From the N.M. Delegation:

• N.M. Delegation’s push occurs during a 14-day public comment set by the Trump administration in their effort to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands within Chaco Canyon. Livestream here

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) will join the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG) for a press conference calling for the protection of the Chaco Canyon Cultural Protection Zone.

Located in northwestern New Mexico, the Greater Chaco landscape is a region of great cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to many Pueblos and Tribes that contains living sacred sites. Chaco was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of only 24 such sites in the United States.

Last week, the Trump administration proposed to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historic Park, and only allowed 14 days for public comment. The N.M. Delegation released a statement strongly condemning the Trump administration’s actions.

This week, Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led a N.M. Delegation letter urging U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to extend the public comment period to 90-days and conduct genuine Tribal consultation, and extensive public engagement before revoking protections for the Chaco region. Most importantly, the Delegation urged Secretary Burgum to withdraw this proposal and leave Public Land Order No. 7923 in place. The Delegation also, once again, invited Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco before taking any action that would put this irreplaceable cultural landmark at risk.

Details

• WHAT: N.M. Delegation to Join Press Conference with Pueblos on Protecting the Chaco Canyon Cultural Protection Zone
• WHEN: Press conference start time: 12:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. MT.
• WHO:
• U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.)
• U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.)
• U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.)
• U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.)
• All Pueblo Council of Governors Chairman Joey Sanchez
• Pueblo Governors

LIVESTREAM: Livestream here.

The New Mexico Congressional Delegation has worked tirelessly to permanently protect Chaco Canyon.

Last week, the N.M. Delegation released a statement in response to the news that the Trump administration is proposing to fully revoke a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has protected public lands surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historic Park , and only allowing 14 days for public comment.

In April, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the House Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) submitted a comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to undo a 20-year mineral withdrawal that has kept public lands in the Chaco Canyon Cultural Protection Zone off-limits to new oil and gas leasing. Earlier that month, the New Mexico delegation sent statements in opposition to the Trump administration only granting seven days to submit scoping comments.

Last November, Heinrich, Luján, and Stansbury hosted a press conference with Pueblo leaders on the actions needed to permanently protect the landscape.

Last September, the N.M. Delegation hosted a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol with 20 Governors and leaders from the Santa Ana, Picuris, Cochiti, Zia, Tesuque, Acoma, Santo Domingo, and Laguna Pueblos to demand the Trump administration permanently protect Chaco Canyon, and to invite U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to visit the Greater Chaco landscape before deciding its fate. Watch the video of the full press conference here.

In June 2025, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter initially inviting Secretary Burgum to visit Chaco Canyon and engage directly with Tribal leaders and local communities to hear about the profound cultural and spiritual significance of this sacred landscape. Secretary Burgum issued the directive to begin revoking the Chaco protections without experiencing it firsthand. Following Secretary Burgum’s directive, the N.M. Delegation sent a letter urging the Trump administration to reverse course on its decision to initiate the process to fully revoke Chaco Canyon’s protections.

In April 2025, the N.M. Delegation reintroduced legislation to protect Chaco Canyon and the greater sacred landscape surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historic Park. The legislation is led by Luján in the U.S. Senate and Leger Fernández in the U.S. House of Representatives.