Stories about New Mexico
BLM Opens Comment Period on Proposed Revocation of Chaco Land Withdrawal
The Bureau of Land Management has released a draft Environmental Assessment on revoking a 10-mile minerals leasing withdrawal around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Archaeology Southwest argues that the assessment does not adequately address potential impacts to cultural sites or incorporate Indigenous traditional knowledge.
Monument Protections Cut as Chaco Buffer Faces Proposed Revocation
Archaeology Southwest reports that executive orders reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments by nearly 3 million acres, while the Bureau of Land Management seeks to revoke a 20-year protection order covering federal lands around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Tribal governments and preservation groups are opposing both actions.
Proposed Section 106 Changes Would Narrow Cultural-Resource Review
A draft revision to the federal regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act could shorten review periods, remove consideration of indirect and cumulative effects, and reduce protections for traditional cultural places. Archaeology Southwest says the changes come as a separate Bureau of Land Management proposal threatens protections near Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Proposed Section 106 Changes Draw Opposition From Archaeologists and Tribes
A draft overhaul of the regulations governing Section 106 review has prompted criticism from preservation groups, archaeologists, architects and Tribal Nations. Opponents say the proposal could reduce consultation, narrow which projects undergo review and limit consideration of effects on historic properties.
Archaeology Southwest Highlights Threats to Section 106 and Southwest Heritage
A roundup from Archaeology Southwest points to proposed changes to Section 106, border-barrier construction concerns in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands and Big Bend National Park, and potential development near several protected cultural landscapes.