More Than Just ParksAmerica's Critical LandsPowered byPublic Lands Intelligence

The rule · RIN 1004-AF53

The proposed rule on how these places get designated, and who's been in the room

A proposed rule that would change how BLM drafts every land use plan, and how it designates the 1,120 ACECs on its map. The government labels it Deregulatory. The rule is RIN 1004-AF53, "Planning and Designation of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern." It first appeared on the Unified Agenda on July 3, 2026. The White House review office, OIRA, finished its review on October 8, 2026, after 87 days, and sent it back "Consistent with Change," which means the draft was changed during the review. It isn't published, so its text isn't public yet.

Where it stands

  1. Jul 13, 2026Sent to the White House for review
  2. Oct 8, 2026The White House finished its review: "Consistent with Change"
  3. not yetPublished in the Federal Register
    Not in the Federal Register at our last check, Oct 18, 2026, 12:36pm PT.
  4. not yetComment window closes
    The Register sets the deadline the day it publishes. We read it from there.

Who's been in the room

Meetings with the White House review office, as OIRA lists them: seven meetings, plus one group OIRA lists as a no-show.

Everyone OIRA lists

82 names OIRA lists for those meetings, each as OIRA wrote it, for the government and for the group that asked. 1 didn't attend.

How the ACEC rules got here

Each step dated from its own document. The 1988 manual was replaced in 2024. BLM rescinded the 2024 manual on May 29, 2026 and hasn't issued another.

What they handed over

5 documents OIRA posted with the meetings.

BLM's abstract, word for word

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

The government's own label

EO 14192 Designation: DeregulatoryUnified Agenda entry for RIN 1004-AF53, Publication ID 2026, reginfo.gov (OMB OIRA), read Oct 18, 2026

The day the Federal Register prints the rule, this page says so, with the deadline read from the Register.

The rule in force today

The ACEC rule in force today is 43 CFR 1610.7-2, the text this site quotes. BLM's 2024 Public Lands Rule, "Conservation and Landscape Health" (89 FR 40308), had rewritten it. A final rule published May 12, 2026, "Rescission of Conservation and Landscape Health Rule" (91 FR 25787), rescinded the 2024 rule and put this text back, effective June 11, 2026.

What an ACEC is, from the law's own words

Plans re-evaluating ACECs now

Two open BLM plans say in the Federal Register that they'll re-evaluate designated ACECs. Each notice lists the ACECs it covers. We match a listed name to BLM's map only where BLM's map carries that name in the plan.

Rock Springs RMP amendment

The BLM will re-evaluate the existing designations for ACECs, SRMAs, and the NHT corridor to assess whether special management is needed to protect sensitive resource values and whether mineral development can be allowed in certain circumstances.BLM, Notice of Intent To Amend the Resource Management Plan for the Rock Springs Field Office, Wyoming, 90 FR 47815, Oct. 2, 2025, FR Doc. 2025-19198, read Oct 18, 2026

90 FR 47815. Notice of intent October 2, 2025. Scoping comments closed November 3, 2025. We found no later notice for it in the Federal Register when we read it on October 18, 2026. The notice lists 12 ACECs. BLM's map carries 11 of the names. The other name matches no area on it. ePlanning.

The notice also lists 1 name no area on BLM's map in that plan carries, so no page here gets the line for it:

  • "Special Status Plants ACEC"As the notice names it

Northwestern and Coastal Oregon and Southwestern Oregon RMP revision

The BLM will reevaluate these designated ACECs for consideration in the Draft RMP/EIS.BLM, Notice of Intent To Revise Resource Management Plans for Northwestern and Coastal Oregon and Southwestern Oregon, 91 FR 8017, Feb. 19, 2026, FR Doc. 2026-03290, read Oct 18, 2026

91 FR 8017. Notice of intent February 19, 2026. Scoping comments closed March 23, 2026. We found no later notice for it in the Federal Register when we read it on October 18, 2026. The notice lists 103 ACECs. BLM's map carries 78 of the names, as 80 areas: Rough and Ready and Waldo-Takilma are each two areas on the map. The other 25 names match no area on it. ePlanning, project DOI-BLM-ORWA-0000-2026-0001-RMP-EIS.

The notice also lists 25 names no area on BLM's map in those plans carries, so no page here gets the line for them:

  • "Beaver Creek"As the notice names it
  • "East Fork"As the notice names it
  • "Glades RNA"As the notice names it
  • "Grayback"As the notice names it
  • "Green Springs Mountain Scenic"As the notice names it

The act · watch now, write when the window opens

Watch the lines near you.

The comment window isn't open, because the proposed rule isn't published. When it is, the Administrative Procedure Act gives the public a window to write. Until then, we watch for you.

Watch the rule