California · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Turtle Mountains
BLM found a natural system, a cultural value, a scenic value and a natural process here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 1 right of way inside the line today. It covers 51,980 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
1 right of way sits inside the line. BLM files 1 under non-energy facilities.
- USGS1right of way
The nearest areas
- Mopah SpringCalifornia · 1,922 acres · nothing placed inside2miles
- ChemehueviCalifornia · 924,200 acres · at least 17 active mining claims and 28 more BLM lists as Filed, 36 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it13miles
- Chuckwalla to Chemehuevi tortoise linkageCalifornia · 372,965 acres · at least 1 mining claim BLM lists as Filed, 32 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it15miles
- Patton Military CampsCalifornia · 20,410 acres · 3 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it18miles
- Cadiz ValleyCalifornia · 211,428 acres · at least 231 active mining claims, 5 rights of way27miles
Next to it
Chuckwalla To Chemehuevi Tortoise Linkage Area of Critical Environmental Concern and Chemehuevi Area of Critical Environmental Concern touch 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 Turtle Mountains. 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