Montana · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Frenchman Breaks
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource and a scenic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 2 rights of way inside the line today, and 16 grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 42,020 acres and was designated September 21, 2015, in the HiLine RMP (2015). 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
2 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 1 under non-energy facilities and 1 under other energy facilities.
- Holder not listed by BLM1right of way
- BIG FLAT ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC1right of way
Grazing allotments
16 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- FRENCHMAN CREEK29,646acres
- UPPER SNAKE CREEK14,564acres
- WODTKEY COULEE11,861acres
- COTTONWOOD CREEK11,685acres
- PAN HANDLE COULEE9,442acres
- SNAKE CREEK7,721acres
- TWO MILE COULEE6,654acres
- EKLUND COULEE4,120acres
- MIDDLE FRENCHMAN4,024acres
- TWO MILE COULEE3,466acres
- ASH COULEE2,250acres
- UPPER LITTLE SNAKE2,128acres
- WODTKEY COULEE2,038acres
- MT04031821acres
- MT04034615acres
- COW CAMP410acres
The nearest areas
- Bitter CreekMontana/Dakotas · 60,885 acres · 2 rights of way, 9 grazing allotments covering part of it25miles
- Big Bend of the Milk RiverMontana/Dakotas · 1,992 acres · 1 right of way, 6 grazing allotments covering part of it31miles
- Malta GeologicMontana/Dakotas · 6,153 acres · 1 right of way, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it34miles
- Woody IslandMontana/Dakotas · 32,871 acres · 1 right of way, 15 grazing allotments covering part of it51miles
- Mountain PloverMontana/Dakotas · 24,793 acres · at least 50 active mining claims, 8 grazing allotments covering part of it58miles
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 Frenchman Breaks. 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