Oil and Gas Development Threatens Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Proposed Changes to Federal Protections

Oil and gas development near Chaco Culture National Historical Park may proceed following proposals to alter federal protections. The Trump administration suggested revoking a 2023 mineral withdrawal that restricts oil and gas leasing on 336,000 acres of federal land surrounding Chaco Canyon. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is reviewing this proposal.

The BLM’s draft environmental assessment outlines three potential actions: maintain current protections, reduce the buffer zone from 10 miles to five, or eliminate the withdrawal and allow new mineral leasing. A public comment period is currently open for this assessment, with a looming deadline.

Significance of Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in northwestern New Mexico. It preserves significant archaeological remains of the ancestral Puebloan civilization. The broader area includes thousands of cultural sites, ancient roads, and ceremonial locations sacred to the Pueblo communities, the Navajo Nation, and other Indigenous groups.

The proposal follows previous reductions in the sizes of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah by President Trump, reigniting debates over conservation, public lands, and presidential authority.

Opposition to the Drilling Plans

The plans from BLM to reopen land around Chaco for oil and gas leasing has met with opposition. In April, the Interior Department moved to lift Biden-era protections around Chaco, proposing to rescind Public Land Order 7923, which restricted drilling and mining near the park. This proposal would transfer mineral leasing discretion back to BLM, opening the land to development.

The All Pueblo Council of Governors, representing 20 sovereign Pueblo nations, opposes the move. Deb Haaland, a former Secretary of the Interior and current gubernatorial candidate in New Mexico, criticized the proposal for attempting to profit at the expense of a sacred site. Haaland had worked during her tenure in Congress to introduce the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act.

New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury emphasized in a statement that Chaco Canyon should not be sold for oil and gas leasing. She affirmed her support for Pueblo and Tribal leaders in protecting these ancestral landscapes.

The National Parks Conservation Association and others have also voiced their opposition. They urge the public to support Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The deadline for public comments is Wednesday, July 29.