More Than Just ParksAmerica's Critical LandsPowered byPublic Lands Intelligence

Wyoming · Area of Critical Environmental Concern

Steamboat Mountain ACEC

BLM found a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a scenic value and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 39 oil and gas leases and 32 rights of way inside the line today, and 14 grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 439,123 acres and was designated December 22, 2024, in the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan.

Acres439,123
DesignatedDec 22, 2024Rock Springs Resource Management Plan
BLM founda wildlife resource, a cultural value, a scenic value and a historic valueand found it important
Inside85leases, rights of way and allotments

Plan in motion

Rock Springs RMP amendment names this area among the ACECs it covers. BLM's notice of October 2, 2025 says:

The BLM will re-evaluate the existing designations for ACECs, SRMAs, and the NHT corridor to assess whether special management is needed to protect sensitive resource values and whether mineral development can be allowed in certain circumstances.BLM, Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Rock Springs Field Office, Wyoming, 90 FR 47815, Oct. 2, 2025, FR Doc. 2025-19198, read Oct 18, 2026

Notice of intent October 2, 2025. Scoping comments closed November 3, 2025. We found no later notice for it in the Federal Register when we read it on October 18, 2026. The plan on BLM's ePlanning.

The line

Steamboat Mountain ACEC
Right of way, 32
Ground: USGS The National Map, topographic tiles. Boundaries: BLM's own, read Oct 20, 2026. 32 marks are where BLM's own maps draw them. Hover or tap one for its holder. The 40 leases and 14 grazing allotments below aren't marked.

The rights of way

32 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 19 under non-energy facilities, 9 under oil & gas facilities, 3 under other energy facilities and 1 under fiber optic facilities.

  • FINLEY RESOURCES INC7rights of way
  • PACIFICORP3rights of way
  • SWEETWATER COUNTY (Wyoming)3rights of way
  • ANDEAVOR GATHERING I LLC2rights of way
  • WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION2rights of way

The oil and gas leases

39 active oil and gas leases sit inside the line. 39 of them took effect before the area was designated on December 22, 2024.

  • KIRKWOOD OIL & GAS LLC10leases
  • KARE ENERGY INC7leases
  • Holder not listed by BLM6leases
  • LIBERTY PETROLEUM CORPORATION5leases
  • BLACKJACK OIL INC4leases

Not counted: 1 more lease BLM lists as Interim.

Grazing allotments

14 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.

  • Rock Springs2,185,958acres
  • CYCLONE RIM307,191acres
  • Red Desert256,733acres
  • Pacific Creek197,415acres
  • ANTELOPE HILLS197,226acres

The nearest areas

Next to it

Greater Sand Dunes Area of Critical Environmental Concern touches the line.

More from BLM's Wyoming office

Every area BLM's Wyoming office holds

The proposed rule

A proposed rule, RIN 1004-AF53, would change how BLM drafts every land use plan, and how it designates ACECs like Steamboat Mountain 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

Watch the ruleWhere the rule stands