Oregon · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Oregon Trail, Keeney Pass
BLM found a natural system, a scenic value and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 3 oil and gas leases, 1 geothermal lease and 5 rights of way inside the line today, and a grazing allotment covers part of it. It covers 3,165 acres and was designated September 1, 2002, in the Southeastern Oregon 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
5 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 4 under non-energy facilities and 1 under other energy facilities.
- A private individual, name withheld by this site1right of way
- IDAHO POWER CO1right of way
- VALE DISTRICT OFFICE1right of way
- SNAKE RIV SPORTSMEN1right of way
- OREGON - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION1right of way
The oil and gas leases
3 active oil and gas leases sit inside the line. 0 of them took effect before the area was designated on September 1, 2002.
- AM IDAHO LLC3leases
The geothermal leases
1 active geothermal lease sits inside the line. 0 of it took effect before the area was designated on September 1, 2002.
- ORMAT NEVADA INC1lease
Not counted: 3 more leases BLM lists as Closed.
Grazing allotments
A grazing allotment covers part of this line. Its permittee isn't named here yet.
- NORTH HARPER30,927acres
The nearest areas
- South Alkali Sand HillsOregon/Washington · 3,523 acres · 1 oil and gas lease, a grazing allotment covering part of it9miles
- Owyhee Below DamOregon/Washington · 11,225 acres · at least 1 active mining claim, 8 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it17miles
- Oregon Trail, Tub MountainOregon/Washington · 5,910 acres · at least 2 active mining claims, 2 oil and gas leases, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it18miles
- Oregon Trail, Birch CreekOregon/Washington · 119 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it24miles
- Long-Billed Curlew HabiatIdaho · 27,529 acres · 34 rights of way, 7 grazing allotments covering part of it28miles
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 Oregon Trail, Keeney Pass. 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