After extension, groups ask Sec. Bernhardt to protect Chaco in final plan

ALBUQUERQUE, May 21, 2020 ----- After urging from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham , leadership of the All Pueblo Council of Governors and Navajo Nation and the entire New Mexico Congressional delegation due to the challenges facing tribal communities from the COVID-19 pandemic, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced a 120-day extension of the public comment period for the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed plan to drill near Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Now, the public has more time to weigh in on a proposal that is widely opposed by Pueblo leaders and local communities for its lack of protections for Chaco Canyon and surrounding areas and communities. Under the Department of the Interior’s preferred proposal, drilling could be allowed throughout this landscape, threatening irreplaceable historical and cultural resources important to the Tribes and communities in the region, as well as native communities in the surrounding area. 

A coalition of local and national organizations released the following statements regarding Secretary Bernhardt’s announcement: 

Michael Casaus, New Mexico State Director with The Wilderness Society, said “For months tribal leaders and affected communities have called on BLM to back off of this rushed process that would invite drilling near Chaco Canyon. We are glad to see the public comment period extended in response to the ongoing pandemic, but the real focus should be on permanently stopping unwanted drilling to protect this irreplaceable cultural landscape and the health of nearby communities.” 

Paul F. Reed, Preservation Archaeologist with Archaeology Southwest, said: “We’re glad that Secretary Bernhardt has finally heeded the calls from the New Mexico Congressional Delegation, led by Senators Udall and Heinrich, Governor Lujan Grisham, the Pueblo Governors, Navajo Nation, other Tribes, and many environmental and preservation groups to extend the May 28 deadline for public comment on the BLM and BIA. Now, we need the Dept. of Interior, BIA, and BLM to pay close attention to public comments and choose a planning alternative that protects Navajo families at ground zero and the fragile cultural resources of Greater Chaco.” 

Ernie Atencio, regional director at the National Parks Conservation Association, said: “After months of requests from tribes, the public, conservation organizations, and New Mexico’s congressional delegation, we’re relieved the Bureau of Land Management has acknowledged that its relentless development of public land for oil and gas can’t continue as normal during a pandemic..  

“The public must have a say in what happens to public land but that’s not possible at the moment, and the needs of tribal communities in particular need to be taken into special consideration. A 120-day extension is a welcome first step, but the coronavirus pandemic is not an issue local only to Chaco, so we hope similar extensions will soon be granted to all comparable planning processes and lease sales across the country.”

Brian Sybert, Executive Director, Conservation Lands Foundation, said: “If the will of the people is to prevail, the people must be heard. While the American people are worried about their jobs, loved ones, future economic well-being and health, it’s inappropriate to ask them to participate in the important activity of planning for the future of their public lands. It was the right thing for Secretary Bernhardt to extend this public comment period and we urge him to do the right thing across the board and extend or suspend the process for other management plans the Interior Department is advancing during this public health crisis.”

Mark Allison, Executive Director, New Mexico Wild said:

“We are pleased to see that Secretary Bernhardt made the right decision by extending the public comment period for 120 days, listening to calls from the All Pueblo Council of Governors, the Navajo Nation, New Mexico’s Congressional delegation, and others. Tribal and rural communities have been unable to participate fully in this process as they rightfully focus their attention on addressing the COVID-19 crisis. BLM’s preferred plan heavily favors oil and gas development, threatening the irreplaceable cultural and historical resources found throughout the Greater Chaco region. We’re calling on everyone who cares about Greater Chaco to use this extension to make their voices heard by submitting comments to the BLM. We will continue working with tribal leaders, New Mexico’s congressional delegation, and our nonprofit partners to protect Great Chaco and we need the public’s help.”

Thomas J. Cassidy, Vice President of Government Relations and Policy, National Trust for Historic Preservation, said: “We are pleased that the Department of the Interior is doing the right thing by extending this comment period as requested by the New Mexico congressional delegation, the All Pueblo Council of Governors, the National Trust, and so many others. Meaningful tribal consultation and public input are simply not feasible right now. Moving forward, we continue to call on the Bureau of Land Management to listen to the broad request to refocus on developing a management plan that is consistent with the Chaco Culture Heritage Area Protection Act pending in Congress and that would protect the globally significant resources of the Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape.”

Background on Chaco Canyon: 

Chaco Canyon—a portion of which is now designated the Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Park) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—centuries ago was the center of a thriving civilization that flourished in the Four Corners region. This society left behind a vast and sacred landscape rich in cultural resources, which is today integral to the individual and collective living identity of the Pueblos and Tribes whose ancestors inhabited that landscape. This living cultural landscape holds thousands of ancient structures and archaeological sites and other cultural resources — some of which have yet to be documented. More than 90 percent of public lands within the area are already leased for oil and gas drilling, and Greater Chaco is at risk of being destroyed by drill pads, pipelines, and a web of industrial access roads. 

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Contacts:

Paul Reed, Archaeology Southwest, preed@archaeologysouthwest.org

Tony Iallonardo, The Wilderness Society, 202-429-2699, tony_iallonardo@tws.org