Protect Greater Chaco Landscape-Fracking Moratorium
Secretary Bernhardt
We're gaining momentum in the fight to permanently protect the Greater Chaco region from fracking, but we need your help to truly protect this sacred landscape.
Support for protecting the Greater Chaco region is higher than ever!
In April, the entire New Mexico U.S. Congressional delegation introduced a bill that takes a huge step forward in safeguarding the landscape from unchecked oil and gas development. Shortly after, New Mexico’s Land Commissioner, Stephanie Garcia Richard, issued a 4-year moratorium on leasing state lands for fracking in the region.
Then in May, a landmark federal appeals-court ruling called into question the legality of all federal fracking approvals in Greater Chaco.
Now, we’re calling on the Interior Department to impose a moratorium on fracking in the region and protect communities, culture, and climate.
The Navajo Nation and Pueblos have led the call for a moratorium on fracking in Greater Chaco until the Bureau of Land Management completes its updates to its outdated management plans. The Pueblo and Navajo peoples are deeply connected to the landscape, which is the home of their ancestors. Today, the Diné, or Navajo, call the region home and their communities are increasingly impacted by oil and gas.
We have to turn the tide on fracking. More than ever, the cultural integrity of the landscape is at risk. Sign the petition for #NoNewLeases and #FrackOffChaco
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To:
Secretary Bernhardt
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[Your Name]
Dear Secretary Bernhardt:
I urge you to protect the Greater Chaco region which extends far beyond the proposed 10-mile buffer around Chaco Culture National HIstorical Park, and immediately impose a moratorium on fracking to preserve the health of communities and safeguard the integrity of the Greater Chaco landscape.
In the wake of the federal appeals court’s ruling, it’s clear there’s no legal basis for leasing lands for oil and gas extraction or allowing drilling in the Greater Chaco region. Furthermore, with proposed federal legislation introduced that would protect some of this landscape, it’s clear there is overwhelming political support to stop authorizing more fracking.
In spite of this, the Interior Department continues to rubberstamp the oil and gas industry’s demands, without adequate public notice or engagement and a chronic lack of response to public protests. Every three months, the Bureau of Land Management continues to sacrifice thousands of acres in the Greater Chaco landscape for fracking. In June of 2019 alone, more than 35,000 acres of the Greater Chaco region are slated for sale.
This has to stop. While a one year moratorium on leasing within 10-miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a step in the right direction, the entire Chaco landscape and the health of living communities must also be protected. I call on you to immediately halt leasing, drilling, and fracking in this culturally significant landscape.
Greater Chaco is a national treasure. Its significance to the Pueblo and Navajo peoples is undisputed. It’s time to put Chaco first and call a timeout on fracking.