BLM Manual 1613, dated 9/29/1988, describes Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) as: "ACEC designations highlight areas where special management attention is needed to protect, and prevent irreparable damage to, important historic, cultural, and scenic values, fish, or wildlife resources or other natural systems or processes; or to protect human life and safety from natural hazards. The ACEC designation indicates to the public that the BLM recognizes that an area has significant values and has established special management measures to protect those values. In addition designation also serves as a reminder that significant value(s) or resource(s) exist which must be accommodated when future management actions and land use proposals are considered near or within an ACEC." This dataset contains all of the current Idaho ACECs that were created through the Resource Management Plan (RMP) or Management Framework Plan (MFP) process. The ACECs include ACEC's, Research Natural Areas (RNAs) and Outstanding Natural Areas (ONAs). RNAs are areas where natural processes are allowed to predominate and which is preserved for the primary purposes of research and education. Under current BLM policy, RNAs must meet the relevance and importance criteria of ACECs and are designated as ACECs. Criteria for RNAs can be found at: BLM Manual 1613 and 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b). ONAs are areas with high scenic values that have been little altered by human impact. Under current BLM policy, ONAs must meet the relevance and importance criteria of ACECs and are designated as ACECs. Criteria for ONAs can be found at: BLM Manual 1613 and 43 CFR 1610.7-2(b).