Submit your comment against the 10 mile Chaco Canyon barrier

The comment period is open from now until July 29, 2026. Submit your comment by clicking here today.

Acting arbitrarily, the Biden Administration, led by Deb Haaland (who is running for Governor) adopted a 10 mile moratorium AROUND Chaco Canyon in 2023. The moratorium would prevent any development in the 336,400 acres surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

While New Mexico’s leftist-dominated political establishment has repeatedly claimed that overturning the buffer would “destroy” Chaco Canyon, the reality is that this  buffer was imposed very recently and with no scientific justification. Also, contrary to what is often portrayed, the Native community in the area OPPOSES the buffer and protested Deb Haaland when she came to the region to celebrate it.  

The following is the Rio Grande Foundation’s comment:

As president of the Rio Grande Foundation, a non-partisan, free market public policy research think tank based in Albuquerque, I urge you to undo the 10 mile “buffer zone” around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Simply put, there has never been a scientific justification for the 20 mile barrier. Rather, the buffer seems to be based on the preferences of radical environmental groups that want NO oil and gas (or mineral development) anywhere near Chaco Canyon or anywhere else.

Preventing development on the 336,404 acres near Chaco Culture National Historical Park would negatively impact Navajo leaseholders and New Mexico’s economy as a whole. Simply put, the moratorium is based on the political preferences of well heeled “environmentalist” advocacy groups, not the best interests of average New Mexicans or Native groups that have economic interests in the area.

The Bureau should make decisions based on science, not simple politics. If science shows that a 2 or 5 mile buffer zone is the best decision for protecting Chaco Culture National Historical Park then it would be simple to do that in the future, but any and all buffer zones should be based on science, not politics.

No one is “drilling” Chaco. New Mexico’s political leadership are quite simply lying about the situation. This is a buffer zone AROUND the Park. I strongly encourage the Bureau to eliminate the current 10 mile buffer zone.