Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025

This law withdraws specified federal lands in the Greater Chaco region of New Mexico from new mining claims, new leasing, and most disposal actions to protect archaeological, cultural, and natural resources. It uses a Bureau of Land Management withdrawal map (dated January 6, 2022) to define the protected area, allows limited transfers to Indian Tribes and certain community improvements, and sets rules for terminating some non‑producing oil and gas leases while preserving tribal mineral rights and necessary community rights‑of‑way.

The act also records findings about Chaco’s cultural importance, the presence of many related cultural sites around the park, tribal connections to the landscape, and risks posed by energy development; it references tribal consultation standards and calls for additional study and protective measures for local tribal communities. The Withdrawal Map must be available at BLM offices for public inspection.