California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Sand Canyon
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource and a natural process here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 2 rights of way inside the line today. It covers 2,629 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.
- US NAVY DEPT1right of way
- Holder not listed by BLM1right of way
The nearest areas
- Short CanyonCalifornia · 754 acres · nothing placed inside5miles
- Sierra CanyonsCalifornia · 28,608 acres · 24 rights of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it5miles
- Fossil FallsCalifornia · 1,662 acres · 2 rights of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it13miles
- 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 it13miles
- Eagles FlywayCalifornia · 11,906 acres · 5 rights of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it16miles
Next to it
Sierra Canyons 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 Sand Canyon. 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