INL to close site hunting access during solar eclipse

The Idaho National Laboratory will close all of its desert property to hunting access on Monday, August 21, the day of the full solar eclipse. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says the totality observation path of the eclipse cuts directly across the site. Since high numbers of people are expected in the area that day, INL has decided that for both safety and security reasons, only official business access will be permitted. As part of that decision, the U.S. Department of Energy determined it necessary to close the small portions of the site that are normally open to hunters. The closure will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. to midnight on August 21. Violators could be subject to federal legal action. For over a decade, hunters taking part in certain elk and pronghorn hunts have been able to access ½ mile onto specific portions along the northern boundary of the INL Site. Entrance onto the INL required hunters to obtain a permit in advance from the Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG) and follow some very specific guidelines regarding time, place, and method of access.