New Mexico extends ban on oil and gas leasing around Chaco park, an area sacred to Native Americans
New oil and natural gas leasing will be prohibited on New Mexico state land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park for the next 20 years
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New oil and natural gas leasing will be prohibited on state land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, an area sacred to Native Americans, for the next 20 years under an executive order by New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard.
Wednesday's order extends a temporary moratorium that she put in place when she took office in 2019. It covers more than 113 square miles (293 square kilometers) of state trust land in what is a sprawling checkerboard of private, state, federal and tribal holdings in northwestern New Mexico.
The U.S. government last year adopted its own 20-year moratorium on new oil, gas and mineral leasing around Chaco, following a push by pueblos and other Southwestern tribal nations that have cultural ties to the high desert region.
Garcia Richard said during a virtual meeting Thursday with Native American leaders and advocates that the goal is to stop encroachment of development on Chaco and the tens of thousands of acres beyond the park's boundaries that have yet to be surveyed.
“The greater Chaco landscape is one of the most special places in the world, and it would be foolish not to do everything in our power to protect it,” she said in a statement following the meeting.
Cordelia Hooee, the lieutenant governor of Zuni Pueblo, called it a historic day. She said tribal leaders throughout the region continue to pray for more permanent protections through congressional action.
“Chaco Canyon and the greater Chaco region play an important role in the history, religion and culture of the Zuni people and other pueblo
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