California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Big Morongo Canyon
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a natural process and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 14 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 28,275 acres and was designated September 14, 2016, in the CDCA Plan, as amended by DRECP. In the plan's name, CDCA stands for California Desert Conservation Area and DRECP for Desert Renewable Energy Conservation 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
14 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 6 under other energy facilities, 6 under non-energy facilities and 2 under oil & gas facilities.
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON CO5rights of way
- USGS2rights of way
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON1right of way
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS CO - LAND RIGHT WAY DEPT1right of way
- VERIZON CALIFORNIA INC1right of way
- EARTHSCOPE CONSORTIUM, INC.1right of way
- CA DEPT PUBLIC WORKS1right of way
- DESERT HOT SPRINGS CWD1right of way
- QUESTAR STHRN TRAILS PIPELINE1right of way
The nearest areas
- Pipes CanyonCalifornia · 59,830 acres · 17 rights of way9miles
- Whitewater CanyonCalifornia · 16,415 acres · at least 2 active mining claims, 13 rights of way10miles
- Coachella Valley Fringe-toed LizardCalifornia · 11,634 acres · 5 rights of way15miles
- Old Woman Springs Wildlife LinkageCalifornia · 61,171 acres · at least 5 active mining claims and 176 more BLM lists as Filed or Under Review, 9 rights of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it19miles
- Carbonate Endemic Plants RNACalifornia · 6,395 acres · at least 25 active mining claims and 132 more BLM lists as Filed, 2 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it27miles
Next to it
Pipes Canyon 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 Big Morongo Canyon. 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