California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Alligator Rock
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 4 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 7,742 acres and was designated September 14, 2016, in the CDCA Plan, as amended by amendment #8. In the plan's name, CDCA stands for California Desert Conservation Area.
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
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.
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS CO - LAND RIGHT WAY DEPT1right of way
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON1right of way
- LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY1right of way
- CA DEPT PUBLIC WORKS1right of way
The nearest areas
- Corn SpringsCalifornia · 2,462 acres · at least 3 active mining claims, 1 right of way6miles
- ChuckwallaCalifornia · 649,066 acres · at least 16 active mining claims and 7 more BLM lists as Filed, 89 rights of way7miles
- Desert Lily PreserveCalifornia · 2,059 acres · nothing placed inside10miles
- Palen Dry LakeCalifornia · 3,636 acres · nothing placed inside15miles
- Palen FordCalifornia · 54,936 acres · 5 rights of way17miles
Next to it
Chuckwalla Area of Critical Environmental Concern touches the line.
More from BLM's California office
Every area BLM's California 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 Alligator Rock. 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