SANTA FE, NM – On Wednesday, July 29 New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) submitted formal comments opposing the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposal to rescind the 10-mile protective buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Earlier in this month, the Bureau of Land Management proposed to revoke Public Land Order No. 7923, which was issued in June 2023 and closed entry to public land surrounding Chaco Canyon National Historical Park for 20 years. The agency’s proposal is following Executive Order 14154 and Secretary’s Order 3418 to review the land withdrawal under an environmental assessment.
On July 15, the BLM said they were seeking public comments on this proposal: “The BLM welcomes input from stakeholders as we analyze the environmental effects of revoking the withdrawal of public lands surrounding Chaco Canyon National Historical Park,” said BLM Director Stevan Pearce. “Gathering and considering these perspectives is a vital part of our process and to our mission of managing public lands for the benefit of all Americans.”
The BLM says that the environmental assessment analyzes 3 alternatives: 1), take no action, 2), revoke the withdrawal in full, or 3), revoke the withdrawal to allow leasing and mining beyond a 5-mile buffer rather than the original 10-miles.
If the withdrawal was revoked, approximately 336,404 acres of the land that surrounds the Chaco Canyon would be accessible for mining and mineral leasing. The NMDOJ’s comments submitted to the BLM argue that this proposal disregards federal law, Tribal consultation requirements, and sufficient public participation, and also threatens one of the state’s most important cultural landscapes.
For this proposal, the Bureau of Land Management only provided a 14-day public-comment period and a 7-day scoping period, a significantly smaller amount of time from three-years previous when the withdrawal was issued. In 2023, the BLM conducted 150 days for public comment, held eight public meetings, and conducted extensive Tribal consultation before issuing the 10-mile protective buffer.
Despite the short 14-day public comment period, multiple other New Mexico organizations submitted comments opposing the proposal, such as The Incorporated County of Los Alamos, and the Crow Canyon Archeological Center, as well as national organizations, such as The Society of Architectural Historians.
The New Mexico Department of Justice’s submitted comments state: “The Attorney General requests that BLM rescind the proposal wholly or adopt the “No Action” alternative. At a minimum, BLM should also provide an extended public comment period and conduct at least one public meeting.”
“Chaco Canyon is one of New Mexico’s greatest cultural and historical treasures,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “The federal government cannot dismantle longstanding protections through a rushed process that sidelines Tribal Nations, ignores the public, and fails to honestly assess the consequences. We will continue to defend New Mexico’s cultural heritage and ensure that federal agencies follow the law.”
Olivia Woodard is a journalist for Brant One News. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Instagram at @brantonenews.
