In the 1970s, Diamond Craters was a source of controversy between the Bureau of Land Management and commercial stonecutters who were illegally removing slabs of lava to sell as veneer for fireplaces, home exteriors, and chimneys. Geologists familiar with the area cited the craters' unusual research value, a museum of basaltic volcanic features apt to be destroyed by slab harvesting and associated heavy equipment. In 1982, the area gained additional protection when it was designated an Outstanding Natural Area.