Recently, the Bureau of Land Management concluded its second comment period for a proposal to fully or partially revoke Public Land Order No. 7923. This Order established a 10 mile protection zone (known as a mineral withdrawal area) surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, keeping the region free from fuel exploitation for a 20 year period.
This short comment period allowed members of the public to comment on the Bureau of Land Management’s Draft Environmental Assessment, which stated that the agency proposes to fully revoke Public Land Order No. 7923.
GreenLatinos submitted a unique, substantive comment opposing this proposed action, as well as opposing an alternative action that would partially reduce the size of the mineral withdrawal area. Even a partial reduction of the mineral withdrawal area would cause irreparable harm. Only 15-20 percent of the area has been surveyed by archaeologists; an estimated 12,000 cultural sites and traditional cultural places lie within the 5-10-mile protection zone, all of which would be exposed to harmful drilling if the reduced boundary area moves forward.
In our comment, GreenLatinos made it clear that the No Action Alternative (i.e. maintaining area protections as is) is the only appropriate course of action given numerous significant shortcomings of this environmental assessment. The assessment gave an insufficient and incomprehensive review of impacts on cultural, historic, wildlife, water, air, light, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise impacts that would irreparably harm locals and the condition of the valuable ecosystem surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
During the first comment period, over 100,000 people submitted comments opposing the administration’s plan to open Greater Chaco to fuel exploitation. There is already a massive network of oil and gas wells, roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure which has already destroyed significant cultural sites and deteriorated public lands into industrial landscapes. This has harmed nearby residents including members of the Navajo Nation. The mineral withdrawal area provides protections from these threats on the remaining public lands in their natural state throughout this region in northwestern New Mexico.
We thank all who have participated in these recent comment periods. It matters that our voices are on the record to protect sacred places and people who rely on them.
