Oregon · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
John Day Paleontology
BLM found a natural system, a cultural value and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 4 rights of way inside the line today, and 31 grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 31,527 acres and was designated April 1, 2015, in the John Day Basin RMP. 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
4 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 3 under non-energy facilities and 1 under distribution line.
- COLUMBIA PWR COOP1right of way
- CENTURYTEL OF EASTERN OREGON1right of way
- BRIDGE CREEK RANCH LLC1right of way
- CENTURYTEL OF EASTERN OREGON d/b/a CenturyLink1right of way
Grazing allotments
31 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- CHERRY CREEK57,567acres
- CATHERINE MAURER45,403acres
- STEIWER RANCHES40,536acres
- F.C. CHERRY39,606acres
- TWO COUNTY29,919acres
- SUTTON MOUNTAIN27,414acres
- CIRCLE BAR20,618acres
- JOHNSON CREEK18,677acres
- BLACK ROCK15,617acres
- GIRDS CREEK10,618acres
- COTTONWOOD CREEK9,039acres
- BIRCH CREEK7,375acres
- RUDIO CREEK7,240acres
- SHEEP GULCH6,049acres
- WINDY POINT5,872acres
- FERRIS CREEK5,191acres
- DEAD DOG CANYON5,076acres
- ROBERT W. STRAUB4,323acres
- FRANKS CREEK4,059acres
- HERBERT ASHER3,501acres
- CARROLL RIM3,156acres
- RED ROCK3,152acres
- JOHNNY CREEK2,970acres
- BORSCHOWA2,180acres
- BLUE BASIN2,113acres
- HAYSTACK1,894acres
- MARY MISENER1,456acres
- PACKSADDLE MOUNTAIN1,113acres
- MCCARTY CREEK739acres
- RICHARD FOSTER707acres
- ASHER HUBERT263acres
The nearest areas
- Black Canyon - POregon/Washington · 6,639 acres · 3 grazing allotments covering part of it11miles
- Forest Creek - Fox CanyonOregon/Washington · 131 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it32miles
- Forest Creek - Rough CanyonOregon/Washington · 239 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it34miles
- North Fork Crooked RiverOregon/Washington · 6,892 acres · 1 right of way, 6 grazing allotments covering part of it35miles
- Winter RoostOregon/Washington · 336 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it37miles
More from BLM's Oregon/Washington office
Every area BLM's Oregon/Washington 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 John Day Paleontology. 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