- State: NM
- NPCA Region: Southwest
- Est. Date: 1907
Air Quality Conditions
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Unsatisfactory
Health
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Nature
Unsatisfactory
Climate Change Threats
Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves five Chacoan "great houses" where people from various clans congregated to trade goods, share ideas and celebrate events a thousand years ago. The structures demonstrate the high skill of the Chacoan people, with sophisticated architecture and construction methods. Explore the nine-mile park road and backcountry trails by day; after dark, the park's night sky program offers the chance to view the stars from this sacred and special place.
Preserve Protections at Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Urge the Department of the Interior to keep the 10‑mile protection zone around Chaco in place. Submitting a public comment is a critical way to stand with Tribes and communities calling for the protection of this sacred landscape.
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Blog Post
Why Chaco Culture’s Buffer Matters
Years of work to defend this historic site and its views are at risk if the administration removes a 10-mile barrier between the park site and oil and gas drilling.…
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Magazine Article
Battlefields & Beyond
NPCA staff members recommend visiting these eight national park sites to help understand the genesis of the United States.
More about Chaco Culture
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Read more about A Thousand Years of History Threatened at Chaco Culture National Historical Park
NPCA at Work A Thousand Years of History Threatened at Chaco Culture National Historical Park Chaco Culture National Historical Park protects one of the most extraordinary cultural landscapes in the National Park System, including dwellings and kivas built over a thousand years ago. Now, the Department of the Interior is threatening to open nearby protected public lands for oil and gas development, even as widespread drilling has already scarred the landscape. New drilling would damage sacred sites, worsen air pollution and threaten the park’s world-renowned dark skies.
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Read more about Parks After Dark
Magazine Article Parks After Dark National parks are offering a growing number of nighttime programs for visitors looking for novel experiences or those eager to avoid daytime crowds and rising temperatures.
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Read more about See a Sky Full of Stars at These Certified Dark-Sky Parks
Blog Post See a Sky Full of Stars at These Certified Dark-Sky Parks Lay out a blanket after the sun goes down and see a clearer view of the galaxy at these designated dark-sky parks.
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Read more about Defending Chaco: New Mexico Conservation Groups Praise State's Decision to Extend Moratorium on Oil and Gas Leasing
Press Release Defending Chaco: New Mexico Conservation Groups Praise State's Decision to Extend Moratorium on Oil and Gas Leasing Nearly 70,000 acres of state land surrounding Chaco Canyon will be protected from oil and gas leasing for the next 20 years.
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I believe that nature walks and day hikes are the key to improving America's health and well-being. Our National Parks are so vital to this mission, and must be preserved and maintained in order for our country to prosper and live in harmony. — Jack
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Read more about Victory: Biden Administration Protects Chaco Canyon Cultural Landscape
Press Release Victory: Biden Administration Protects Chaco Canyon Cultural Landscape "We are grateful for today’s action, which is the latest move by the Biden administration that prioritizes preserving, instead of industrializing, Indigenous lands," -- NPCA CEO Theresa Pierno
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Read more about Parks Group Welcomes Legislation To Permanently Protect Greater Chaco From Oil And Gas Leasing
Press Release Parks Group Welcomes Legislation To Permanently Protect Greater Chaco From Oil And Gas Leasing Bill reintroduced into Congress today would prevent new oil and gas leasing on federal land within 10-miles of Chaco Culture National Historic Park
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Read more about Finders Weepers
Magazine Article Finders Weepers Every year, national parks receive dozens of rocks and artifacts returned by remorseful visitors. What are parks to do with the stuff?
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Read more about Biden administration announces new protections for sacred Chaco Canyon landscape
Press Release Biden administration announces new protections for sacred Chaco Canyon landscape New protections will prohibit new oil and gas drilling within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park
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Read more about Chaco Canyon: A journey through land and time
Video Chaco Canyon: A journey through land and time Explore and learn about Chaco Culture National Historical Park, its uniqueness and formation, and the ways we can work to protect it.
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Read more about Administration announces public comment extension for oil and gas drilling plan near Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Press Release Administration announces public comment extension for oil and gas drilling plan near Chaco Culture National Historical Park After extensive outcry, Bureau of Land Management acknowledges that plans to open up public land near Chaco for oil and gas drilling cannot continue as normal during a pandemic
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Read more about The 12 Parks Most Threatened by Oil & Gas Drilling
Blog Post The 12 Parks Most Threatened by Oil & Gas Drilling Oil and gas development threatens the future of national parks. NPCA's new report, “Spoiled Parks,” highlights what we stand to lose in the face of the current administration's energy policies.
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Read more about House Advances Legislation to Protect Grand Canyon and Greater Chaco Area from Reckless Energy Development
Press Release House Advances Legislation to Protect Grand Canyon and Greater Chaco Area from Reckless Energy Development NPCA and tribal communities celebrate key win in ongoing fight to protect water, wildlife and sacred lands
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Read more about Oil, Gas Leasing Threatens 7 Western National Parks
Report Oil, Gas Leasing Threatens 7 Western National Parks New report details dangers of development near park lands
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Read more about Planning 2.0 Protects Park Landscapes
Fact Sheet Planning 2.0 Protects Park Landscapes The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is tasked with managing millions of acres of public lands in the West. In order to ensure they are exercising good stewardship and balancing their dual mandate for managing public lands, each BLM Field Office is required by law to complete a Resource Management Plan (RMP).
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Read more about Oil and Gas Development Near Chaco Culture
Fact Sheet Oil and Gas Development Near Chaco Culture Ensure oil and gas development is compatible with conservation of Chaco Culture National Historical Park
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