California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Joaquin Rocks
BLM found a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a scenic value and a historic 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 four grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 7,303 acres and was designated September 7, 2007, in the Hollister.
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 4 grazing allotments below aren't marked.Grazing allotments
4 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- WJM Sheep Co27,259acres
- Harris Jack A14,823acres
- Joaquin Rocks11,733acres
- White House Ranch6,108acres
The nearest areas
- Panoche/CoalingaCalifornia · 55,210 acres · 28 oil and gas leases, 29 rights of way, 24 grazing allotments covering part of it5miles
- Clear Creek SerpentineCalifornia · 29,146 acres · at least 4 mining claims BLM lists as Filed, 14 rights of way, 7 grazing allotments covering part of it12miles
- Kettleman HillsCalifornia · 28,813 acres · 26 oil and gas leases, 18 rights of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it31miles
- Tierra RedondaCalifornia · 1,312 acres · nothing placed inside47miles
- Cypress MountainCalifornia · 3,036 acres · nothing placed inside55miles
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 Joaquin Rocks. 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