Colorado · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Biological Soil Crust ACEC
BLM found a natural system here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place no claim, lease or right of way inside the line today, and two grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 385 acres and was designated April 2, 2020, in the 2020 Uncompahgre RMP. In the plan's name, RMP stands for 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
Ground: USGS The National Map, topographic tiles. Boundaries: BLM's own, read Oct 20, 2026. The 2 grazing allotments below aren't marked.Grazing allotments
2 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- East Paradox Common17,544acres
- Dolores Canyon3,294acres
The nearest areas
- Paradox Rock Art ACECColorado · 1,083 acres · at least 3 active mining claims, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it7miles
- Dry Creek Basin ACECColorado · 10,917 acres · 2 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it14miles
- Gypsum Valley ACECColorado · 6,171 acres · at least 2 active mining claims and 9 more BLM lists as Filed, 1 oil and gas lease, 3 rights of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it14miles
- Dolores River Riparian ACECColorado · 7,428 acres · at least 2 active mining claims and 3 more BLM lists as Filed, 3 rights of way, 11 grazing allotments covering part of it18miles
- Sinbad Valley ACECColorado · 6,388 acres · 1 right of way, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it19miles
More from BLM's Colorado office
Every area BLM's Colorado 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 Biological Soil Crust ACEC. 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