California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Ancient Lakeshores - Sand Ridge
BLM found a wildlife resource, a scenic value, a natural process, a historic value and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place no claim, lease or right of way inside the line today, and a grazing allotment covers part of it. It covers 1,600 acres and was designated December 22, 2014, in the Bakersfield 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
Ground: USGS The National Map, topographic tiles. Boundaries: BLM's own, read Oct 20, 2026. The grazing allotment below isn't marked.Grazing allotments
A grazing allotment covers part of this line. Its permittee isn't named here yet.
- Atwell Island7,901acres
The nearest areas
- Ancient Lakeshores - Goose LakeCalifornia · 40 acres · 1 right of way19miles
- Kettleman HillsCalifornia · 28,813 acres · 26 oil and gas leases, 18 rights of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it29miles
- Compensation LandsCalifornia · 281 acres · 1 right of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it33miles
- Chico MartinezCalifornia · 4,614 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it34miles
- Lokern-Buena VistaCalifornia · 69,389 acres · 29 oil and gas leases, 59 rights of way, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it37miles
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 Ancient Lakeshores - Sand Ridge. 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