Please, help save Chaco Canyon! One of our favorite, most sacred places in North America is under threat, and we’d love to have The Radavist’s readership once again help save our public lands. The Trump Administration opened a 7-day comment window on lifting federal protections for Chaco Canyon, and the deadline is April 7th! Read on below to see how you can help. It only takes a few seconds…
The Issue
For centuries, the Greater Chaco region has been one of the most culturally significant landscapes in North America. If you’ve been to the Greater Chaco region, you know: it’s an experience you’ll never forget.
After decades of Tribal advocacy, federal protections were finally established in 2023—a 10-mile buffer zone shielding this irreplaceable landscape from new oil and gas drilling. It was a promise to honor this place and the people who have stewarded it for generations.
Trump Wants to Break Another Promise
The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to revoke these protections altogether or reduce the size of the buffer to only 5 miles. Either option would be catastrophic. Scientists have identified 4,200 culturally significant sites in the area, and only 15-20% of the area has been surveyed. If the administration moves forward, these irreplaceable cultural resources would be exposed to drilling. Indigenous communities already facing health impacts from nearby wells would see more industrial development creep closer to their homes and schools.
What to Say: Save Chaco Canyon!
Keep it simple and personal. Tell BLM that Greater Chaco region is one of the most culturally significant landscapes in the Southwest, with over 4,200 archaeological sites at risk. Indigenous communities near existing wells already face serious health impacts. This protection was established after extensive Tribal consultation and should be honored. You oppose the proposals to revoke the 10-mile buffer zone or to reduce the zone to only 5 miles. If you’ve been to Chaco, share that experience. How would oil and gas drilling on the horizon have impacted your experience?
The public comment period is open now through April 7. Your voice can help keep these protections in place.