Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, and Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee led 18 members of Congress in demanding answers from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about the Trump Administration’s rushed effort to revoke protections for lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

The Department of the Interior is proposing to revoke Public Land Order No. 7923, which established a 10-mile mineral withdrawal surrounding Chaco Canyon. Revoking the order would reopen these culturally significant public lands to oil and gas leasing and mining activities.

“Chaco Canyon is not just a historical site; it’s a living cultural landscape,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Department’s current fast-tracked efforts to overturn the withdrawal area do not respect the historical, cultural, and spiritual value of Chaco Canyon.” 

“The Department’s rushed review undermined the Department’s trust responsibility to Tribal nations and the Tribal consultation process under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act,” they continued.

The lawmakers’ letter raises serious concerns that the Department failed to fulfill its trust responsibility to Tribal nations and honor Burgum’s public commitment to meaningful consultation. During a June 2025 House Natural Resources Committee hearing, Burgum committed to Leger Fernández to send an official with decision-making authority to conduct individual, in-person consultations with every Tribe with an interest in Chaco Canyon. However, Interior’s own draft Environmental Assessment indicates that the Department moved forward before completing all requested consultations. Several Tribes received only “informational meetings,” while requests to meet with a decision-maker remained unmet.

The Department also provided only 21 days for public comment and held no public meetings before advancing its proposal. Despite that abbreviated process, the public submitted an estimated 300,000 comments.

By contrast, the existing protections were finalized in 2023 following 150 days of public comment, eight public meetings, and years of advocacy by Tribal nations. An archaeological study identified more than 4,730 cultural sites within the protected area.

The lawmakers are asking Burgum to disclose:

●      How many Tribal consultations included an Interior official with decision-making authority;

●      Why the Department failed to honor Tribal requests to meet with a decision-maker;

●      Why Interior published its draft proposal before completing Tribal consultation;

●      Whether all requested consultations will occur before the Department completes its review; and

●      Why Interior conducted a limited Environmental Assessment instead of a more comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement.

The lawmakers requested answers by Friday, August 28.

The letter was signed by Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Jared Huffman, Melanie Stansbury, Gabe Vasquez, Sharice Davids, Betty McCollum, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mark DeSaulnier, Val Hoyle, Donald Beyer Jr., Judy Chu, Dina Titus, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Rashida Tlaib, Diana DeGette, Julia Brownley, and Raja Krishnamoorthi.

The full letter is available here.