Montana · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Malta Geologic
BLM found a natural system here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 1 right of way inside the line today, and four grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 6,153 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
1 right of way sits inside the line. BLM files 1 under non-energy facilities.
- A private individual, name withheld by this site1right of way
Grazing allotments
4 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- EAST GARLAND15,562acres
- DAVENPORT COULEE9,943acres
- GARLAND CREEK7,691acres
- WEST GARLAND5,829acres
The nearest areas
- Big Bend of the Milk RiverMontana/Dakotas · 1,992 acres · 1 right of way, 6 grazing allotments covering part of it10miles
- Frenchman BreaksMontana/Dakotas · 42,020 acres · 2 rights of way, 16 grazing allotments covering part of it34miles
- Woody IslandMontana/Dakotas · 32,871 acres · 1 right of way, 15 grazing allotments covering part of it35miles
- Bitter CreekMontana/Dakotas · 60,885 acres · 2 rights of way, 9 grazing allotments covering part of it52miles
- Zortman/Landusky Mine ReclamationMontana/Dakotas · 2,686 acres · at least 4 active mining claims, 17 rights of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it56miles
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 Malta Geologic. 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