FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15, 2021
DENVER—Today President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will propose a 20-year mineral withdrawal around New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, according to the Washington Post. The withdrawal is expected to protect a 10-mile buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, removing the threat of oil and gas drilling in one of America’s most archaeologically-rich areas.
The withdrawal mirrors a legislative proposal supported by New Mexico’s congressional delegation, which has been pushing the Biden administration to take this action. The administration also announced it would begin an extensive process of consulting with Tribal nations in the Four Corners region to establish long-term certainty for energy production and conservation on public and Indigenous lands.
The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:
“Thank you, President Biden and Secretary Haaland. Today’s action reduces the imminent threat that oil and gas drilling poses to Chaco Canyon. Equally important are the listening sessions and nation-to-nation consultations that the Interior Department will hold with Indigenous Americans and Tribal nations across the region.
“When President Biden and Secretary Haaland launched the America the Beautiful initiative earlier this year, we noted that it would take many tools to protect 30 percent of America’s land and waters by the end of the decade. Long-term mineral withdrawals like this are an important pathway for addressing the intertwined climate and biodiversity crises. We look forward to seeing what comes next.”