Oil and gas development near one of the most culturally significant Native American sites in the United States could gain momentum as the Trump administration suggests easing federal protections around New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is assessing whether to revoke or diminish a 2023 mineral withdrawal that halted new oil and gas leasing on about 336,000 acres of federal land surrounding Chaco Canyon for two decades.
The BLM’s draft environmental assessment outlines three potential actions: uphold the current protections, reduce the buffer zone from 10 miles to five, or completely remove the withdrawal and allow new mineral leasing. A comment period for the draft Environmental Assessment for Proposed Revocation of Public Lands Order is open, with the deadline approaching. Newsweek reached out to the Bureau of Land Management for comments via email.
Significance of Chaco Culture
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwestern New Mexico, holds some of the most crucial archaeological remains of the ancestral Puebloan civilization. The larger area includes thousands of cultural sites, ancient roads, shrines, and ceremonial locations sacred to many Pueblo communities, the Navajo Nation, and other Indigenous groups.
This proposal follows President Donald Trump’s decision to reduce the size of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah. Both are significant to Native American tribes, sparking a longstanding debate over conservation, public lands, and presidential power.
Opposition to the Drilling Plan
The BLM’s plan would reopen the area around Chaco Culture National Historical Park for potential oil and gas leasing. In April, the Interior Department sought to revoke Biden-era protections surrounding Chaco Culture, proposing to retract Public Land Order 7923. This order had restricted areas around the park from drilling and mining activities.
Under the new initiative, control over mineral leasing would revert to the BLM, making the land available for new claims and development. The proposal has faced opposition, notably from the All Pueblo Council Governors, representing the 20 sovereign Pueblo nations of New Mexico and Texas.
Deb Haaland, seeking the governorship of New Mexico and former Secretary of the Interior during Biden’s term, criticized Trump and the United States Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce. She stated that their plans would cause irreversible harm, showing disregard for the local inhabitants’ way of life.
Haaland has consistently supported the Chaco region, collaborating with the New Mexico congressional delegation to introduce the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act. New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury also voiced her disapproval, emphasizing that Chaco Canyon should remain protected for future generations. She declared, “Chaco Canyon is not for sale!”
The National Parks Conservation Association also opposes the plans, urging the public to protect Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The deadline for public feedback is Wednesday, July 29. You can share your comments through the link provided.
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