Native Americans and environmental activists in New Mexico are fearful the Trump Administration’s Department of the Interior might reverse protections for the historic region of the state known as Chaco Canyon.
The Interior Department sent a late May letter to tribal governments indicate it is giving consideration to the reversal which would “open the lands to leasing under the mineral leasing laws.”
When President Biden was in the White House, the Interior Department issued Public Land Order 7923, which protects 336,404 acres of federal land from mining and drilling for 20 years. The agency at the time stated that “protecting the area could increase the quality of life for area residents and improve the recreational value by reducing noise and air pollution.“