California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource and a natural process here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 1 right of way inside the line today. It covers 25,346 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
1 right of way sits inside the line. BLM files 1 under non-energy facilities.
- USGS1right of way
The nearest areas
- Western Rand MountainsCalifornia · 31,898 acres · at least 17 active mining claims and 4 more BLM lists as Filed, 9 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it9miles
- Fremont-KramerCalifornia · 409,826 acres · at least 1,487 active mining claims and 684 more BLM lists as Filed, 52 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it11miles
- Last Chance CanyonCalifornia · 5,934 acres · at least 7 active mining claims and 7 more BLM lists as Filed, a grazing allotment covering part of it14miles
- Jawbone/ButterbredtCalifornia · 190,513 acres · at least 10 active mining claims and 15 more BLM lists as Under Review or Filed, 26 rights of way, 9 grazing allotments covering part of it16miles
- El Paso to GoldenCalifornia · 63,372 acres · at least 46 active mining claims and 111 more BLM lists as Filed, 20 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it16miles
Next to it
Fremont-Kramer Area of Critical Environmental Concern and Western Rand Mountains Area of Critical Environmental Concern touch 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 Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area. 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