July 31, 2026
Thousands of archaeological sites surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park are in jeopardy as the Bureau of Land Management considers whether to rescind the 10-mile protective buffer that surrounds the National Park. Removing the buffer would open the land to oil, gas, and mining projects. The buffer zone is part of a cultural landscape of great spiritual significance to many Indigenous peoples throughout the Southwest and is home to ancient communities, ceremonial and sacred sites, agricultural infrastructure, and hundreds of miles of roads that connected settlements, shrines, and natural features. Less than 20 percent of the approximately 338,690 acres of land in the buffer zone have been archaeologically surveyed.
The AIA submitted formal comments to the Bureau of Land Management asserting that the Environmental Assessment conducted by the BLM failed to comply with statutory requirements to investigate and assess the effects on the cultural resources of this region. The AIA advocated that “any further consideration of revocation of the withdrawal of these lands be postponed until this full assessment occurs with full consideration of possible adverse effects on the cultural resources of this region surrounding Chaco Canyon.”
See the AIA’s full letter to the BLM below.
