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Montana · Area of Critical Environmental Concern

Mountain Plover

BLM found a natural system and a wildlife resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place at least 50 active mining claims inside the line today, and eight grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 24,793 acres and was designated August 8, 2003, in the HiLine RMP (2015). In the plan's name, RMP stands for resource management plan. The plan's name carries a later year than that date: BLM's map gives the date it records for the area, and a plan approved later can carry forward an area designated earlier.

Acres24,793
DesignatedAug 8, 2003HiLine RMP (2015)
BLM founda natural system and a wildlife resource
Inside, at least58claims and allotments

The line

Mountain Plover
Mining claim, 50
Ground: USGS The National Map, topographic tiles. Boundaries: BLM's own, read Oct 20, 2026. 1 mark is where BLM's own maps draw it; 49 claims are placed at the middle of the quarter section their land description names, not at the stakes on the ground. Hover or tap one for its holder. The 8 grazing allotments below aren't marked.

Who holds the claims

At least 50 claims sit inside this line: 50 active, 49 with a holder BLM names. BLM lists 50 as Active.

  • AMERICAS BENTONITE CORP INC49claims
  • No claimant listed by BLM1claim

BLM's mining rules list designated ACECs among the places where mining that disturbs the surface beyond casual use needs a plan of operations BLM approves. Exploration of five acres or less can go ahead on a notice instead.

Grazing allotments

8 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.

  • LONETREE CREEK43,568acres
  • UPPER BRAZIL CREEK29,990acres
  • LOWER LITTLE BEAVER24,966acres
  • MILLER COULEE24,066acres
  • WEST BRAZIL CREEK14,697acres

The nearest areas

More from BLM's Montana/Dakotas office

Every area BLM's Montana/Dakotas office holds

The proposed rule

A proposed rule, RIN 1004-AF53, would change how BLM drafts every land use plan, and how it designates ACECs like Mountain Plover. 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

Watch the ruleWhere the rule stands