Interior secretary confirms no changes to Hanford Reach National Monument

The nation’s interior secretary confirmed on Thursday that he would recommend no modification to the Hanford Reach National Monument.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he plans no further review of the national monument north of Richland or the Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho.

“Sportsmen and women from all over the country go to Hanford Reach for some of the best fishing and bird hunting around,” Zinke said. “It’s also home to some of the most well-preserved remnants of human history in the area.”

The last non-tidal, free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River in the United States flows through the national monument. The nearby land provides habitat for 43 species of fish, 42 species of mammals and 258 species of birds.

“When the president and I began the monument review process we absolutely realized that not all monuments are the same and that not all monuments would require modifications,” Zinke said.

Washington’s two senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, said on Wednesday that Zinke planned to drop the review. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., said he also had urged Zinke not to make changes to the monument established in 2000.

“The Hanford Reach is an irreplaceable natural and cultural treasure in central Washington, and it should be protected for future generations to enjoy,” Newhouse said.

He will continue to press the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow some public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain. The mountain is on part of the nearly 200,000-acre monument that is closed to the public.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Interior secretary confirms no changes to Hanford Reach National Monument."