Thousands of acres protected, thousands more up for sale

It’s full speed ahead in Greater Chaco as advocates celebrate each new victory for the region, while at the same time frantically work to protect it from the next oil and gas lease sale.

On Saturday, April 27, members of the State Land Office Chaco Working Group—including representatives of the Tri-Chapters of the Navajo Nation and All Pueblo Council of Governors—gathered to applaud New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard’s moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on state trust lands in the Greater Chaco area. The four-year moratorium covers new oil and gas mineral leasing on 72,776 acres of state trust lands within approximately 10 miles around Chaco Culture National Historical Park and initiates a process of dialogue with Tribes and other stakeholders about the management of state trust lands in Greater Chaco.

However, the Bureau of Land Management is still planning to lease an additional 37,550 acres of land in Greater Chaco for fracking during its June 2019 oil and gas lease sale (scheduled for June 20). Members of the Greater Chaco Coalition delivered more than 11,000 public comments protesting the sale.

Read the press release.

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