New Mexico · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
La Cienega
BLM found a natural system, a wildlife resource, a cultural value, a scenic value, a natural process, a historic value and a fish resource here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 10 rights of way inside the line today, and five grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 15,131 acres and was designated May 24, 2012, in the Taos 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
The rights of way
10 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 7 under non-energy facilities, 2 under other energy facilities and 1 under fiber optic facilities.
- Holder not listed by BLM2rights of way
- PUERTA DEL CANON LLC1right of way
- GALLEGOS DITCH1right of way
- SANTA FE COUNTY OF1right of way
- PUBLIC SVC CO OF NM1right of way
- QWEST CORP1right of way
- A private individual, name withheld by this site1right of way
- LA CIENEGA MDWCA1right of way
- PNM1right of way
Grazing allotments
5 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Allotment USFS-GRZ-10072.01041867,027acres
- Calabasas7,751acres
- Tetillitas Allotment6,304acres
- Caja Allotment1,103acres
- Cienaga Community784acres
The nearest areas
- Santa Fe Canyon RanchNew Mexico · 22,990 acres · 32 rights of way, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it15miles
- Shu'tu'ba'/Espinosa RidgeNew Mexico · 7,177 acres · at least 5 active mining claims, 1 right of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it17miles
- SombrilloNew Mexico · 18,089 acres · 13 rights of way, 6 grazing allotments covering part of it28miles
- OjitoNew Mexico · 3,887 acres · at least 20 active mining claims, 5 rights of way, 3 grazing allotments covering part of it42miles
- Ojo CalienteNew Mexico · 101,226 acres · 31 rights of way, 21 grazing allotments covering part of it44miles
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 La Cienega. 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