California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Mesquite Hills/Crucero
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a scenic 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. It covers 5,031 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 2 under non-energy facilities.
- NEEDLES FIELD OFFICE1right of way
- SAN PEDRO LA & SL RR1right of way
The nearest areas
- Cady Mountains WSACalifornia · 117,643 acres · at least 1 active mining claim and 1 more BLM lists as Filed11miles
- Afton CanyonCalifornia · 9,195 acres · at least 1 mining claim BLM lists as Filed, 5 rights of way12miles
- Cronese BasinCalifornia · 10,201 acres · nothing placed inside12miles
- Soda Mountains ExpansionCalifornia · 18,817 acres · at least 1 mining claim BLM lists as Filed, 16 rights of way13miles
- Soda Mountains WSACalifornia · 93,119 acres · 1 right of way13miles
Next to it
Mojave Fringe-Toed Lizard 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 Mesquite Hills/Crucero. 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