In comments submitted to the Bureau of Land Management, the NMDOJ argues that the proposal is both legally deficient and deeply flawed, threatening one of New Mexico’s most significant cultural landscapes while disregarding federal law, Tribal consultation requirements, and meaningful public participation.
Source: N.M. Department of Justice
Photos: Courtesy National Park Service
Santa Fe, NM— New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez today announced that the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) has submitted formal comments opposing the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to rescind the 10-mile protective buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Photos Courtesy National Park Service
In comments submitted to the Bureau of Land Management, the NMDOJ argues that the proposal is both legally deficient and deeply flawed, threatening one of New Mexico’s most significant cultural landscapes while disregarding federal law, Tribal consultation requirements, and meaningful public participation.
“Chaco Canyon is one of New Mexico’s greatest cultural and historical treasures,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “The federal government cannot dismantle longstanding protections through a rushed process that sidelines Tribal Nations, ignores the public, and fails to honestly assess the consequences. We will continue to defend New Mexico’s cultural heritage and ensure that federal agencies follow the law.”
The NMDOJ’s comments identify several significant concerns with the proposal, including:
- The Bureau of Land Management’s decision to provide only a 7-day scoping period and a 14-day public comment period—far shorter than the extensive public process used to establish the buffer.
The failure to conduct meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations despite the area’s profound cultural and religious significance. - An inadequate environmental assessment that fails to justify reversing the agency’s prior findings or fully evaluate the impacts of expanded energy development.
- The agency’s failure to consider New Mexico’s substantial interests in protecting cultural resources, environmental quality, archaeological sites, tourism, and adjacent state trust lands.
The NMDOJ notes that when the buffer was originally established, BLM conducted more than a year of public review, held multiple public meetings, and engaged in extensive Tribal consultation before concluding that the protections were necessary to preserve the greater Chaco landscape.
The comments further argue that the proposed rescission would undermine decades of careful planning and bipartisan efforts to balance responsible energy development with preservation of one of the world’s most significant archaeological and cultural landscapes. The document also highlights that New Mexico has already implemented its own policies to protect the region, including a 20-year moratorium on new oil and gas and mineral leasing on nearby state trust lands.
The New Mexico Department of Justice urges the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw the proposal and maintain the existing 10-mile protective buffer. At a minimum, the NMDOJ calls on the agency to extend the public comment period, hold public meetings, conduct meaningful Tribal consultation, and prepare a legally sufficient environmental review before taking further action.
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