Idaho · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
American River Historic Sites District
BLM found a cultural value and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place at least 98 active mining claims (and 79 more BLM lists as Filed) and 24 rights of way inside the line today, and five grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 6,347 acres and was designated December 21, 2009, in the Cottonwood RMP 2009. In the plan's name, RMP stands for resource management plan.
One of the 1,120 places the Bureau of Land Management has designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. This page shows its line, what BLM found there and what sits inside it.
The line
Who holds the claims
At least 177 claims sit inside this line: 98 active and 79 filed and pending, 125 with a holder BLM names and 52 with a claimant BLM withholds under the Privacy Act. BLM lists 98 as Active and 79 as Filed.
- Names withheld by BLM (private individuals)52claims
- Elk Range Minerals, LLC41claims
- IDAHO CHAMPION RESOURCES LLC35claims
- GOLDSKI LLC24claims
- A&D IDAHO CORP21claims
- Argyr Resources LLC4claims
BLM's mining rules list designated ACECs among the places where mining that disturbs the surface beyond casual use needs a plan of operations BLM approves. Exploration of five acres or less can go ahead on a notice instead.
The rights of way
24 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 20 under non-energy facilities and 4 under other energy facilities.
- Holder not listed by BLM6rights of way
- A private individual, name withheld by this site4rights of way
- USFS (GRANGEVILLE INTERAGENCY DISPATCH)4rights of way
- AVISTA CORPORATION3rights of way
- COEUR d'ALENE FIELD OFFICE2rights of way
- IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION2rights of way
- USFS (RED RIVER RANGER DISTRICT)1right of way
- NORTHWEST FIBER, LLC DBA ZIPLY FIBER1right of way
- ELK CITY HOTEL1right of way
Grazing allotments
5 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Allotment USFS-GRZ-10031.01027719,316acres
- Allotment USFS-GRZ-10034.01027714,347acres
- Whiskey Creek3,027acres
- Kirks Fork1,318acres
- Big Meadow241acres
The nearest areas
- East Fork American RiverIdaho · 569 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it3miles
- Upper Lolo CreekIdaho · 1,626 acres · 8 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it38miles
- Long Gulch RNAIdaho · 47 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it43miles
- Skookumchuck RNAIdaho · 8.7 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it43miles
- Upper Salmon RiverIdaho · 5,145 acres · at least 1 active mining claim and 3 more BLM lists as Filed, 25 rights of way, 23 grazing allotments covering part of it44miles
More from BLM's Idaho office
Every area BLM's Idaho office holdsThe proposed rule
A proposed rule, RIN 1004-AF53, would change how BLM drafts every land use plan, and how it designates ACECs like American River Historic Sites District. The comment window hasn't opened: the proposed rule wasn't in the Federal Register at our last check. The Watch sends one email the day it prints.
The rule's abstract
The purpose of this rulemaking is to establish in regulations an updated process for the approval of the development, revision, amendment, and maintenance of land use plans, as provided for by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, for public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Additionally, this rulemaking will provide clarification of the process the BLM uses for designating Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.Unified Agenda entry for RIN 1004-AF53, Publication ID 2026, reginfo.gov (OMB OIRA), read Oct 18, 2026