Oil and Gas Development Near Chaco Culture

The growing demand for oil and gas development in the northwestern corner of the state will impact the resources of Chaco – including the quality of the night skies.

Flaring of natural gas and an increase in intensive artificial lighting from construction activities, vehicle traffic, and operation of support facilities can all affect the quality of the night skies both at the park’s higher elevations and inside the canyon. NPCA and our partners are currently working with the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to plan for new oil and gas development in the Chaco region with the goal of protecting not only the incredible cultural and natural resources, but the incredible night skies that the people of Chaco gazed upon and valued a thousand years ago.