Key facts
- The Trump administration is considering removing a 10-mile drilling-free buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.
- UNESCO has stated that extractive activities are incompatible with world heritage status.
- Conservationists and tribal leaders warn the plan could cause significant environmental and cultural harm.
- The proposed removal of the buffer zone has generated substantial public opposition.
- Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has called the potential damage irreversible.
The Trump administration's initiative to increase oil and gas extraction across the United States includes plans that could permit drilling near protected natural and cultural sites, sparking alarm among conservationists and drawing scrutiny from UNESCO, the UN's heritage body. UNESCO has indicated it has procedures for addressing potential threats to World Heritage properties and is awaiting a response from the U.S. government regarding the impact of proposed drilling near Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, a site of significant cultural importance.
A spokesperson for UNESCO stated that extractive activities are generally considered incompatible with World Heritage status and emphasized that projects outside these properties should not adversely affect their outstanding universal value, requiring appropriate impact assessments. The U.S. has 27 World Heritage sites, some of which already have nearby drilling or mining projects. The administration's approach, characterized by President Trump's "drill, baby drill" stance, has led to increased access for fossil fuel extraction in various protected areas.
While some sites like the Everglades are already listed as "in danger" due to development and pollution, other sites could face similar designations if nearby industrialization is deemed harmful. The specific concern at Chaco involves a proposal by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to eliminate a 10-mile buffer zone that currently protects the park from industrial activities like fossil fuel drilling and uranium mining. This move is opposed by a coalition of tribal leaders, archaeologists, and environmental groups who warn of significant environmental harm.
The proposal to drill in the 336,400-acre zone adjacent to Chaco received over 100,000 public comments, predominantly negative, during a brief 14-day comment period. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who established the buffer zone in 2023, has stated that its removal would cause "irreversible damage" and criticized the administration's perceived lack of consideration for local communities. The Chaco park itself, a 53-square-mile historic area, contains significant cultural sites, including ancient Puebloan ruins, and is recognized for its dark skies, ideal for astronomical observation.
Opponents argue that allowing oil and gas development near Chaco would introduce air pollution, reduce visitor numbers, spoil views, risk water contamination from fracking, and disrupt the dark skies. Daniel Tso, a Navajo community leader, shared concerns based on his experience with the oil and gas industry's disregard for landholders and the environment outside the current buffer zone, fearing similar impacts within it. Maude Dinan of the National Parks Conservation Association expressed pessimism about the outcry being heeded, citing previous administration decisions to shrink protected areas and abandon environmental safeguards, questioning the administration's willingness to trade valuable or sacred places for resource extraction.