Hundreds of square miles in New Mexico will be withdrawn from further oil and gas production for the next 20 years on the outskirts of Chaco Culture National Historical Park that tribal communities consider sacred, the Biden administration ordered Friday.
The new order from Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland applies to public lands and associated mineral rights within a 10-mile radius of the park. It does not apply to entities that are privately, state- or tribal-owned. Existing leases won’t be impacted either.
“Today marks an important step in fulfilling President Biden’s commitments to Indian Country, by protecting Chaco Canyon, a sacred place that holds deep meaning for the Indigenous peoples whose ancestors have called this place home since time immemorial,” Haaland said in a statement. “I value and appreciate the many Tribal leaders, elected officials, and stakeholders who have persisted in their work to conserve this special area.
Navajo Nation officials have made similar arguments, saying millions of dollars in annual oil and gas revenues benefit the tribe and individual tribal members. The Navajo Nation completed its own study last year and advocated for a smaller area to be set aside given the economic impacts a withdrawal would have on the tribe.
The Bureau of Land Management said the 10-mile radius would help protect more than 4,700 known archaeological sites outside the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, while a 5-mile radius would encompass about 2,800 of the sites. “Full landscape management to phase out new and existing oil and gas development is a necessary next step,” said Julia Bernal, executive director of Pueblo Action Alliance.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US bans new oil and gas leasing around New Mexico cultural siteThe Biden administration said on Friday it would stop issuing new oil and gas drilling leases within 10 miles of the Chaco Culture National Historic Park, a region central to Pueblo ancestral heritage in northwest New Mexico.
Read more »
Hundreds of jobs landing in Chester Co. at new Piasecki helicopter plantPiasecki Aircraft is taking over the former Sikorsky plant in Coatesville.
Read more »
There may be hundreds of millions of habitable planets in the Milky Way, new study suggestsA new analysis of Kepler data shows that one-third of small stars called M dwarfs may have the potential to host life.
Read more »
Hundreds of new primate genomes offer window into human health—and our pastBy sequencing the genomes of more than 200 nonhuman primates, from palm-size mouse lemurs to 200-kilogram gorillas, researchers have come up with clues to human health and disease—and to the origin of our species.
Read more »
Hundreds protest new immigration reform bill in JacksonvilleToday, a nationwide protest demanding immigrants’ rights had a major presence in Jacksonville. Governor Ron DeSantis’s immigration reform bill or sb 1718 sparked this action.
Read more »