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Trump administration says it will begin formal meetings native American Tribes in the southwestern US are considering lifting a 20-year ban on oil and gas development on hundreds of square miles of federal lands around Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Bureau of Land Management The announcement was made in a letter sent to tribal leaders last Thursday saying the agency will conduct an environmental assessment of the proposal to put the federal parcel back on the board for future lease. After this there will be a period of public comment.
The UNESCO World Heritage site has been at the center of a battle over drilling for years, involving multiple presidential administrations. Within the park’s boundaries are the vast remains of stone structures built centuries ago by the area’s first inhabitants, and ancient roads and associated sites extend far into the desert plains and sandstone valleys.
At the urging of some Pueblo leaders, former President Joe BidenIn 2023 the administration issued an order banning new oil and gas development within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of the historic site in northwestern New Mexico for two decades.
Tribal leaders who celebrated the move and New Mexico’s Democratic congressional delegation now worry that protections could be withdrawn as President donald trumpThe administration reconsiders several public lands orders issued under Biden.
Department of the Interior Chaco did not immediately respond Monday to an email asking about the latest correspondence with tribal leaders on the proposal, but previously said it takes its tribal trust responsibilities seriously and will continue to engage in government-to-government consultations.
The letter indicates the BLM will consider three options: leave the evacuation in place, cancel it entirely or opt for a smaller buffer around the park.
It also notes that this process is a priority for the department and that despite the government shutdown, BLM staff will be available to speak with tribal leaders upon their request.
Pueblo leaders traveled to Washington, DC in September to advocate for legislation to keep the withdrawal in place and make the ban permanent.
“Our lineage, our heritage, our cultural foundation, our identity comes from Chaco Canyon,” Raymond Aguilar, lieutenant governor of Santo Domingo Pueblo, said during a news conference just steps from the Capitol. He compared Chaco to DC, a vital place where leaders serve on a mission to protect their people. He said the ancestors of the Puebloans who called Chaco home were stewards of this land and it still serves as a center of prayer today.
From the Acoma and Laguna Pueblos in New Mexico to the Hopi people in Arizona, oral histories and cultural traditions are linked to the Chaco region. At Picuris Pueblo, researchers have also used DNA to link tribal members to an ancestral site — something Pueblo members hope will give them a greater voice in decisions about the area’s future as development pressures increase.
The debate over the buffer around Chaco has pitted the Navajo Nation against other tribes in the area. Some Navajo have called for preserving a small area as a way to preserve the oil and gas royalties and other revenues on which some families depend.
In January, the Navajo Nation filed a lawsuit, alleging that the U.S. Interior Department under Biden did not properly consult with its members about the economic impacts on tribal communities of imposing a moratorium on new oil and gas leasing and mining claims. The complaint does not seek to quash the withdrawal, but rather challenges the process through which it was implemented.