California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Dos Palmas
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a natural process, a historic value and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 6 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 15,120 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
6 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 4 under other energy facilities, 1 under oil & gas facilities and 1 under non-energy facilities.
- IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT4rights of way
- SOUTHERN PACIFIC PIPE LINES1right of way
- USBR (ARIZONA PROJECT)1right of way
The nearest areas
- Salton Sea HazardousCalifornia · 7,254 acres · 1 right of way19miles
- ChuckwallaCalifornia · 649,066 acres · at least 16 active mining claims and 7 more BLM lists as Filed, 89 rights of way26miles
- Alligator RockCalifornia · 7,742 acres · 4 rights of way27miles
- San Sebastian Marsh/San Felipe CreekCalifornia · 6,584 acres · 2 rights of way27miles
- Corn SpringsCalifornia · 2,462 acres · at least 3 active mining claims, 1 right of way29miles
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 Dos Palmas. 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