Trump's BLM Wants to Strip Chaco Protections—Comment by April 7
The BLM wants to open Greater Chaco to drilling. Public comments close April 7. Here's what to say and why it matters.
This shit is getting so tiresome. This isn't a gear post. It's a deadline.
The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to strip federal protections from the Greater Chaco region in New Mexico—either completely or by cutting the 10-mile buffer zone down to 5 miles. Either option opens one of the most culturally significant landscapes in North America to new oil and gas drilling. The comment period closes April 7. That's it.
Here's what matters: scientists have identified 4,200 culturally significant sites in the area, and they've only surveyed 15–20% of it. Indigenous communities near existing wells already deal with documented health impacts from industrial development. The 10-mile buffer was established in 2023 after decades of Tribal advocacy. It wasn't arbitrary—it was the minimum distance needed to protect what's there and what hasn't been found yet.
The catch: public comments actually work when there's volume. BLM has to read and respond to substantive input. You don't need to be an archaeologist or a policy expert. Keep it short. Say you oppose revoking or reducing the buffer. Mention the 4,200 sites, the incomplete survey data, or the health impacts if you want specifics. If you've been to Chaco, describe what drilling rigs on the horizon would have done to that experience. Personal beats formal.
NM Wild has a form that takes two minutes: nmwild.org/chaco-comment. You can customize the message or send it as-is. I can't verify how much weight individual comments carry in this administration, but silence guarantees the outcome. April 7.
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