Montana · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Humbug Spires
BLM found a wildlife resource, a scenic value and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 2 rights of way inside the line today, and five grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 8,374 acres and was designated April 20, 2009, in the Butte 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
The rights of way
2 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 2 under non-energy facilities.
- BUTTE FIELD OFFICE1right of way
- Holder not listed by BLM1right of way
Grazing allotments
5 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Allotment USFS-GRZ-10300.01034919,103acres
- Moose Creek AMP12,157acres
- Redfern5,124acres
- South Fork of Tucker Creek334acres
- Mount Humbug161acres
The nearest areas
- Block MountainMontana/Dakotas · 8,631 acres · 1 right of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it22miles
- Ringing RocksMontana/Dakotas · 161 acres · 4 grazing allotments covering part of it24miles
- Beaverhead RockMontana/Dakotas · 124 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it27miles
- Virginia City Historic DistrictMontana/Dakotas · 513 acres · at least 4 active mining claims, 1 right of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it47miles
- Blue LakeMontana/Dakotas · 430 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it53miles
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 Humbug Spires. 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