Controversy Surrounds Oil and Gas Leasing near Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Oil and gas development near one of the most culturally significant Native American sites in the United States may progress after federal protections around New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park face potential rollback by the Trump administration. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering whether to revoke or alter the 2023 mineral withdrawal, which has prevented new oil and gas leasing on approximately 336,000 acres of federal land around Chaco Canyon for two decades.

Proposed Changes by BLM

The BLM’s draft environmental assessment presents three possible actions: maintaining the current protections, reducing the protected area from a 10-mile buffer to a 5-mile one, or completely removing the withdrawal to allow new mineral leasing. A comment period for the draft Environmental Assessment for Proposed Revocation of Public Lands Order is ongoing, and the deadline is fast approaching. Newsweek has reached out to the Bureau of Land Management for comments.

Significance of Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, located in northwestern New Mexico, holds UNESCO World Heritage status and comprises vital archaeological remains of the ancestral Puebloan civilization. The surrounding landscape includes thousands of cultural sites, ancient roads, shrines, and ceremonial areas that remain sacred to Pueblo communities, the Navajo Nation, and other Indigenous groups.

This consideration follows President Trump’s reduction of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah, which sparked ongoing debates about conservation, public lands, and presidential authority.

Opposition to the BLM Plan

The BLM’s plan to allow possible oil and gas leasing around the Chaco Culture National Historical Park has met with criticism. In April, the Interior Department proposed to revoke Biden-era protections, namely Public Land Order 7923, which restricted drilling and mining activities around the park. The new proposal would reintroduce the BLM’s discretion over mineral leasing and open the land to new claims and development.

The All Pueblo Council of Governors, representing 20 sovereign Pueblo nations in New Mexico and Texas, opposes this plan. Former Secretary of the Interior and current gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland criticized the proposal, emphasizing the irreversible harm it could entail, along with the lack of respect for New Mexicans. Haaland has actively supported the protection of the Chaco region during her congressional tenure.

New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat, expressed her opposition on social media, declaring that Chaco Canyon is not for sale. She advocates for the preservation of these sacred landscapes for future generations and stands with Pueblo and Tribal Leaders. The National Parks Conservation Association also opposes the changes and encourages public support for preserving the park.

The public has until Wednesday, July 29, to submit comments on the proposal. Comments can be submitted here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Gray R. Thomas.