Montana · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Four Dances
BLM found a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a scenic value, a historic value and a natural hazard here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 18 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 792 acres and was designated September 21, 2015, in the Billings and Pompeys Pillar NM RMP (2015). In the plan's name, NM stands for National Monument and RMP 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
18 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 11 under subj to existng r/w-esmt, 3 under non-energy facilities, 2 under other energy facilities and 2 under oil & gas facilities.
- NORTHWESTERN CORP5rights of way
- CONOCOPHILLIPS CO2rights of way
- MT STATES TEL & TELEGRAPH CO2rights of way
- YELLOWSTONE RIVER PARKS ASSOCIATION INC1right of way
- NATIONAL CITY CO1right of way
- PACIFIC POWER & LIGHT1right of way
- MT DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION1right of way
- YELLOWSTONE COUNTY OF1right of way
- BILLINGS CITY OF1right of way
- Holder not listed by BLM1right of way
- US WEST COMM-ROWS1right of way
- YELLOWSTONE VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC1right of way
The nearest areas
- Pompeys PillarMontana/Dakotas · 434 acres · 8 rights of way27miles
- Castle ButteMontana/Dakotas · 184 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it35miles
- Bridger FossilMontana/Dakotas · 577 acres · 4 grazing allotments covering part of it43miles
- Weatherman DrawMontana/Dakotas · 12,282 acres · 2 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it50miles
- East Pryor MountainMontana/Dakotas · 11,061 acres · at least 24 active mining claims, 3 rights of way, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it51miles
More from BLM's Montana/Dakotas office
Every area BLM's Montana/Dakotas 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 Four Dances. 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