BLM Proposal Opens Chaco Region to Oil and Gas Drilling
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stirred up angry response from environmentalists and Native American leaders in New Mexico by proposing to open more than 300,000 acres of land to oil and gas drilling around the historic Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Public Comment Period Begins
The BLM opened a seven-day public comment period on March 31 as part of its proposal to open 336,425 acres of public lands in the Greater Chaco Region in New Mexico to oil and gas drilling.
If the proposal moves forward, new oil and gas leasing and development on federal lands will be allowed within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, even on lands directly bordering the park.
Proposal Would Reverse 2023 Protections
In 2023, under the Biden administration, Public Land Order 7923 put the public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park off limits to unchecked extractive development for 20 years.
The new proposal seeks to undo the order, reported National Parks Traveler.
Environmental Groups Voice Opposition
“Chaco Cultural National Historical Park has incalculable ecological and historical value. It is too special to be exposed to oil and gas drilling,” said Ellen Montgomery, Environment New Mexico Great Outdoors Director.
“The park is one of the last sanctuaries for desert animals seeking respite from surrounding drilling and human interference. Protecting this special place has overwhelming public support in New Mexico and across the country. The protections enacted in 2023 should be left in place.”
Cultural and Historical Concerns Raised
It was in 2023 when then President Joe Biden signed an order creating the ban on oil and gas drilling with the creation of the protections.
The Chaco Canyon park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its extraordinary cultural significance dating back to the mid-800s.
“This is not about energy strategy,” said Maude Dinan, New Mexico program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association.
“It’s an attack on cultural heritage, community health, and all that our national parks were created to protect.”
Dinan called it one of the most extraordinary cultural landscapes in the National Park System.
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BLM Proposal Opens Chaco Land to Oil Drilling
April 2, 2026
BLM Proposal Opens Chaco Region to Oil and Gas Drilling
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stirred up angry response from environmentalists and Native American leaders in New Mexico by proposing to open more than 300,000 acres of land to oil and gas drilling around the historic Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Public Comment Period Begins
The BLM opened a seven-day public comment period on March 31 as part of its proposal to open 336,425 acres of public lands in the Greater Chaco Region in New Mexico to oil and gas drilling.
If the proposal moves forward, new oil and gas leasing and development on federal lands will be allowed within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, even on lands directly bordering the park.
Proposal Would Reverse 2023 Protections
In 2023, under the Biden administration, Public Land Order 7923 put the public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park off limits to unchecked extractive development for 20 years.
The new proposal seeks to undo the order, reported National Parks Traveler.
Environmental Groups Voice Opposition
“The park is one of the last sanctuaries for desert animals seeking respite from surrounding drilling and human interference. Protecting this special place has overwhelming public support in New Mexico and across the country. The protections enacted in 2023 should be left in place.”
Cultural and Historical Concerns Raised
It was in 2023 when then President Joe Biden signed an order creating the ban on oil and gas drilling with the creation of the protections.
The Chaco Canyon park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its extraordinary cultural significance dating back to the mid-800s.
“This is not about energy strategy,” said Maude Dinan, New Mexico program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association.
“It’s an attack on cultural heritage, community health, and all that our national parks were created to protect.”
Dinan called it one of the most extraordinary cultural landscapes in the National Park System.
📌 MORE ENERGY NEWS
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