Arizona · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Saddle Mountain
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a cultural value and a scenic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 13 rights of way inside the line today, and five grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 55,504 acres and was designated September 14, 2012, in the Lower Sonoran 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
13 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 8 under non-energy facilities, 3 under other energy facilities and 2 under oil & gas facilities.
- EL PASO NATURAL GAS CO2rights of way
- AZ PUBLIC SERVICE2rights of way
- MARICOPA COUNTY (Arizona) - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION1right of way
- MARICOPA CNTY FLOOD CONTROL1right of way
- MALAD INC1right of way
- HARQUAHALA GENERATING CO LLC1right of way
- AZ DOT1right of way
- QWEST CORP1right of way
- AZ TEL CO1right of way
- QWEST DBA CENTURYLINK1right of way
- A private individual, name withheld by this site1right of way
Grazing allotments
5 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- East Clem83,793acres
- Turner61,584acres
- Ward54,951acres
- Carter-Herrera41,685acres
- Saddle Mountain12,001acres
The nearest areas
- Lower Gila Terraces And Historic TrailsArizona · 139,110 acres · 45 rights of way, 21 grazing allotments covering part of it22miles
- Black ButteArizona · 9,552 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it30miles
- Harquahala MountainsArizona · 77,246 acres · at least 40 active mining claims and 30 more BLM lists as Filed, 3 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it33miles
- Vulture MountainsArizona · 6,496 acres · at least 8 active mining claims and 3 more BLM lists as Filed, 1 right of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it34miles
- Sears PointArizona · 24,835 acres · 4 rights of way, 6 grazing allotments covering part of it37miles
More from BLM's Arizona office
Every area BLM's Arizona 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 Saddle Mountain. 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