Santa Fe New Mexican (Nov. 16, 2021) – The Biden administration announced a much-awaited move toward barring federal oil and gas leasing in a 10-mile zone around the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, stepping into a decades-long tug of war between the region’s economic interests and tribal heritage.
Fossil fuel industry groups called the buffer an unnecessary infringement. In an email, the head of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico argued responsible oil and gas development posed no threats to the already protected sites.
“A 10-mile buffer is an overreach of federal authority, is arbitrary, and is not based in any science other than in political science,” wrote Jim Winchester, the group’s executive director.
Operators and mineral rights holders — including several Navajo allottees — have worked to reach a reasonable, science-based understanding about how to safeguard the sacred sites, Winchester wrote.
