Oregon · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Powder River
BLM found a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a scenic value and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 2 rights of way inside the line today, and seven grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 5,909 acres and was designated July 12, 1989, in the Baker Field Office 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
2 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 2 under non-energy facilities.
- CASCADE UTILITIES1right of way
- SOUTHSIDE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT1right of way
Grazing allotments
7 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- SALT CREEK4,333acres
- FARLEY HILLS3,516acres
- MAGPIE CREEK3,369acres
- BIG CREEK3,154acres
- BIG RATTLESNAKE1,480acres
- POWDER RIVER CANYON1,284acres
- LOWER POWDER609acres
The nearest areas
- Oregon TrailOregon/Washington · 1,902 acres · 3 rights of way, 15 grazing allotments covering part of it8miles
- Keating RiparianOregon/Washington · 2,019 acres · at least 3 active mining claims and 58 more BLM lists as Filed, 1 right of way, 11 grazing allotments covering part of it14miles
- Keating Riparian RNAOregon/Washington · 206 acres · at least 14 mining claims BLM lists as Filed, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it16miles
- Hunt MountainOregon/Washington · 1,237 acres · nothing placed inside17miles
- Unity Reservoir Bald Eagle Nest HabitatOregon/Washington · 356 acres · 5 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 Powder River. 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