Wyoming · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Blowout Penstemon ACEC
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a natural process and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place at least 96 mining claims BLM lists as Filed, 1 oil and gas lease and 4 rights of way inside the line today, and seven grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 29,151 acres and was designated December 24, 2008, in the Rawlins 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 96 claims sit inside this line: 0 active and 96 filed and pending, 96 with a holder BLM names. BLM lists 96 as Filed.
- Relevant Gold Holdings US Inc95claims
- RELEVANT GOLD HOLDINGS US INC1claim
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 rights of way
4 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 2 under non-energy facilities, 1 under oil & gas facilities and 1 under other energy facilities.
- PACIFICORP2rights of way
- MARATHON PIPELINE CO1right of way
- QWEST CORP (RFO)1right of way
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 December 24, 2008.
- AZALEA OIL COMPANY LLC1lease
Grazing allotments
7 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- SEMINOE160,625acres
- STONE97,370acres
- BUZZARD78,503acres
- JUNK CREEK11,448acres
- BUZZARD RANCH MEADOW6,552acres
- SAND CR. RANCH PAST.4,043acres
- SAND CREEK2,745acres
The nearest areas
- Cave Creek Cave ACECWyoming · 240 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it25miles
- Alcova Fossil Area ACECWyoming · 5,977 acres · 3 rights of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it27miles
- Green Mountain ACECWyoming · 24,924 acres · at least 571 active mining claims and 80 more BLM lists as Filed, 18 oil and gas leases, 2 rights of way, 6 grazing allotments covering part of it32miles
- Jackson Canyon ACECWyoming · 14,348 acres · 1 right of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it47miles
- Sand Hills/JO Ranch ACECWyoming · 11,977 acres · 6 oil and gas leases, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it63miles
More from BLM's Wyoming office
Every area BLM's Wyoming 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 Blowout Penstemon ACEC. 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