Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, commonly known as ACECs, are public lands where special management is required in order to protect the area’s values. To be eligible for designation as an ACEC, an area must meet criteria for both relevance and importance. An ACEC possesses significant historic, cultural, or scenic values, fish or wildlife resources (including habitat, communities, or species), natural processes or systems, or natural hazards. In addition, the significance of these values and resources must be substantial in order to satisfy the importance criteria.
ACECs in the Planning Area
The Uncompahgre planning area currently contains four ACECs, which were designated in the two existing RMPs:
ACEC | Area in Acres | Values |
Adobe Badlands | 6,383 | · Scenic Mancos Shale hills, flats, and unique formations created by wind and water erosion · Highly erodible and saline soils resulting in high sediment loads and very saline runoff · Known and potential habitat for several federally endangered and threatened plant species |
Fairview | 213 | · Large population of federally listed endangered plant species · Significant populations of federal candidate plant species |
Needle Rock | 83 | · Volcanic geological structure with high-value scientific, interpretive, and scenic characteristics |
San Miguel River | 22,841 | · Unique, high quality riparian vegetation · Relic riparian communities · River corridor with high scenic value |
Protecting Significant Values
Restrictions arising from ACEC designation are proposed during the final RMP revision and are part of the final decision process. Restrictions are designed to protect the values and/or serve the purposes for which the designation was made. Management prescriptions are developed expressly to protect the important and relevant values of an area. Such measures would not be necessary or prescribed if the critical and important features were not present.
Review of New and Existing ACECs
As part of the Uncompahgre RMP development process, existing ACECs were reevaluated to determine whether:
the relevant and important values are still present and require continued management attention
threats of irreparable damage to the values have been identified
current management is sufficient to protect the values.
In addition, new ACECs nominated during the public scoping period were evaluated for relevance and importance. The results of these evaluations are detailed in the Draft ACEC Report for the Uncompahgre Planning Area and will be used to develop preferred alternatives for the RMP.
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