 For many years , geologists , biologists and environmentalists have advocated for expansion of the monument and its transformation into a national park . Part of that goal was reached in 2000 when the monument was expanded 13 @-@ fold from 53 @,@ 545 acres ( 217 km2 ) to its current size to encompass the entire Great Rift zone and its three lava fields . The entire addition is called the Backcountry Area while the two older parts are called the Developed Area and Wilderness Area . Opposition by cattle interests and hunters to a simple expansion plan led to a compromise of having the addition become a national preserve in 2002 ( which allows hunting , not ordinarily permitted in national parks and monuments in the U.S. ) . Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is co @-@ managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management , both under the Department of the Interior . 
