April 4, 2013

Land Added to Petroglyph Point Unit of Lava Beds National Monument

TULELAKE, California –  Lava Beds National Monument has received 132 acres through a cooperative land transfer from the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation in an effort to increase protection for and emphasize the importance of the Petroglyph Point Unit in 2012. In the monument’s 2010 Draft General Management Plan, the Petroglyph Point Unit was targeted for improvements to provide improved access and information for visitors as well as increased protection for one of the highest concentrations of petroglyphs in the United States as well as critical raptor habitat found there.

According to Superintendent Mike Reynolds, “this land transfer from the BLM and BOR is the first step towards what we hope will be a series of exciting improvements over the next few years for Petroglyph Point”.

The Petroglyph Point Unit, originally established as only 20 acres in 1925, was augmented in the 1950s by the transfer of 114 acres from the Bureau of Reclamation and an additional 77 acres from local farmers. Combined, these areas are managed for natural and cultural resource protection, as well as visitor enjoyment and education by the National Park Service.

This summer, Lava Beds National Monument staff will install boundary markers around the Petroglyph Point Unit that reflects those newly transferred lands. Adjacent land owners will be contacted directly by monument staff before the boundary signs will be placed.  The signs that are to be installed are standard “National Park Service” boundary placards installed on carsonite posts.  These signs will help inform the public of the new boundaries and increase the protection of the lands and resources within the new boundary.

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Lava Beds National Monument, established in 1925, is a land of turmoil, both geologic and historic.  Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features.  Lava tube caves, Native American sites, historic battlefields and a high desert wilderness experience await you!

For more information about visiting Lava Beds National Monument, call 530-667-8100, email labe_interpretation@nps.gov, or go to www.nps.gov/labe.

-NPS-

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