This claim is true. Under the Trump administration, the Bureau of Land Management plans to conduct an environmental assessment while it considers revoking a 20-year ban on oil and gas development on the land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
The original ban, titled Public Land Order No. 7923 and implemented by the Biden Administration in 2023, prohibits mining development within 10 miles of Chaco Historical Park. This amounts to roughly 336,404 acres of public lands falling under the order’s protection. Some Native tribes in the region celebrated the ban, while others advocated for a smaller buffer zone to “preserve the oil and gas royalties and other revenues that some families depend on” (Associated Press).
A letter from the Bureau of Land Management sent in late October 2025 to Native American tribes indicates a consideration of three options: leave the protections in place, fully revoke the protections, or reduce the buffer zone around the park (US News and World Report). In response, the New Mexico delegation has formally urged the Trump Administration to reverse course on its threat to repeal the mining protections (Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources).
This information is reported by the Associated Press, which is considered a highly reputable news source. The story is corroborated by the Albuquerque Journal, a local news outlet in New Mexico, as well as U.S. News and World Report, which is considered a reliable source. The letter written by the New Mexico delegation in response to the Trump administration’s threat comes directly from an official U.S. Senate committee website. There is no evidence that undermines this claim.
