Poll data released by Idaho Politics Weekly shows a majority of Idahoans support re-designating Craters of the Moon National Monument a national park.
The poll finds 55 percent of state residents are in favor of bumping up Craters to the more prestigious and visible national park status; 32 percent don't want to see the vast lava fields changed from their current state.
The poll by Dan Johnson & Associates questioned 628 adults and has a margin of error of 3.91 percent.
The poll revealed the re-classification of Craters to not be a partisan issue. Across the board: 58 percent of Republicans, 78 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Independents all support the national park designation. The only demographic that doesn't heavily favor the change are those who self-identify as “very conservative.” However, that group still narrowly favors the upgrade in Crater's status 46 to 42 percent.
Craters was designated a National Monument in 1924 by President Calvin Coolidge. In recent years, several campaigns have been launched to get Congress to designate the location a national park. The most recent charge has been led by the small town of Arco just a few miles away from the otherworldly location.
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