Members of the Greater Chaco Coalition have expressed their approval for the re-introduction of the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2019 by New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with Congressman Ben Ray Lujan and Congresswoman Deb Haaland. This legislation, which was initially introduced by Senator Udall in 2018, aims to protect cultural resources, community health, and environmental justice by withdrawing federal minerals from oil and gas leasing within a roughly 10-mile buffer around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.

The bill highlights that the Greater Chaco Landscape extends beyond this buffer zone into the four corner states: New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. It includes local communities such as Pueblos and Indian Tribes, along with public lands containing additional cultural resources and sacred sites not affected by the mineral withdrawal. The updated version of the bill emphasizes the necessity for meaningful Tribal consultation and requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to manage oil and gas leasing on federal and tribal lands while considering the health, safety, economies, and quality of life of local communities. It also proposes further health and safety measures for the Greater Chaco region by terminating non-producing oil and gas leases.

In addition to this legislative action, a field hearing on Greater Chaco protections will be held this week by Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Vice Chair Haaland (D-N.M.), Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), who is Chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. This event will include a visit to Chaco Culture National Historical Park followed by a hearing titled "Oil and Gas Development: Impacts on Air Pollution and Sacred Sites," where New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is expected to testify.

Currently, most lands managed by BLM in the Greater Chaco region are leased for oil and gas development. Resource management plans are ongoing; however, residents have been facing resource extraction impacts for decades without comprehensive assessment from BLM regarding cumulative effects on communities, cultural landscapes, or climate.