Oregon · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
South Alkali Sand Hills
BLM found a natural system here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 1 oil and gas lease inside the line today, and a grazing allotment covers part of it. It covers 3,523 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
Ground: USGS The National Map, topographic tiles. Boundaries: BLM's own, read Oct 20, 2026. The lease and grazing allotment below aren't marked.The oil and gas leases
1 active oil and gas lease sits inside the line. 0 of it took effect before the area was designated on September 1, 2002.
- AM IDAHO LLC1lease
Grazing allotments
A grazing allotment covers part of this line. Its permittee isn't named here yet.
- SOUTH ALKALI37,047acres
The nearest areas
- 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 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 it9miles
- Oregon Trail, Birch CreekOregon/Washington · 119 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it15miles
- Owyhee Below DamOregon/Washington · 11,225 acres · at least 1 active mining claim, 8 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it26miles
- Hixon CSTG Habitat easementIdaho · 439 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it29miles
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 South Alkali Sand Hills. 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