We need your help please. Please share.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico is a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing over a thousand years of Indigenous history ancient ruins, sacred sites, and cultural landmarks built by the ancestors of today’s Pueblo peoples. In 2021, a protective buffer zone was created keeping 336,400 acres within 10 miles of the park off-limits to new oil and gas drilling. That protection is now under threat. The Trump administration has proposed revoking it, which would open the land surrounding one of America’s most sacred cultural sites to new drilling and development.
The damage wouldn’t be starting from scratch. Nearly 90% of the surrounding region is already leased for energy development, and existing drilling has already harmed Indigenous communities, destroyed cultural sites, and degraded air quality. The buffer zone was the last line of defense. Making matters worse, the administration is fast-tracking the rollback with only a 7-day public comment window compared to the 150 days of public input that went into creating the protections in the first place. Tribal nations, conservation groups, and 71% of New Mexico voters oppose the move. None of that appears to matter.
The comment deadline is Tuesday, April 7. Please submit a comment today at protectchaco.org. Not sure what to say? They have an auto-fill message 😉.
Source