California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Grass Valley Creek
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a natural process and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 61 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 19,575 acres and was designated November 6, 2024, in the Northwest California Integrated 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
61 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 49 under non-energy facilities and 12 under other energy facilities.
- CA DEPT TRANSPORTATION17rights of way
- Holder not listed by BLM12rights of way
- PG&E8rights of way
- CATELLUS DEVELOPMENT7rights of way
- CA DEPTOF FORESTRY3rights of way
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORATION2rights of way
- A private individual, name withheld by this site2rights of way
- USBR (CALIFORNIA-GREAT BASIN REGIONAL OFFICE)2rights of way
- JOHN HANCOCK MUTUAL LIFE INS1right of way
- PACIFIC TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH1right of way
- TRINITY PUBLIC UTIL DISTRICT1right of way
- TRINITY COUNTY (California)1right of way
- ELESCO COMPANY1right of way
- BAXTER J H & CO1right of way
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION1right of way
- TRINITY COUNTY OFC OF EMER SVC1right of way
The nearest areas
- Swasey DriveCalifornia · 469 acres · 1 right of way16miles
- Upper and Lower Clear CreekCalifornia · 4,561 acres · at least 3 active mining claims and 4 more BLM lists as Filed, 32 rights of way17miles
- Beegum Creek GorgeCalifornia · 4,486 acres · 3 rights of way22miles
- Sacramento IslandCalifornia · 91 acres · nothing placed inside24miles
- Hawes CornerCalifornia · 38 acres · nothing placed inside29miles
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 Grass Valley Creek. 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