New Mexico · Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Sombrillo
BLM found a cultural value, a scenic value and a historic value here, and its plan calls for special management. BLM's records place 13 rights of way inside the line today, and six grazing allotments cover part of it. It covers 18,089 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
13 rights of way sit inside the line. BLM files 10 under non-energy facilities and 3 under other energy facilities.
- POJOAQUE SOIL CONSRV6rights of way
- JEMEZ MOUNTAINS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC3rights of way
- SANTA FE COUNTY OF2rights of way
- WPX ENERGY PRODUCTION LLC1right of way
- A private individual, name withheld by this site1right of way
Grazing allotments
6 grazing allotments cover part of this line. Their permittees aren't named here yet.
- Arroyo De Palacio14,528acres
- Canada Ancha9,362acres
- La Puebla - Potrero CM7,758acres
- No. Chimayo Community6,079acres
- Arroyo Seco2,445acres
- Nambe Allotment1,185acres
The nearest areas
- Santa Fe Canyon RanchNew Mexico · 22,990 acres · 32 rights of way, 4 grazing allotments covering part of it14miles
- Ojo CalienteNew Mexico · 101,226 acres · 31 rights of way, 21 grazing allotments covering part of it17miles
- Copper HillNew Mexico · 21,925 acres · at least 25 active mining claims, 6 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it19miles
- Lower GorgeNew Mexico · 24,675 acres · at least 1 active mining claim, 31 rights of way, 14 grazing allotments covering part of it22miles
- La CienegaNew Mexico · 15,131 acres · 10 rights of way, 5 grazing allotments covering part of it28miles
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 Sombrillo. 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