[rtt-abq] Fw: Udall, Heinrich, Luján, Haaland Introduce Legislation to Protect Chaco Canyon Area
- From: "Cheryl Passalaqua" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "nmcheryl" for DMARC)
- To: "rtt-abq@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <rtt-abq@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2019 19:15:42 +0000 (UTC)
From our friend, Michelle Kavanaugh, at Senator Udall's office.
=================================================
From: Tom Udall Press Office
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 2:05:12 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
To: Tom Udall Press Office
Subject: Udall, Heinrich, Luján, Haaland Introduce Legislation to Protect Chaco
Canyon Area
NEWS FROM THE UNITED STATES SENATE
& U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2019
Udall, Heinrich, Luján, Haaland Introduce Legislation to Protect Chaco Canyon
Area
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S.
Representatives Ben Ray Luján and Deb Haaland introducedthe Chaco Cultural
Heritage Area Protection Act, S. 1079,a bill to withdraw the federal lands
around Chaco Canyon from further mineral development. The bill, alongside
anticipated actions from State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard,
would help ensure the protection of Chaco ruins and the greater landscape
surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park by preventing any future
leasing or development of minerals owned by the U.S. government that are
located within an approximately 10-mile protected radius around Chaco.
The full text of the bill can be found HERE. More information on the bill can
be found HERE. A map of the proposed Chaco Protection Zone can be found HERE.
"The greater Chaco region is a New Mexico treasure. Many Tribes in New Mexico
can trace their ancestry and culture to Chaco, and consider these sites sacred.
But even as archeologists are making exciting new discoveries about this region
– and even as Tribes and the American public speak out in overwhelming support
of protecting this precious landscape – Chaco is being threatened by expanding
energy development, including recently proposed leasing inside this
long-standing buffer zone. I am proud of my work with New Mexico’s Pueblos and
the Navajo Nation to craft this bill to provide a fundamental baseline of
protection for this sacred, archaeological wonder. This legislation honors New
Mexico’s history and culture, recognizing that some places are just too special
to lose,” said Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
“The Chaco region holds deep meaning to New Mexico's Pueblos, whose history and
traditional knowledge live on in its thousands of ancestral sites, and to the
Navajo Nation, whose lands and communities surround Chaco Culture National
Historical Park. I’m proud to introduce legislation to protect the landscape
nearest to the existing Park from federal mineral development. While we plan
for any future energy development in the San Juan Basin, protecting these sites
is something we should all be able to agree on. This is about listening to
tribal leaders and all of the New Mexicans who are calling on us to preserve
the integrity of Chaco’s irreplaceable resources. I will keep doing all I can
to defend important cultural and religious sites and the sacred landscape of
the greater Chaco region for future generations,” said Heinrich.
“This effort will preserve the greater Chaco region for generations to come.
Chaco Canyon is sacred land that has been home to some of the most resilient
communities in history, and it is our responsibility to protect against efforts
that would destroy the legacy of the Chacoan people and other indigenous
communities or harm these beautiful public lands. We must do everything
possible to defend the greater Chaco area by halting future oil and gas
development in the area, and I’m proud to support legislation that will further
address the environmental, health, economic, and cultural needs of this
region,” said Luján, U.S. House Assistant Speaker.
“It’s important that we protect Chaco Canyon, both because it is a sacred place
that should be valued the same way we value other sacred places, but also
because public lands must be protected. However, time and again this special
place has been put up to be exploited by big oil companies. By introducing
these protections we’re going beyond protecting a beautiful piece of New
Mexico, we’re recognizing the significance Chaco holds for the Native American
community and to all New Mexicans. By keeping Chaco from being destroyed by the
fossil fuel industry, future generations will have access to this special
place,”said Haaland, the Chair of the House Subcommittee on National Parks,
Forests and Public Lands.
Udall, Heinrich, Luján, and Haaland held a press conference call today with
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, All Pueblo Council of Governors Vice
ChairmanJ. Michael Chavarria and New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands
Stephanie Garcia Richard to announce the introduction of the bill.Audio of the
call can be found HERE.
The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act would withdraw minerals owned
by the U.S. government from future leasing and development that are located
within the Proposed Chaco Protection Zone – which surrounds the Chaco Culture
National Historical Park – protecting the remaining Chaco ruins and landscape
nearest the park. The bill withdraws 316,076 acres of minerals from the 909,000
acres of the Proposed Chaco Protection Zone of oil, natural gas, coal, gold,
silver and other minerals owned by the federal government. This zone represents
a roughly 10-mile radius around the park in which BLM had forgone mineral
leasing for a number of years during the Obama Administration, but has proposed
new leasing during the Trump Administration, making this legislation urgently
needed. In respecting Tribal self-determination, only minerals owned by the
federal government are subject to withdrawal - excluding minerals in the area
that are owned by private, state, and Tribal entities.
The full text of the bill can be found HERE. More information on the bill can
be found HERE. A map of the proposed Chaco Protection Zone can be found HERE.
The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act is supported by Navajo Nation,
All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG), New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, Sierra
Club, the Wilderness Society, and Southwest Native Cultures. A list of
organizations and individuals offering support for thelegislation is available
HERE.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said, "As Native Americans, we are
connected to the land and it is important to preserve sacred places. This is
not only a Navajo teaching but an acknowledgment of a way of life for all
indigenous peoples. The Nez-Lizer Administration stands firmly with the All
Pueblo Council of Governors in protecting Chaco Canyon. We thank Senator Udall
for continuing to be a champion for Indian Country through his sponsorship of
the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act.”
All Pueblo Council of Governors Chairman E. Paul Torres said, “Thank you
Senator Udall and Senator Heinrich, for your leadership, and your unceasing
commitment to support the efforts of our tribal nations in the preservation of
the Greater Chaco Region. This land is a part of our histories as tribal
nations, and holds life-affirming resources that many of our Pueblos still
remember and use, as a vital part of our present identity through story, song,
prayer, and pilgrimage. This landscape is a part of our past, present, and our
future. Once these areas are developed, they are gone forever. We hope the
reintroduction of this bill sends a strong message to Washington - that it must
be understood that we will do all we can to take these resources our Creator
gifted us and hand them to our children and our generations to come. We thank
you Senators, the Navajo Nation, and the New Mexico State Land Office for our
unified support in this movement to protect Greater Chaco.”
New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard said, “I am
excited to join with Senator Tom Udall in ensuring state trust land included in
the boundaries are off-limits to future oil and gas exploration. Protection of
the Greater Chaco Heritage Area is critical and an important first step in
respecting our tribes’ and state’s rich, cultural history.”
Mark Allison, Executive Director, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, said: “Many
Chacoan sites exist outside the Park's official boundaries, so lease sales by
BLM in the surrounding area almost always mean the loss of artifacts, history,
and sacred sites as well as wildlands, habitat and dark skies. This bill
represents a major step forward toward permanently protecting the area’s rich
cultural heritage, world-class archaeological resources and sensitive natural
landscape. We are proud to stand in solidarity with the All Pueblo Council of
Governors and the Navajo Nation supporting this legislation. New Mexico’s
entire federal delegation acting in concert sends an unmistakable message that
this serious threat requires a serious response.”
Camilla Feibelman, Director of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter said: "We
must protect sacred sites, communities and cultures, and our wild and special
places, which is why the Greater Chaco region must be protected from expanded
fracking. We applaud Senators Udall and Heinrich and Representatives Luján and
Haaland for their efforts to ensure that the Greater Chaco region and the
people who live there are safeguarded from the Trump administration's attempts
to sell it off to the fossil fuel industry."
###
Contacts: Ned Adriance (Udall) 202.228.6870 / Whitney Potter(Heinrich)
202.228.1578 / Lauren French (Luján) 202.225.6190 / Felicia Salazar (Haaland)
202.981.1594
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- » [rtt-abq] Fw: Udall, Heinrich, Luján, Haaland Introduce Legislation to Protect Chaco Canyon Area - Cheryl Passalaqua
