20-Year Ban on Oil and Gas Leasing Around Chaco Park Extended by New Mexico

The move aims to protect the culturally significant area from development, following a similar moratorium by the U.S. government last year.

New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard has extended a ban on new oil and gas leasing on state land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park for the next 20 years.
The U.S. government last year adopted its own 20-year moratorium on new oil, gas and mineral leasing around Chaco, following a push by pueblos and other Southwestern tribal nations.
The goal of the ban is to stop the encroachment of development on Chaco and the tens of thousands of acres beyond the park’s boundaries that have yet to be surveyed.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a World Heritage site and is thought to be the center of what was once a hub of Indigenous civilization.
The New Mexico State Land Office has been working with tribal leaders over the last five years and hopes to craft a formal policy that can be used by future administrations.