Montana · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Kevin Rim
BLM found a wildlife resource, a cultural value and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 8 oil and gas leases and 10 rights of way inside the line today, and five grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 4,647 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
10 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 4 under non-energy facilities, 3 under oil & gas facilities, 2 under other energy facilities and 1 under fiber optic facilities.
- MARIAS RIVER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC2rights of way
- SOMONT OIL CO INC2rights of way
- NORTHERN TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE INC1right of way
- FERDIG OIL COMPANY, INC1right of way
- MT STATE HWY COMMISSION1right of way
- VERIZON WIRELESS1right of way
- Holder not listed by BLM1right of way
- GOLD CR CELLULAR OF MT LP1right of way
The oil and gas leases
8 active oil and gas leases sit inside the line. 4 of them took effect before the area was designated on September 21, 2015.
- SOMONT OIL CO INC3leases
- Holder not listed by BLM2leases
- KEESUN CORP1lease
- FRONTIER EXPL CO1lease
- VIKING RES CORP1lease
Grazing allotments
5 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Home Place3,159acres
- Falcon2,929acres
- Wilma2,877acres
- Bye Rim571acres
- Rimrock403acres
The nearest areas
- Sweetgrass HillsMontana/Dakotas · 7,599 acres · 13 rights of way, 10 grazing allotments covering part of it33miles
- Square ButteMontana/Dakotas · 797 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it124miles
- Sleeping GiantMontana/Dakotas · 11,679 acres · 1 right of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it132miles
- Bear Creek FlatsMontana/Dakotas · 569 acres · 1 right of way141miles
- Cow CreekMontana/Dakotas · 19,414 acres · 6 grazing allotments covering part of it155miles
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 Kevin Rim. 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