Sponsors (3)
The bill prioritizes protecting Chaco's cultural landscapes, tribal rights, and local air and visitor resources by restricting new energy and mining development, at the cost of lost energy-related revenue and jobs and increased administrative burdens for federal agencies.
Tribal nations, Pueblo communities, nearby residents, and visitors to the Greater Chaco region will be better protected from new oil, gas, and mining development, preserving cultural sites, dark skies, air quality, and the visitor experience.
Tribes and Pueblos gain stronger recognition and consultation rights and protections (including exclusion of statutory trust land and retention of tribal mineral rights), supporting tribal sovereignty and protecting veterans' trust interests.
The bill clarifies which existing and future federal leases are subject to the withdrawal, reducing legal ambiguity for the Department of the Interior and BLM decisions.
Owners of leases, energy companies, local governments, workers, and taxpayers may lose development opportunities, experience terminated nonproducing leases, face job losses, and see reduced federal and local revenues and royalties from energy development.
DOI and BLM will incur increased administrative workload and costs to apply maps, update definitions, manage conveyances and consultations, and monitor the withdrawal — potentially delaying other casework and imposing costs on taxpayers and agencies.
Restrictions on public land and mining law access could limit recreational and multiple-use activities in the withdrawal area, depending on how 'valid existing rights' are interpreted.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Withdraws defined federal lands around Chaco from new mining, geothermal, and oil and gas leasing and terminates certain nonproducing federal oil and gas leases, subject to valid existing rights.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Teresa Leger Fernandez · Last progress April 10, 2025
Withdraws federal lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park from new mining, geothermal, and oil and gas leasing and from many public‑land disposals, while preserving valid existing rights and tribal trust/allotment mineral rights. Nonproducing federal oil and gas leases in the withdrawal area terminate and may not be extended; the withdrawal map is defined and available at BLM offices and certain transfers to tribes remain allowed.