Protected Areas Exclusion (Geothermal)

The datasets that are included in the composite layer making up the protected area layer are given below:

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Dataset| Example Designations| Citation or hyperlink
PAD-US (CBI Edition)| National Parks, GAP Status 1 and 2, State Parks, Open Spaces, Natural Areas| “PAD-US (CBI Edition) Version 2.1b, California”. Conservation Biology Institute. 2016. https://databasin.org/datasets/64538491f43e42ba83e26b849f2cad28.

Conservation Easements|
| California Conservation Easement Database (CCED), 2022a. 2022. www.CALands.org. Accessed December 2022.

Inventoried Roadless Areas|
| “Inventoried Roadless Areas.” US Forest Service. Dec 12 , 2022. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/roadless/2001roadlessrule/maps/?cid=stelprdb5382437
BLM National Landscape Conservation System| Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, National Monuments, National Conservation Lands, Conservation Lands of the California Desert, Scenic Rivers| https://gbp-blm-egis.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/BLM-EGIS::blm-ca-wilderness-areas
https://gbp-blm-egis.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/BLM-EGIS::blm-ca-wilderness-study-areas
https://gbp-blm-egis.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/BLM-EGIS::blm-ca-national-monuments-nca-forest-reserves-other-poly/

Greater Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Areas (BLM)| For solar technology: BLM_Managm IN (‘PHMA’, ‘GHMA’, ‘OHMA’)For wind technology: BLMP_Managm = ‘PHMA’| “Nevada and Northeastern California Greater Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment.” US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office. 2015. https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/lup/103343/143707/176908/NVCA_Approved_RMP_Amendment.pdf
Other BLM Protected Areas| Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), Recreation Areas (SRMA, ERMA, OHV Designated Areas), including Vinagre Wash Special Recreation Management Area, National Scenic Areas, including Alabama Hills National Scenic Area| https://gbp-blm-egis.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/BLM-EGIS::blm-ca-off-highway-vehicle-designations<o:p></o:p>
https://gbp-blm-egis.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/BLM-EGIS::blm-ca-areas-of-critical-environmental-concern<o:p>https://gbp-blm-egis.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/BLM-EGIS::blm-az-area-of-critical-environmental-concern-polygon[Big Marias ACEC and Beale Slough Riparian and Cultural ACEC]
BLM, personal communication, November 2, 2022.

Mono Basin NFSA|
| https://pcta.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=cf1495f8e09940989995c06f9e290f6b#overview

Terrestrial 30x30 Conserved Areas| Gap Status 1 and 2| CA Nature. 30x30 Conserved Areas, Terrestrial. 2021. https://www.californianature.ca.gov/datasets/CAnature::30x30-conserved-areas-terrestrial/ Accessed September 2022.
CPAD| Open Spaces and Parks under city or county level | California Protected Areas Database (CPAD), 2022b. 2022. https://www.calands.org/cpad/. Accessed February 22, 2023.
USFS Special Interest Management Areas| Research Natural Areas, Recreation Areas, National Recreational Trail, Experimental Forest, Scenic Area| https://data-usfs.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/usfs::special-interest-management-areas-feature-layer/about
Proposed Protected Area| Molok Luyuk Extension (Berryessa Mtn NM Expansion)| CalWild, personal communication, January 19, 2023.

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This layer is featured in theCEC 2023 Land-Use Screens for Electric System Planning data viewer.

For more information about this layer and its use in electric system planning, please refer to the Land Use Screens Staff Report in the CEC Energy Planning Library.

Change Log:**

Version 1.1 (January 22, 2024 11:05 AM)

• Layer edited to reflect the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) Development Focus Area (DFA), Variance Process Land (VPL) and General Public Land (GPL) areas within the DRECP that allow for geothermal energy development applications.
• Layer revised to allow for gaps to remain when combining all components of the protected area layer.
  Organization: State of California
  Last updated: 2025-07-23T22:01:42.129460
  Tags: __, california-energy-commission