Idaho · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Owyhee River Bighorn Sheep Habitat Area
One of 2 areas BLM's Idaho office names Owyhee River Bighorn Sheep Habitat Area; this one is 143,911 acres. All of them. BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource and a scenic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place at least 1 active mining claim and 3 rights of way inside the line today, and ten grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 143,911 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
Who holds the claims
At least 1 claim sits inside this line: 1 active, 1 with a claimant BLM withholds under the Privacy Act. BLM lists 1 as Active.
- Names withheld by BLM (private individuals)1claim
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
3 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 2 under non-energy facilities and 1 under oil & gas facilities.
- 45 LLC1right of way
- NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC1right of way
- NORTHWEST PIPELINE1right of way
Grazing allotments
10 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- OWYHEE378,085acres
- Garat211,908acres
- STAR VALLEY COMMUNITY188,327acres
- Y P ALLOTMENT98,720acres
- Nickel Creek71,847acres
- Bull Basin50,328acres
- Castlehead/Lambert46,108acres
- Nickel Creek FFR9,831acres
- Garat Indvidual910acres
- Bull Basin FFR240acres
The nearest areas
- Owyhee River Bighorn Sheep Habitat AreaIdaho · 57,138 acres · at least 21 active mining claims, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it7miles
- The Tules RNAIdaho · 114 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it8miles
- The Badlands RNAIdaho · 1,835 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it10miles
- Toppin Creek ButteOregon/Washington · 3,998 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it26miles
- Pleasant Valley Table RNAIdaho · 1,469 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it26miles
Next to it
Owyhee River Bighorn Sheep Habitat Area of Critical Environmental Concern and The Tules Research Natural Area of Critical Environmental Concern touch the line.
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 Owyhee River Bighorn Sheep Habitat Area. 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