California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Fossil Falls
BLM found a natural system, a cultural value, a natural process and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 2 rights of way inside the line today, and two grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 1,662 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
2 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 1 under non-energy facilities and 1 under other.
- JET PROPULSION LAB1right of way
- RIDGECREST FIELD OFFICE1right of way
The geothermal leases
No active geothermal lease sits inside the line.
Not counted: 1 more lease BLM lists as Closed.
Grazing allotments
2 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Allotment USFS-GRZ-10516.01031860,604acres
- Tunawee56,053acres
The nearest areas
- Sierra CanyonsCalifornia · 28,608 acres · 24 rights of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it8miles
- Ayers RockCalifornia · 1,526 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it11miles
- Rose SpringCalifornia · 838 acres · 3 grazing allotments covering part of it11miles
- Sand CanyonCalifornia · 2,629 acres · 2 rights of way13miles
- Mohave Ground SquirrelCalifornia · 213,299 acres · at least 32 active mining claims and 370 more BLM lists as Filed, 72 rights of way, 10 grazing allotments covering part of it14miles
Next to it
Mohave Ground Squirrel 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 Fossil Falls. 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