BLM May Shrink Chaco Drilling Buffer — But Tribes and Lawmakers Say the Review is Being Rushed. What’s at Stake?

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management opened a review that could shrink or eliminate the 10-mile buffer zone that bans new oil and gas leasing around Chaco Culture National Historical Park, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. The agency is considering three options: keeping the existing buffer, reducing it to five miles or removing the protections entirely.

The move drew sharp rebuke from Indigenous communities, environmental advocates and lawmakers over a seven-day public comment period that ran through April 7. Sen. Ben Ray Luján called the seven days “inadequate and disgraceful” for a 1,000-year-old sacred site, warning that the timing during Holy Week and the online-only format limited public participation.

The buffer covers more than 336,000 acres. Put in place by then-Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in 2023, it withdrew federal lands around Chaco from new mineral leasing for 20 years but exempts existing leases and private and tribal lands. Chaco Canyon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains a cultural and spiritual anchor for Pueblo peoples. A BLM assessment found the buffer’s impact on oil production would be modest, reducing output by 2.5%.

Navajo Nation leaders have advocated for a smaller buffer, citing potential losses for Navajo allottees who rely on oil and gas revenue, and the tribe’s 2025 lawsuit challenging the 2023 withdrawal was dismissed following a settlement. Laguna Pueblo Gov. Harry Antonio Jr. said any rollback must not bypass sufficient consultation or erode cultural protections.

Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit the Santa Fe New Mexican’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.