In response to the article “Bureau of Land Management extends comment period on Chaco proposal” on April 2, I believe it is essential that the Biden administration move forward with the 20-year mineral withdrawal to protect the irreplaceable Chaco Canyon from oil and gas development.
Chaco Canyon has long been and continues to be a sacred landscape that remains culturally important to Indigenous peoples of the greater Southwest. Moreover, Chaco is a World Heritage site, one of only 20 in the United States. The greater Chaco region was once the center of Indigenous achievement and culture, and remains a living, vibrant landscape full of ancient and irreplaceable cultural patrimony, much of which is within the 10-mile proposed withdrawal area.
However, the oil and gas industry has leased more than 90% of the Greater Chaco region for development. For decades, tribal community members have voiced their concerns about drilling impacts – from degraded air and water quality, to desecrated cultural resources. As Durangoans, we must act to support the sovereign tribal nations who value this sacred landscape – who have been disproportionately impacted by pollution, and whose voices have been ignored in these conversations.
The Biden administration made a commitment to strengthen tribal consultation, prioritize environmental justice, and scale down fossil-fuel production to tackle the climate crisis. Please, encourage the Biden administration to make good on its campaign promises and protect the greater Chaco region by submitting a comment before May 6, at protectchaco.org.
David Kozak
Durango
