Protesters urge BLM to keep Chaco Canyon protections
Protesters and New Mexico officials opposed a proposal to remove mining protections around Chaco Canyon
About 100 people gathered outside the Bureau of Land Management's Santa Fe office on Wednesday to oppose a federal proposal to eliminate or reduce a 10-mile buffer that limits mining around Chaco Culture National Historical Park, according to reporting Source NM. The demonstration coincided with the final day of the public comment period on the proposal, which has drawn criticism from Indigenous leaders and New Mexico's Democratic congressional delegation.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez also filed formal comments opposing the proposal, calling Chaco Canyon "one of New Mexico's greatest cultural and historical treasures," according to the Source NM reporting. Indigenous leaders said the proposal threatens a site of cultural and spiritual significance and criticized the federal government's two-week public comment period and tribal consultation process.
- 1.Joshua Bowling. New Mexicans protest outside BLM office over proposal to undo Chaco Canyon mining protections. Source NM, .
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