California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Kettleman Hills
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource and a natural process here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 26 oil and gas leases and 18 rights of way inside the line today, and two grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 28,813 acres and was designated December 22, 2014, in the Bakersfield Resource Management 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
18 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 8 under non-energy facilities, 5 under oil & gas facilities and 5 under other energy facilities.
- PG&E3rights of way
- CA DEPT TRANSPORTATION2rights of way
- CALIFORNIA RESOURCES PRODUCTION CORP1right of way
- JP OIL1right of way
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION1right of way
- GETTY OIL CO1right of way
- AVENAL COMMUNITY SRV1right of way
- CHEMICAL WASTE MGMT INC1right of way
- CA DEPT CORRECTIONS1right of way
- Holder not listed by BLM1right of way
- PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY1right of way
- US NAVY DEPT1right of way
- PAC LIGHTING SVC CO1right of way
- STANDARD PPLN CO1right of way
- CHEVRON PIPE LINE CO1right of way
The oil and gas leases
26 active oil and gas leases sit inside the line. 26 of them took effect before the area was designated on December 22, 2014.
- CALIFORNIA RESOURCES PETROLEUM CORPORATION (CRC)11leases
- GENERAL CRUDE CO INC7leases
- Holder not listed by BLM6leases
- JP OIL CO LLC2leases
Grazing allotments
2 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Surprise Arroyo12,620acres
- Kettleman Hills5,362acres
The nearest areas
- Ancient Lakeshores - Sand RidgeCalifornia · 1,600 acres · a grazing allotment covering part of it29miles
- Joaquin RocksCalifornia · 7,303 acres · 4 grazing allotments covering part of it31miles
- Panoche/CoalingaCalifornia · 55,210 acres · 28 oil and gas leases, 29 rights of way, 24 grazing allotments covering part of it35miles
- Ancient Lakeshores - Goose LakeCalifornia · 40 acres · 1 right of way38miles
- Chico MartinezCalifornia · 4,614 acres · 2 grazing allotments covering part of it40miles
Next to it
Panoche/coalinga 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 Kettleman Hills. 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