California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Crater Mountain
BLM found a natural system and a scenic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place no claim, lease or right of way inside the line today, and three grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 5,766 acres and was designated March 26, 1993, in the Bishop.
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 3 grazing allotments below aren't marked.Grazing allotments
3 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Allotment USFS-GRZ-10544.01031810,087acres
- West Crater Mountain6,397acres
- East Crater Mountain6,235acres
The nearest areas
- Symmes Creek WSACalifornia · 8,372 acres · at least 3 mining claims BLM lists as Filed, 1 right of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it26miles
- ManzanarCalifornia · 573 acres · at least 2 mining claims BLM lists as Filed, 1 right of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it27miles
- White Mountain CityCalifornia · 820 acres · 1 right of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it27miles
- White Mountains WSACalifornia · 1,665 acres · 4 grazing allotments covering part of it29miles
- Independence Creek WSACalifornia · 6,480 acres · at least 1 mining claim BLM lists as Filed, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it31miles
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 Crater 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