The Trump administration’s proposal to end a Biden-era oil ban around the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico is sparking pushback from some tribal governments, state leaders and environmental groups.
The administration plans to lift a 20-year ban on oil and gas lease sales and new mining claims near the park, arguing the policy had unfairly cut off energy resources that could be responsibly produced. The plan, detailed in an environmental review released July 15, was a nod to the Trump administration’s support for federal energy development. Yesterday it closed a two-week opportunity for public comment on the proposal.
Joey Sanchez, the chair of the All Pueblo Council of Governors — a coalition of Pueblo government leaders — said removing the moratorium would be a “profound mistake.”
“In just 14 days, this administration could undo decades of progress and reopen these sacred lands to oil and gas development,” Sanchez said in a statement Thursday.
