California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a cultural value, 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 5 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 11,634 acres and was designated September 14, 2016, in the CDCA Plan, as amended by amendment #2 (1984) and amendment #3 (1989/1990). 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
5 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 3 under other energy facilities, 1 under wind energy facilities and 1 under non-energy facilities.
- IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT2rights of way
- EDOM HILLS PROJECT 1 LLC1right of way
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON1right of way
- METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT1right of way
The nearest areas
- Big Morongo CanyonCalifornia · 28,275 acres · 14 rights of way15miles
- Whitewater CanyonCalifornia · 16,415 acres · at least 2 active mining claims, 13 rights of way17miles
- Pipes CanyonCalifornia · 59,830 acres · 17 rights of way23miles
- PotreroCalifornia · 12,972 acres · 1 right of way32miles
- Million Dollar SpringCalifornia · 6,353 acres · 1 right of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it34miles
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 Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard. 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