A group of New Mexico lawmakers has issued a statement criticizing the Trump administration and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for starting the process to reverse protections around Chaco Canyon by seeking to overturn Public Land Order No. 7923.
Chaco Canyon, located in northwestern New Mexico, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and holds significant cultural, spiritual, and historical value for many Pueblos and Tribes. It is one of only 24 such sites in the United States.
In 2023, the Biden administration implemented a 20-year withdrawal of non-Indian federal lands within a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Canyon to prevent new development. These protections remained until the recent directive from Secretary Burgum began their reversal.
Earlier this year, members of the New Mexico congressional delegation invited Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco Canyon before making any decisions regarding its status and to engage with Tribal leaders and local communities about its importance. However, according to the delegation, Secretary Burgum moved forward with revoking protections without visiting or consulting these groups.
The lawmakers stated: “Chaco Canyon is one of the most important living cultural landscapes on the planet. 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,” saidthe N.M. Delegation. “We will do everything we can to get our Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act passed into law to permanently protect Chaco Canyon. This is not about the past; it is about the generations to come. And we stand united alongside everyone who believes that Chaco Canyon is a place worth protecting.”
In April, legislation was reintroduced by members of Congress from New Mexico aiming to safeguard both Chaco Canyon itself and surrounding lands near Chaco Culture National Historical Park from future oil, gas, or mineral leasing or development on non-Indian federal lands within a 10-mile buffer zone.
The proposed bill has support from organizations including All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG), Archaeology Southwest, Native Lands Institute, New Mexico Wild, Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Voices for Children, The Wilderness Society, Conservation Lands Foundation, Environment New Mexico, Sierra Club, and National Wildlife Federation.
In September, members of Congress from New Mexico held a press conference at the U.S. Capitol with leaders from several Pueblos urging permanent protection for Chaco Canyon and again inviting Secretary Burgum to visit before making any decisions regarding its future.
