HR2861-119

What This Bill Does

The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act creates a mineral and land-law withdrawal for federal land in the Chaco Cultural Heritage Withdrawal Area in New Mexico. The withdrawal covers entry, appropriation, and disposal under public land laws; mining-law location, entry, and patent; and operation of mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. Covered oil and gas leases that have not produced in paying quantities, have no qualifying drilling operations, and are not under a certified cooperative or unit plan terminate by operation of law and cannot be extended. The bill directs BLM to make the withdrawal map available, permits conveyance or exchange with Indian Tribes under approved resource management plans, preserves tribal and Navajo allotment mineral rights, and allows water, power, utility, or road improvements for nearby communities.

Who Benefits and How

Pueblo Indian Tribes benefit because federal mineral withdrawal protects cultural, sacred, and archeological resources in the Greater Chaco region. The Navajo Nation benefits because the bill preserves tribal mineral rights while limiting new federal mineral leasing near Chaco. Chaco Culture National Historical Park benefits because surrounding land receives stronger protection from mineral development and associated light, road, and visitor impacts. Archeological and historic preservation organizations benefit because the withdrawal protects roads, communities, shrines, and dark-sky values tied to Chacoan history.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Oil and gas lessees holding covered nonproducing leases lose extensions and face automatic lease termination. Mining companies lose access to location, entry, patent, and mineral materials opportunities on covered federal land. The Bureau of Land Management must administer the withdrawal, maintain the map, and process tribal conveyance or exchange requests. Geothermal developers lose leasing opportunities within the Chaco Cultural Heritage Withdrawal Area.

Key Provisions

• Withdraws covered federal land from public-land entry, appropriation, and disposal.
• Prohibits mining-law location, entry, patent, mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing on covered land.
• Requires covered nonproducing oil and gas leases to terminate automatically and bars extension.
• Protects Indian Tribe and Navajo Nation mineral rights on trust and allotment land.
• Provides exceptions for tribal conveyance or exchange and for water, power, utility, or road improvements.