N.M. Delegation Joins Pueblo Governors to Push for Permanent Protections for Chaco Canyon

N.M. Delegation's push occurs during a 14-day public comment period set by the Trump administration in their effort to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands within Chaco Canyon

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) joined the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG) at a press conference to call for permanent protection of Chaco Canyon.

Located in northwestern New Mexico, the Greater Chaco landscape is a region of great cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to many Pueblos and Tribes and contains living sacred sites. Chaco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of only 24 such sites in the United States.

Last week, the Trump administration announced a proposal to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historic Park, and only allowed 14 days for public comment. The N.M. Delegation released a statement strongly condemning the Trump administration's actions.

This week, Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led a N.M. Delegation letter urging U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to extend the public comment period to 90-days and conduct genuine Tribal consultation and extensive public engagement before revoking protections for the Chaco region. Most importantly, the Delegation urged Secretary Burgum to withdraw this proposal and leave Public Land Order No. 7923 in place. The Delegation also, once again, invited Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco before taking any action that would put this irreplaceable cultural landmark at risk.

VIDEO: The N.M. Delegation joins the All Pueblo Council of Governors to call for permanent protection of the Chaco Canyon Cultural Protection Zone, July 22, 2026.

"Chaco Canyon is not for sale.New Mexico has an important role to play producing energy for the nation. We're the second largest producer of oil in the country, we produce far more electrons than we consume, and we have never had to sacrifice our most sacred places to do that - and we should not do that going forward," said Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "Chaco Canyon is not just a place on a map. It is not a museum. It is not about what happened 1,000 years ago. It is about the future. It is about these governors and their communities, their identity, and their relationship to this sacred place that they use now. This is about our state's ability to stand up for what is right and moral. Our New Mexico Delegation stands arm in arm and shoulder to shoulder with these Tribal governors and their communities in standing up to protect this place. And we will fight that fight until we win."

"Chaco Canyon is more than a place on a map - it is thousands of years of culture, history, and the enduring spirit of the Pueblo peoples. Protecting Chaco is our sacred responsibility. Once Chaco is damaged, it cannot be undone. That's why we are standing together to make our voices heard," said Luján. "I am deeply grateful for the Pueblo leaders whose leadership and tireless advocacy are at the heart of the fight to protect Chaco Canyon. Now is your turn to make your voice heard. Submit your comment today to tell the Trump administration to keep its hands off Chaco."

"There is not a single molecule of gas worth sacrificing a landscape that holds more than 4,700 archaeological sites, the prayers and history of generations, and the living culture of Chaco Canyon," said Leger Fernández, Ranking Member of the House Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee. "Secretary Burgum lied when he promised meaningful, in-person tribal consultation before any decision was made. Our Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act will permanently protect Chaco. In the meantime, we will use every tool at our disposal to stop the bulldozers from tearing up living history."

"Chaco Canyon is not for sale! As one the most sacred places on the planet - the Greater Chaco Landscape has been a sacred landscape for Pueblo and Diné people since time immemorial," said Stansbury, Democratic Vice Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus. "The Trump Administration's plan to open these sacred places to oil and gas drilling is a direct attack to Tribal Sovereignty and New Mexico's history, cultures, and living traditions. I am proud to stand today and every day with the entire New Mexico delegation, the All Pueblo Council of Governors, Tribal leaders, advocates, and communities across our state to protect this irreplaceable landscape for generations to come. We ask the American people to stand with us - and please submit a public comment and help save Chaco Canyon."

"Chaco is central to New Mexico's identity - a living cultural landscape, a sacred place and an irreplaceable unit of our national public lands. The Administration's attempt to revoke the protections of this landscape, built through years of consultation and community engagement, with just 14 days of public comment is disingenuous and disrespectful," said Vasquez. "Secretary Burgum must withdraw this proposal and come to New Mexico to hear directly from Pueblo leaders. He has an open invitation to come to Chaco and meet with Pueblo leaders. We can support responsible energy development without sacrificing places like Chaco that, once damaged, will be lost forever."

The New Mexico Congressional Delegation has worked tirelessly to permanently protect Chaco Canyon.

Last week, the N.M. Delegation released a statement in response to the news that the Trump administration is proposing to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historic Park, and only allowing 14 days for public comment.

In April, the N.M. Delegation submitted a comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to undo a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has kept public lands in the Chaco Canyon Cultural Protection Zone off-limits to new oil and gas leasing. Earlier that month, the N.M. Delegation sent statements in opposition to the Trump administration only granting seven days to submit scoping comments.

Last November, Heinrich, Luján, and Stansbury hosted a press conference with Pueblo leaders on the actions needed to permanently protect the landscape.

Last September, the N.M. Delegation hosted a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol with 20 Governors and leaders from the Santa Ana, Picuris, Cochiti, Zia, Tesuque, Acoma, Santo Domingo, and Laguna Pueblos to demand the Trump administration permanently protect Chaco Canyon, and to invite U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the Greater Chaco landscape before deciding its fate. Watch the video of the full press conference here.

In June 2025, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter initially inviting Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco Canyon and engage directly with Tribal leaders and local communities to hear about the profound cultural and spiritual significance of this sacred landscape. Secretary Burgum issued the directive to begin revoking the Chaco protections without experiencing it firsthand. Following Secretary Burgum's directive, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Chaco Canyon's protections.

In April 2025, the N.M. Delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the greater sacred landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historic Park. The legislation is led by Luján in the U.S. Senate and Leger Fernández in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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