1322 June 9 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 Proclamation 7319ÐEstablishment mately 80 percent of the upper Columbia Ba- of the Hanford Reach National sin's fall chinook salmon spawn. It also sup- Monument ports healthy runs of naturally-spawning stur- June 9, 2000 geon and other highly-valued fish species. The loss of other spawning grounds on the By the President of the United States Columbia and its tributaries has increased of America the importance of the Hanford Reach for fisheries. A Proclamation The monument contains one of the last The Hanford Reach National Monument remaining large blocks of shrub-steppe eco- is a unique and biologically diverse land- systems in the Columbia River Basin, sup- scape, encompassing an array of scientific porting an unusually high diversity of native and historic objects. This magnificent area plant and animal species. A large number of contains an irreplaceable natural and historic rare and sensitive plant species are found dis- legacy, preserved by unusual circumstances. persed throughout the monument. A recent Maintained as a buffer area in a Federal res- inventory resulted in the discovery of two ervation conducting nuclear weapons devel- plant species new to science, the Umtanum opment and, more recently, environmental desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs cleanup activities, with limits on develop- bladderpod. Fragile microbiotic crusts, ment and human use for the past 50 years, themselves of biological interest, are well de- the monument is now a haven for important veloped in the monument and play an impor- and increasingly scarce objects of scientific tant role in stabilizing soils and providing nu- and historic interest. Bisected by the stun- trients to plants. ning Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, The monument contains significant breed- the monument contains the largest remnant ing populations of nearly all steppe and of the shrub-steppe ecosystem that once shrub-steppe dependent birds, including the blanketed the Columbia River Basin. The loggerhead shrike, the sage sparrow, the sage monument is also one of the few remaining thrasher, and the ferruginous hawk. The archaeologically rich areas in the western Co- Hanford Reach and surrounding wetlands lumbia Plateau, containing well-preserved provide important stop-over habitat for mi- remnants of human history spanning more gratory birds, as well as habitat for many resi- than 10,000 years. The monument is equally dent species. The area is important wintering rich in geologic history, with dramatic land- habitat for bald eagles, white pelicans, and scapes that reveal the creative forces of many species of waterfowl such as mallards, tectonic, volcanic, and erosive power. green-winged teal, pintails, goldeneye, The monument is a biological treasure, gadwall, and buffleheads. The monument's embracing important riparian, aquatic, and bluff habitats provide valuable nesting sites upland shrub-steppe habitats that are rare or for several bird species, including prairie fal- in decline in other areas. Within its mosaic cons, and important perch sites for raptors of habitats, the monument supports a wealth such as peregrine falcons. of increasingly uncommon native plant and Many species of mammals are also found animal species, the size and diversity of within the monument, including elk, beaver, which is unmatched in the Columbia Basin. badgers, and bobcats. Insect populations, Migrating salmon, birds, and hundreds of though less conspicuous, include species that other native plant and animal species rely on have been lost elsewhere due to habitat con- its natural ecosystems. version, fragmentation, and application of The monument includes the 51-mile long pesticides. A recent biological inventory un- ``Hanford Reach,'' the last free-flowing, covered 41 species and 2 subspecies of in- nontidal stretch of the Columbia River. The sects new to science and many species not Reach contains islands, riffles, gravel bars, before identified in the State of Washington. oxbow ponds, and backwater sloughs that Such rich and diverse insect populations are support some of the most productive spawn- important to supporting the fauna in the ing areas in the Northwest, where approxi- monument. VerDate 26-APR-2000 02:22 Jun 14, 2000 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\PD12JN00.000 ATX006 PsN: ATX006 Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / June 9 1323 In addition to its vital biological resources, to the smallest area compatible with the the monument contains significant geological proper care and management of the objects and paleontological objects. The late-Mio- to be protected. cene to late-Pliocene Ringold Formation, Whereas it appears that it would be in known as the White Bluffs, was formed from the public interest to reserve such lands as river and lake sediments deposited by the an- a national monument to be known as the cestral Columbia River and its tributaries. Hanford Reach National Monument: These striking cliffs form the eastern bank Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, of the Columbia for nearly half of the length President of the United States of America, of the Reach, and are significant for the by the authority vested in me by section 2 mammalian fossils that they contain. Fossil of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 remains from rhinoceros, camel, and mas- U.S.C. 431), do proclaim that there are here- todon, among others, have been found within by set apart and reserved as the Hanford these bluffs. Reach National Monument, for the purpose The Hanford Dune Field, located on the of protecting the objects identified above, all western shore of the Columbia in the south- lands and interests in lands owned or con- eastern part of the monument, is also of geo- trolled by the United States within the logic significance. This active area of migrat- boundaries of the area described on the map ing barchan dunes and partially stabilized entitled ``Hanford Reach National Monu- transverse dunes rises 10 to 16 feet above ment'' attached to and forming a part of this the ground, creating sandy habitats ranging proclamation. The Federal land and interests from 2 to several hundred acres in size. in land reserved consist of approximately The monument also contains important ar- 195,000 acres, which is the smallest area chaeological and historic information. More compatible with the proper care and man- than 10,000 years of human activity in this agement of the objects to be protected. largely arid environment have left extensive archaeological deposits. Areas upland from All Federal lands and interests in lands the river show evidence of concentrated within the boundaries of this monument are human activity, and recent surveys indicate hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all extensive use of arid lowlands for hunting. forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or Hundreds of prehistoric archaeological sites leasing or other disposition under the public have been recorded, including the remains land laws, including but not limited to with- of pithouses, graves, spirit quest monuments, drawal from location, entry, and patent under hunting camps, game drive complexes, quar- the mining laws, and from disposition under ries, and hunting and kill sites. A number all laws relating to mineral and geothermal of Native American groups still have cultural leasing, other than by exchange that furthers ties to the monument. The monument also the protective purposes of the monument. contains some historic structures and other For the purpose of protecting the objects remains from more recent human activities, identified above, the Secretary of the Interior including homesteads from small towns es- and the Secretary of Energy shall prohibit tablished along the riverbanks in the early all motorized and mechanized vehicle use off 20th century. road, except for emergency or other federally Section 2 of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 authorized purposes, including remediation Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431), authorizes the purposes. There is hereby reserved, as of the President, in his discretion, to declare by date of this proclamation and subject to valid public proclamation historic landmarks, his- existing rights, a quantity of water in the Co- toric and prehistoric structures, and other lumbia River sufficient to fulfill the purposes objects of historic or scientific interest that for which this monument is established. are situated upon the lands owned or con- Nothing in this reservation shall be construed trolled by the Government of the United as a relinquishment or reduction of any water States to be national monuments, and to re- use or rights reserved or appropriated by the serve as a part thereof parcels of land, the United States on or before the date of this limits of which in all cases shall be confined proclamation. VerDate 26-APR-2000 02:22 Jun 14, 2000 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\PD12JN00.000 ATX006 PsN: ATX006 1324 June 9 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 For the purpose of protecting the objects River Transmission System, or other existing identified above, the Secretary of the Interior utility services that are located within the shall prohibit livestock grazing. monument. Existing Federal Columbia River The monument shall be managed by the Transmission System facilities located within U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under existing the monument may be replaced, modified agreements with the Department of Energy, and expanded, and new facilities constructed