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BLM ACEC Map: Critical Environmental Areas

Map BLM Areas of Critical Environmental Concern: public lands with special cultural, historic, scenic or wildlife values.

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Map of the West with the BLM Areas of Critical Environmental Concern layer turned on in Bottomless MapsExplore this map →
BLM Areas of Critical Environmental Concern across the West. Screenshot of the live app.

About this layer

An Area of Critical Environmental Concern, or ACEC, is BLM land set aside for special management because of important cultural, historic, scenic or wildlife values, or natural hazards. This layer maps 1,120 ACECs from the BLM National ACEC data. They often protect rock art, rare plants, wildlife habitat or historic sites, and some come with rules such as limits on camping or vehicle use.

Use the layer to understand why a corner of BLM land is managed differently, to find interesting places that rarely appear in guidebooks, or to check for restrictions before setting up camp. Pair it with BLM National Monuments and Land Ownership to see the full picture of protected BLM land.

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