HR 2861119th CongressIntroduced

Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025

Introduced: Oct 29, 2025

Civil Rights & JusticeEnvironment & ClimateInfrastructure

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This legislation withdraws federal lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico from mineral leasing and development to protect significant cultural, historical, and sacred resources of Native American tribes while terminating non-producing oil and gas leases and preserving the area's International Dark Sky Park status through permanent land protection measures.

Key Points

1The bill permanently withdraws federal lands within the Greater Chaco region from oil and gas leasing, mining, and mineral development to safeguard archeological sites and tribal sacred landscapes.
2Non-producing oil and gas leases within the protected area are automatically terminated by law with no extensions permitted for future extraction activities.
3The legislation recognizes cultural affiliation of Pueblo, Navajo, and Hopi tribes with Chacoan heritage and mandates protection of ceremonial landscapes and dark sky resources.

Impact Areas

Native American tribes with cultural ties to the Chaco region including Pueblo, Navajo, and Hopi communitiesOil and gas companies holding non-producing leases in the designated withdrawal areaChaco Culture National Historical Park and surrounding cultural resourcesLocal communities affected by past and potential future energy development impacts

Generated by legislative-analyst-v3 on Nov 10, 2025