In a letter sent to tribal leaders on October 30, the Trump administration announced that it will initiate formal meetings with Native American tribes in the Southwestern U.S. to discuss the administration’s plans to revoke a 20-year ban on oil and gas development across federal land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.
The N.M. delegation released a joint statement immediately condemning the move.
“Chaco Canyon is one of the most important living cultural landscapes on the planet,” said the delegation. “It holds deep meaning for many communities and Pueblos across New Mexico. By wrongfully revoking Chaco’s protections, the Trump Administration is hoping to allow new oil and gas development in the vicinity of Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the Chaco Canyon landscape. To deface and destroy this irreplaceable and sacred landscape is not only morally wrong: It is utterly disrespectful to the Pueblos, Tribal Nations, and New Mexicans who have called for permanent protection of the Chaco landscape.
In April, the delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
"This legislation will protect sacred lands and sites for future generations, but we must not stop here,” said U.S. representative Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M. “Protecting places like Chaco Canyon from the Trump Administration takes all of us.”
In 2023, the Biden administration issued an order banning new oil and gas development for two decades within 10 miles of the site at the urging of some pueblo leaders. The order is now in danger of being rolled back.
According to the Associated Press, the letter indicates BLM will consider three options: leave the withdrawal in place, revoke it in full or opt for a smaller buffer around the park.
To begin the process of revoking the order, BLM will conduct an environmental assessment of the proposal to put the federal parcels back on the board for future leasing. A public comment period will follow.
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