The "Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025" withdraws federal land in New Mexico from mineral leasing and mining to protect cultural resources in the Greater Chaco region, while allowing land conveyances to Indian Tribes and ensuring continued access for community improvements.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Representative
NM-3
The "Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025" withdraws federal land in New Mexico from mineral and geothermal leasing and mining laws to protect the cultural and historical resources of the Greater Chaco region. The Act terminates non-producing oil and gas leases and prevents their extension, while allowing land conveyances or exchanges with Indian Tribes. This withdrawal aims to preserve the landscape, cultural sites, and visitor experiences, and doesn't affect Indian Tribe mineral rights or community development projects.
Chaco Protection Act Blocks New Mining, Ends Some Leases on Federal Land Near Historic Park
The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025 draws a boundary around the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, putting specific federal lands off-limits to future development. This bill withdraws these designated federal lands—as outlined on a Bureau of Land Management map dated January 6, 2022—from eligibility for new mining claims and mineral or geothermal leasing, including oil and gas. Its stated goal is to safeguard the rich archaeological, sacred, and historic resources of the Greater Chaco region, acknowledging the area's significance to numerous Native American Tribes and the potential impacts of energy development on local communities and the park itself.
Drawing a Line Around Chaco: What's Off-Limits?
This legislation essentially puts a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on federal lands within the specified Chaco Cultural Heritage Withdrawal Area. Section 4 makes it clear: these lands are removed from operation under public land laws, mining laws (like the 1872 Mining Law), and mineral/geothermal leasing laws (like the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920). This means no new claims can be staked for hardrock minerals, and the government cannot issue new leases for resources like oil, natural gas, coal, or geothermal energy on these federal parcels. The withdrawal aims to protect not just the ground itself but also the landscape's character, including the dark night skies noted in the bill's findings (Section 2), which contribute to the park's unique visitor experience.
Existing Leases: Production Required, Or Pack Your Bags
The Act doesn't just block new activity; it also addresses some existing federal oil and gas leases within the withdrawal zone. Under Section 4, any 'covered lease'—defined in Section 3 as a federal oil or gas lease that hasn't started drilling before its primary term ends, isn't producing in paying quantities, and isn't deemed essential for a cooperative development plan—will automatically terminate. The Secretary of the Interior is explicitly barred from extending these non-producing leases. Think of it like a 'use it or lose it' provision for these specific federal leases. Once terminated, relinquished, or bought back by the government, the land under these leases also becomes subject to the withdrawal, preventing future leasing.
Not Included: Tribal Lands and Essential Infrastructure
It's crucial to understand what isn't affected. Section 4 explicitly states this withdrawal does not impact the mineral rights held by any Indian Tribe on their trust or allotment lands within or near the withdrawal area. The focus is strictly on federal land. Furthermore, the bill allows for necessary infrastructure development. Rights-of-way for water, power, utility lines, or roads can still be granted on the withdrawn federal land if needed to support nearby communities. The Act also opens the door for the Secretary of the Interior to potentially convey or exchange withdrawn federal land with an Indian Tribe, provided it aligns with existing resource management plans and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).