Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Sierra Club welcomed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's Friday announcement of new actions to protect the Greater Chaco region and said it should be part of a new focus on prioritizing conservation on federal public lands. Haaland unveiled a new order withdrawing public lands within a 10-mile radius of Chaco Culture National Historical Park for a period of 20 years.
This significant move comes after decades of work by Tribes, local communities, and local leaders to protect the site, which has irreplaceable archaeological resources and is culturally important to Indigenous peoples in the region.
The announcement joins a list of major conservation actions taken by the Biden Administration in recent months. In March and April, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service embarked on rulemakings that could result in major improvements in U.S. conservation policy, and in May, the Department of the Interior announced $161 million worth of investments for ecosystem restoration on public lands.
In response, Lands Protection Program director Athan Manuel released the following statement:
"This is a fragile, sacred, and precious landscape. By withdrawing these public lands from leasing, the Bureau of Land Management has ensured this site will last for the next generation.
"This is a victory for the Greater Chaco region, and it’s the kind of action we need more of from a BLM that considers conservation a core part of its mission.
"We'll continue to advocate for broader landscape protections."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.