Ending oil and gas leasing around the park would help wildlife and local residents.
WASHINGTONEnvironment America joined conservation advocates and groups to deliver more 83,000 public comments on Friday to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in support of the agency.Proposed mineral withdrawalThe federal lands within 10 mi of Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The federal oil and natural gas leasing would cease for the next 20 year after the withdrawal. The affected area is approximately 350,000 acres around the park, which contains thousands of people.Cultural and archaelogical sites.
The Greater Chaco landscape is an important part of our collective cultural and historical heritage. Protecting the Greater Chaco is essential to preserve the rare species of the region and the ecosystems that are already threatened by grazing, mineral and fossil fuel extract.Ellen MontgomeryPublic Lands Campaign Director. Drilling can disrupt the habitats of bobcats and rabbits, wild horses, badgers and more than 100 bird species living in and around the canyon. Exploiting fossil fuels under the land has a negative impact on the health and well-being of the people who live there. It also creates disruptive noise and brings in people and equipment that pollutes the water, air, and land. We call on the BLM for protection of the Greater Chaco area and to prevent future fossil fuel leasings.
Over the years, reckless drill-and-run has caused significant damage to the health of Indigenous communities and the air quality. Roads, pipelines, oil and gas wells, and other infrastructure are all a threat to the environment.DefeatedImportant cultural sites that have been transformed into other formsindustrial parks.