Oregon · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Oregon Trail, Tub Mountain
BLM found a cultural value, a scenic value and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place at least 2 active mining claims and 2 oil and gas leases inside the line today, and two grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 5,910 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
Who holds the claims
At least 2 claims sit inside this line: 2 active, 2 with a claimant BLM withholds under the Privacy Act. BLM lists 2 as Active.
- Names withheld by BLM (private individuals)2claims
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.
The oil and gas leases
2 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 LLC2leases
Grazing allotments
2 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- SOUTH ALKALI37,047acres
- ALKALI SPRING33,612acres
The nearest areas
- Oregon Trail, Birch CreekOregon/Washington · 119 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it7miles
- South Alkali Sand HillsOregon/Washington · 3,523 acres · 1 oil and gas lease, a grazing allotment covering part of it9miles
- Oregon Trail, Keeney PassOregon/Washington · 3,165 acres · 3 oil and gas leases, 1 geothermal lease, 5 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it18miles
- Hixon CSTG Habitat easementIdaho · 439 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it24miles
- Hixon CSTG HabitatIdaho · 18,687 acres · 6 rights of way, 11 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, Tub Mountain. 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