Area of Critical Environmental Concern

The Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) program is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The ACEC program was conceived in the 1976 Federal Lands Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), which established the first conservation mandate for the BLM. The ACEC mandate directs the BLM to protect important riparian corridors, threatened and endangered species habitat, cultural and archeological resources and unique scenic landscapes throughout the Southwest that the agency believes need special management attention.
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An area on Public Lands where special management attention is required to protect and prevent irreparable damage to historic, cultural, or scenic values, fish and wildlife resources, or other natural systems or processes, or to protect people from natural hazards.