Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (“ACEC”) are areas where special management attention and practices is needed to protect and prevent irreparable harm to important historic, cultural, or scenic values, fish and wildlife resources or other natural systems or processes, or to protect life and safety from natural hazards.  See the BLM fact sheet on proposed ACECs in Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (“DENCA”).

DENCA currently has two ACECs, covering 1,900 acres.  In the draft Resource Management Plan, Alternative A, the “no action” plan, retains these two ACECs.  See Alternative A map, depicting the Gunnison Gravels & Escalante Canyon ACECs.

Alternative B, the “natural process” plan, does not propose any ACEC designations.  See Alternative B map, depicting no ACECs.

Alternative C, the “active restoration” plan, proposes three ACECs covering 12,823 acres.  See Alternative C map, depicting the Escalante Canyon, River Rims & Dominguez Canyons ACECs

Alternative D, the “trails recreation” plan, proposes four ACECs covering 29,663 acres.  See Alternative D map, depicting the Escalante Canyon, Gibbler Mountain, Gunnison River & Gunnison Gravels ACECs.

Alternative E, the “preferred alternative”, proposes two ACECs covering 7,686 acres.  See Alternative E map, depicting the Escalante Canyon and River Rims ACECs.

Further Information

For further information on proposed ACECs and management impacts, consult Chapter 2 of the draft Resource Management Plan, as well as Chapter 3.4.1 and Chapter 4.5.1.  Appendix M also describes the evaluation of all proposed ACECs.

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