New Mexico · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Hogback
BLM found a cultural value, a scenic value and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 5 oil and gas leases and 11 rights of way inside the line today, and three grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 10,329 acres and was designated September 1, 2003, in the Farmington 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
11 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 6 under other energy facilities, 4 under non-energy facilities and 1 under oil & gas facilities.
- LOWER VALLEY WATER USERS ASSOC1right of way
- PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW MEXICO1right of way
- WESTERN AREA POWER1right of way
- NAVAJO TRIBAL UTILITY AUTHORITY1right of way
- FARMINGTON, CITY OF (New Mexico)1right of way
- HIGH PLAINS PETROLEUM CORP1right of way
- NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT - AIR QUALITY BUREAU1right of way
- USBR (SALT LAKE CITY)1right of way
- PARAWON OPERATING LLC1right of way
- FARMINGTON CITY OF1right of way
- NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION1right of way
The oil and gas leases
5 active oil and gas leases sit inside the line. 5 of them took effect before the area was designated on September 1, 2003.
- CHUZA OIL CO5leases
Not counted: 1 more lease BLM lists as Interim.
Grazing allotments
3 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Waterflow Community5,020acres
- North Hogback4,467acres
- South Hogback2,506acres
The nearest areas
- Morris 41New Mexico · 95 acres · 1 right of way, 2 grazing allotments covering part of it21miles
- Jaquez (aka 'Jacques') Chacoan Community CCAPSNew Mexico · 31 acres · nothing placed inside22miles
- River TractsNew Mexico · 2,271 acres · 4 oil and gas leases, 36 rights of way, 11 grazing allotments covering part of it22miles
- Cedar HillNew Mexico · 1,937 acres · 4 oil and gas leases, 41 rights of way, a grazing allotment covering part of it32miles
- Twin AngelsNew Mexico · 365 acres · 1 oil and gas lease, a grazing allotment covering part of it34miles
More from BLM's New Mexico office
Every area BLM's New Mexico 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 Hogback. 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