Idaho · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
French John Hill RNA
BLM found a natural system here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 1 right of way inside the line today, and three grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 146 acres and was designated December 30, 1999, in the Owyhee RMP 1999. 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
The rights of way
1 right of way sits inside the line. BLM files 1 under other energy facilities.
- IDAHO POWER CO1right of way
Grazing allotments
3 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Shares Basin16,423acres
- Elephant Butte10,299acres
- Walker FFR625acres
The nearest areas
- Jump Creek CanyonIdaho · 613 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it5miles
- Mcbride Creek RNAIdaho · 262 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it9miles
- Coal Mine Basin RNAIdaho · 2,397 acres · at least 40 mining claims BLM lists as Filed, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it17miles
- Coal Mine BasinOregon/Washington · 756 acres · 3 grazing allotments covering part of it17miles
- Spring MountainOregon/Washington · 995 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it21miles
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 French John Hill RNA. 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