The Trump administration has announced a plan to reopen federal lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park to oil and gas drilling, sparking outrage from New Mexico Land Commissioner and Indigenous communities. The administration is allowing only a 14-day period for public comment, with no public meetings or Tribal consultation.

Chaco Canyon’s Cultural Significance

Chaco Canyon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and holds deep cultural significance for Indigenous Nations, Pueblos, and Tribes in New Mexico and beyond. The Greater Chaco landscape was named one of America’s most endangered historic places in 2026 due to the risk of unchecked development.

In 2019, the New Mexico Land Commissioner protected about 73,000 acres of state lands in the Greater Chaco Region from oil and gas development. The federal lands in this area have been protected since 2023, when President Biden and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued an executive order removing over 336,000 acres within ten miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park from mineral leasing.

The Trump administration’s plan to undo these protections would be a disastrous idea, according to the Land Commissioner. The administration’s own projections show that this move would result in very few new oil or gas wells over the next 20 years, making it a senseless attack on New Mexico’s cultural resources.

The public can comment on the proposal until July 29th, and the Land Commissioner is urging people to speak out against the plan. The State Land Office website has a link to the public comment portal, where people can tell the Trump Administration to abandon their destructive efforts and keep federal protections for Chaco Canyon in place.

Original reporting: Las Cruces Sun News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.