New Mexico leaders oppose proposal to reduce Chaco Canyon protections
Tribal leaders and New Mexico officials criticize proposal to scale back buffer around Chaco Culture National Historical Park
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., and Pueblo of Acoma Gov. Charles Riley said they will oppose a Trump administration proposal to reduce or eliminate a 10-mile federal buffer protecting land around Chaco Culture National Historical Park, according to reporting from Source New Mexico. The Bureau of Land Management announced a two-week public comment period on the proposal, which would either eliminate the buffer, reduce it to five miles or leave it unchanged. Public comments are due by July 29.
Stansbury said the two-week comment period and lack of a public hearing do not provide adequate opportunity for public input, according to the Source New Mexico reporting. Aaron Sims, attorney for the Pueblo of Acoma and secretary of the Chaco Heritage Tribal Association, said the U.S. Department of the Interior has not fulfilled an agreement to jointly participate in a cultural resources study of the Chaco region. Riley said Chaco remains a living cultural and spiritual place for Pueblo communities and continues to be used for prayer and cultural practices.
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