at Kings Bowl designed to provide a safety message to visitors to this remote part of the Preserve was installed along with safety message signs near the edge of the cavern.

CRMO Organization Chart — 2004

(click on image for a PDF copy of this chart)