New Mexico extends ban on oil and gas leasing around Chaco park, an area sacred to Native Americans

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New oil and natural gas leasing will be prohibited on New Mexico state land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park for the next 20 years. State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard signed an executive order Wednesday extending a temporary moratorium she put in place when she took office in 2019. She was joined during a virtual meeting Thursday by tribal leaders from around New Mexico and advocates who have been seeking permanent protections for land around the park. Last year, the federal government adopted its own 20-year moratorium on new leasing within a 10-mile span around Chaco.