U.S. moves ahead with oil leases near sacred park
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. land managers will move forward in March with the sale of oil and gas leases that include land near Chaco Culture National Historical Park and other sites sacred to Native American tribes.
The sale comes as Democratic members of Congress, tribal leaders and environmentalists have criticized the federal Bureau of Land Management for pushing ahead with drilling permit reviews and preparations for energy leases despite the recent government shutdown.
With limited staff on duty over the last month, the critics complained that they were locked out of the process because the agency didn't release any information about the sale. They also questioned whether the agency would be able to adequately review the land that's up for bid and whether it would consider protests to the move.
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall told The Associated Press in an email that he's concerned about the latest attempt to lease potentially culturally significant land in New Mexico without a more comprehensive plan in place.
"It's a mistake that while critical public services were shuttered for 35 days during the government shutdown, BLM still moved forward with this opaque process," the New Mexico Democrat said.
Agency spokeswoman Cathy Garber said officials decided to push back the lease sale by a couple of weeks to accommodate a public protest period that was delayed because of the shutdown. The agency quietly confirmed on its website that it would accept comments starting Feb. 11 and that the sale was scheduled for March 28.
Depending on the outcome of the protest period, it's possible for the agency to withdraw the land in question, including nine parcels near Chaco, a world heritage site with massive stone structures, kivas and other features that archaeologists believe offered a religious or ritualistic experience.
Petroglyphs made by Ancient Puebloan People on rocks in the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico. Mladen Antonov / AFP/Getty Images file
In all, more than 50 parcels in New Mexico and Oklahoma will be up for bid.
"We cannot help but protest what appears to be an intentional bias in the favoring of oil and gas development over other interests," former Acoma Pueblo Gov. Kurt Riley said last week during a congressional forum.
Riley and others said the shutdown exacerbated an already tense situation over the expansion of oil and gas development in northwestern New Mexico.
In recent years, land managers have declined oil and gas exploration on land within 10 miles of the park, creating somewhat of an informal buffer. In early 2018, then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke halted a lease sale over cultural concerns after hundreds of people protested.
The battle over energy development around Chaco has been simmering for years. In 2015, government officials visited the region in hopes of brokering a way forward for the tribes and energy companies.
The Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs began working together on revamping the resource management plan for the San Juan Basin, which covers a larger portion of northwestern New Mexico and parts of southern Colorado.
The partnership was meant to ensure tribes would be consulted and that scientific and archaeological analysis would be done to guarantee cultural sensitivity.
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Disrespecting the indigenous past for oil?
Nothing new, happens all the time...They'll start digging in Apache Leap for copper and it isn't even an American company. There are numerous examples of this across the country and there will continue to be more and more...
I recommend arrows. Lots of them.
No. Using our natural resources outside of the conveniently sacred park.
It is not a conveniently sacred park. It has been established as a scared land, with irreplaceable artifacts and now that is being threatened.
But it’s NOT on the land. Nor does it say how far away it is. “Near” is a very subjective description
is it the normal 10 miles or ???
I would say 10 miles is the min. Would you like to go to your church and pass what is posted at here @ 6
I don’t understand why you think that would be important to them
i recently became pastor of a cowboy church in Arizona (with a few non cowboys included in the membership).
I don’t know what you think they would find vital to them
and BTW, we don’t own any land. We rent a conference center at a large hotel
You are being too literal.
It is and has been 10 miles.
Then what was your point asking if I would share those photos with my church?
Why? What's special about 10 miles?
line of sight?
I suppose it's as good a conjecture as any. Do you know something concrete or is that just a reasonable guess?
As I posted down below, would you want an Oil rig near the Washington monument?
Oil derricks in the fields of Gettysburg?
Washington's Crossing?
I think not, but those are the sacred grounds of our culture. I think there is definitely a double standard.
Do I care if the oil pump is 6 miles from the Washington Monument instead of 10? No. Not particularly.
Are they actually allowing drilling on these sites or just a little closer than they have in the past?
My understanding is that all previous admins kept a 10 mile buffer around National Parks.
They are of course a source of some revenue and would benefit from a lack of industrialization............
Now it seems, that the leases are being offered right up to the n boundaries, trusting that no one will drill horizontally on "our" public property.
Seems a little too trusting to me.
FORE !
Trumpp, it's just anutter drip,
in a prostituted article, all part
ta sipple late tits', doing the breast,
the breast any kitchen
could bever mikm out of
Did anyone notice this part of the article ?
"U.S. land managers will move forward in March with the sale of oil and gas leases that include land "near" Chaco Culture National Historical Park and other sites sacred to Native American tribes, !
Does this "Oil Lease" thingy INCLUDE "Land In" Chaco Culture National Historical Park and other sites sacred to Native American tribes ?
I didn't know that "Near" was a problem now. Is there a "Setback" requirement thing we don't know about ?
Just wondering !
Overpopulation will put pressure on sacred sites
Indeedy. It is also doing it to our national park system.
The National Park System has been controversial since it started. It's a shame that so many people don't give a crap about preserving the natural beauty of our country before it's too late. And the residents of the land are going to deal with yet more pollution ... in July, some fracking storage tanks exploded on the Navaho Nation and burned for 5 days. The earthquakes that fracking causes, the pollution of the people's water wells ... fracking sucks.
As for the drilling and fracking, it's our land, so why are oil companies allowed to get rich from it? I'd be interested in knowing how much they're paying for the leases, and how rich Zinke and his cronies are getting from it.
It amazes me that people cheer this on even though they will never see a dime of it.
Only be left with the aftermath.
It's very sad.
First of all, your "study" comes from the oil industry. Do you also believe the tobacco industry that cigarettes don't cause cancer?
Here is one from the EPA:
EPA found scientific evidence that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources under some circumstances. The report identifies certain conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe:
Data gaps and uncertainties limited EPA’s ability to fully assess the potential impacts on drinking water resources locally and nationally. Because of these data gaps and uncertainties, it was not possible to fully characterize the severity of impacts, nor was it possible to calculate or estimate the national frequency of impacts on drinking water resources from activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle.
EPA’s report advances the scientific understanding of hydraulic fracturing’s impact on drinking water resources, and can inform decisions by federal, state, tribal, and local officials; industry; and communities to protect drinking water resources now and in the future.
perhaps no one would object to putting one of these up alongside the Washington Monument?
Or draining the Constitution Gardens for this?
and of course this could never happen in America drenching hundreds of square miles with soot and poisonous fumes.
Thank goodness that in Maryland, they banned fracking.
Based on the information provided in the article, no tribal "lands" will be impacted. Definition of tribal "lands" are lands granted per treaty rights or set aside for tribal usage by Congress/BIA.
But, nothing has been said regarding the tribal "Aboriginal" land rights, i.e. meaning lands that the tribes/nations have established aboriginal title by actual, continuous, and exclusive use and occupancy for a "long time." Unless Congress has abrogated aboriginal title, the tribes can still file suit for violation of usage.
The Chaco Canyon Heritage Site has gone through extensive Cultural/Natural evaluations.
The property is comprised of the acreage to which the federal government had surface title in 1987 located within seven components: Chaco Canyon, formerly a National Monument (1907) and now Chaco Culture National Historical Park (1980); Aztec Ruins, a National Monument (1923, expanded in 1928, 1930, 1948, 1988); and five Chaco Culture Archaeological Protection Sites (1980). The inclusion of Chaco Canyon and Aztec Ruins in the National Park system gives them the highest possible level of protection, and assures them a high standard of interpretation and public access. The legislation designating these components requires that the preservation of cultural resources be given high priority. Each Park unit has a General Management Plan and other related documents that address resource and land management and visitor use. The National Park Service’s general policies in these areas supplement the site-specific plans. The five Chaco Culture Archaeological Protection Sites are owned and managed for conservation by the Bureau of Land Management, a sister agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior. The property is subject to a suite of federal laws protecting archaeological properties. An Interagency Management Group established by federal law represents all federal, state, tribal, and local governments managing the property’s components. This group assures consistent and coordinated management through review of management decisions, sharing of technical expertise, and assistance with necessary legislation.
A long-term goal for the property is to ensure that interventions that may occur within or adjacent to the property – including development, energy exploration, extraction, and transportation projects – Do Not have a negative impact on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value, authenticity and integrity.
Granted, some folks will probably say that the Feds have completed their NEPA evaluations, up to and including an Environmental Impact Statement (required by the law), which is why BLM is allowing the Comment Period to run until the latter part of February. If they have, then you can betchur Bippy some really strong arguments from the Pueblos, NCAI, NARF, and other Native American resources are gonna weigh real heavy in the decision making.
What some refuse to realize is the drill doesn't just impact the small area it sits on.
They can set up a drill site next to indigenous lands and turn the drills under their lands.
Not true - the tribes have "ownership" from the middle of the earth to the back of the universe - and there have been a couple of suits where SCOTUS agreed.
Absolutely correct!
Part of the standard package of "rights" that land ownership actually is..... doesn't matter who's land it is.....
Everyone who own the rights to a parcel of land controls every aspect of title from the center of the earth to the far reaches of space above. Unless there is an established easement as there is for the airspace above a parcel. OR, a specific right is negotiated or sold off the land like mineral rights or water rights.... Then the lease holder who purchased them holds those specific rights.......
Reservation land always has the rights to the minerals on and under it unless the specific treaty establishing the reservation removed them......
Published February 1, 2019
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Less than three business days after the end of the partial government shutdown, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced plans to sell more than 217,000 acres of oil and gas leases on federal public lands throughout Utah during its upcoming March 2019 lease sale. The BLM plans to auction off 156 oil and gas lease parcels, including parcels in Utah’s culturally significant Four Corners region near Bears Ears, Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients National Monuments, as well as the wild and remote Book Cliffs.
Utah BLM staff worked during the federal government shutdown to prepare for this lease sale. Taken together, the parcels cut a wide swath through Utah’s cultural, hunting, and wilderness legacy.
Throughout the course of three lease sales conducted over the past 12 months, the Trump administration’s BLM has systematically leased more than 112,000 acres in southeast Utah’s Four Corners Region, blanketing one of the densest accumulations of cultural resources in the country with oil and gas leases and setting the stage for the area to be drilled and developed. A map illustrating the BLM’s all-out assault on this fragile region is here .
"The BLM is placing the final pieces to complete its puzzle of oil and gas leases near Bears Ears, Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients national monuments," said Landon Newell, staff attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance . “The BLM has done so without considering the big-picture impacts to these national monuments and surrounding landscapes, including impacts to dark night skies, air quality, and the region's rich cultural heritage."
The National Park Service, the BLM’s sister agency in the Interior Department, has written the BLM on two occasions – before the March 2018 and now the March 2019 lease sale – urging the BLM to not lease parcels on the doorstep of Hovenweep National Monument. The BLM has not deferred any parcels in response to these concerns.
In response to the BLM’s notice of the March 2019 sale, the All Pueblo Council of Governors and Pueblo of Acoma have demanded that the BLM defer selling leases in the area until the agency conducts a thorough cultural resources review of the region. The Hopi Tribe has previously written the BLM demanding the same review. The BLM has not deferred any parcels in response to these concerns, either.
"The Trump administration is following a well-worn path of ‘leasing first, and thinking later,’ the same approach taken by the George W. Bush administration’s 'drill here, drill now’ policies," said Stephen Bloch, legal director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance . "This approach has riddled Utah’s wild and culturally significant public lands with leases, which should come as no surprise given that it’s the same Bush political appointee – David Bernhardt – now steering the Trump Interior Department."
In addition to the sell-off of wilderness-caliber and culturally rich lands, the BLM plans to lease nearly 100 parcels in eastern Utah’s Uinta Basin and Book Cliffs region, which the Environmental Protection Agency recently designated in "nonattainment" of national air quality standards for ozone. The Uinta Basin suffers from some of the worst air quality in the nation, largely due to the BLM’s ineffective and lax management of oil and gas leasing and development. Rather than take steps to bring the Uinta Basin into compliance with air quality standards, the BLM is rushing forward faster than ever to sell off public lands in the Basin for exploration and development. The Book Cliffs are a wild and remote region prized by hunters and guides for trophy big game.
"With BLM staff already stretched thin, it’s hard to believe that the six days the government was open since comments were submitted on this lease sale could be sufficient to address the many risks to wildlife, wilderness and archaeological resources on 217,000 acres of public lands," said Nada Culver, Director of The Wilderness Society’s BLM Action Center . "And the fact that all of these parcels are still in the sale raises some red flags.”
"How many times can we say this? This is another egregious example of short term profit margins being put ahead of invaluable cultural and archeological resources - with areas near Bears Ears, Hovenweep, and Canyons of the Ancient national monuments being put back on the chopping block for the third time in a year,” said Utah Sierra Club Director Ashley Soltysiak . "Once lost, these incredible places are gone forever."
There is no need to sacrifice Utah’s remarkable wild places for oil and gas leasing and development. Utah, like most western states, has a surplus of BLM-managed lands that are under lease but not in development,with only forty-five percent of its total leased land in development. There were approximately 2.5 million acres of federal public land in Utah leased for oil and gas development (see here and follow hyperlink for Table 2, Acreage in Effect) at the close of BLM’s 2017 fiscal year – the last year in which BLM has provided oil and gas statistics. At the same time, oil and gas companies had less than 1.2 million acres of those leased lands in production ( here – follow hyperlink for Table 6, Acreage of Producing Leases).
More information regarding BLM’s March 2019 lease sale is available here .
And the worst part is that this is for private industry that will make the money, while these national treasures are lost in the process. Amazing how things can get done in this government even during a shutdown when profit is to be had. I wonder who made these payoffs?
Private industry makes millions/billions and the public and tribes are left with the aftermath of the destruction that they caused.
For example the ''largest toxic spill'' in US history was on the Navajo reservation and was only a few months after Three Mile Island, yet most of America has no idea of this horrendous spill and these many decades later it is still a ''Super Fund'' site.
The deadly affects of uranium mining on the Navajo reservation are still felt today.
Some don't think of the whole impact that will be made. It is more than just a well or drilling site. There will be heavy equipment moving around, roads being built, transport trucks constantly moving, stations set up.
Not to mention the flaring and waste water, etc. All to benefit a select few while leaving destruction in its wake.
Nothing is being threatened. That land is free to be developed even if the neighbors object.
As stated in comment 8 above there is a procedure that must be followed.
Why bother? The opponents will reject the science like they always do...
This is not about science. This is about some corporation making money. This is a national treasure. In fact, the real science is still going on in these fields even now. There are findings there daily.
Oh please. What makes these areas outside the "sacred" areas a national treasure? Also, our nation benefits from the extraction not just EVIL corporations. Finally, such protests are anti science because they discount the EISs.
The major winners are the oil companies.
And there is nothing scientific about drilling and fracking.
Don't make this about anything else other than oil. I'm all for being self-sufficient but not at the cost of our national treasures. Once they are gone, they are gone.
I have to wonder what would happen and what the outcry would be if the government gave out oil leases in and around Jamestown and other landmark European settlements and Monuments? I feel quite sure that there would be a huge outcry and demand for the government to keep hands off. After all, those would be real American sacre treasures. Right?
Nah. We understand that you can't isolate all land that comes within miles of some historical novelty. Nice try with the false conjecture though.
Nah....but, nice try at trying to sound erudite about what is actually involved.
It's just another anti-science appeal to emotion from the left. I've seen it countless times in my career. It bores me now, [deleted]
Not true.
Just for your clarification it isn't some historical novelty. If you trying to insult that was a rather childish attempt by you.
i protestith too much about Budlites,
less filling is the vacancy between ears of
corny as tastes grate, ain't always tasty.
.
Did you ever consider THe GOP, Republicans, The Farr 'Right', n off course POTUS
are all apparently Budlites, as they attempt to wall of America, due to those advanced illegal immigrants and their technology, from taking America's jobs...
and giving them to Central and Southern Americas'
other Americans, in other words
Think U have a case of Luddites' no filling, less taste
to each their own unless you rent as it's the lease u could do
Since you think that it's a novelty I suppose that the Colosseum or other world heritage sites must be a historical novelty as well.
Here are a few photos of the area..
To you, clearly.
Pretty. And an oil well somewhere else will have no effect on it.
The Earth is riddled with archaeological remains. That's no reason to freeze civilization .
Yeah, it's a novelty. The planet is riddled with the remains of extinct civilizations.
[Deleted]
Ahhhh....but....you see, Native Americans are NOT extinct civilizations, although you may think so. We are alive and still a viable part of humanity, regardless of what some people might think of them.
Civilization isn't be frozen at all...Did you not read and comprehend that currently in Utah there are 2.5 million acres of federal public land with gas and oil leases on them. Of that 1.2 million acres are in production leaving 1.3 million acres that have yet to be explored and brought to production..
Doesn't look like civilization is frozen at all.
Lol... So the Roman Empire is not extinct because Italians still live?! How is the Aztec Empire doing? Are they in the UN?
Wow, the Zuni, Navajo, Pueblo and Hopi people will be really interested that they are extinct.
Good. Then we agree that natural resources may be exploited for the benefit of our nation.
That's Bad Ass stuff there
The natural resources in Utah are already being exploited without having to drill in this area...
Not in all cases. In too many cases today OUR natural resources are being exploited for the benefit of OTHER nations, with nothing but the damages left for OUR nation to deal with, and no monetary compensation form the other country with which to do so. Thus, it is OUR environments that are being damaged for only God knows how many millions of years, and OUR taxpayers who have to pay for the cleanup.
And yet the Italians respect the artifacts left by the Romans, as do the Greeks and even the Egyptians.
Only the Taliban blow up historical sites like the two great Buddhas.
Do our Islamic friends make sure to blow up area separate from archaeological sites? Or do they destroy known artifacts? That's a pretty big difference that invalidates your analogy.
Sorry but that's not true. Our nation profits from any extraction of our natural resources despite the false liberal talking points.
And now even more resources can benefit our nation. Huzzah!
i've never read that novel ty
The planet Will Be Far Better Off
when
WE R EXTINCT,
cause muther frackers like Trump N Cump, N those with blind 20/20 incite s of the guns, focused in upon their tiny little minds, make for an easy game, as they especially N joy those of faith, as it seems easier to prey on those that pray, N, i prey it never happens to me, U C, N my prayers have never been answered, so i never question, i just X claim my POINTS iN Every direction as once they hit, Physics demeands misdirection and deflection, as energy is a continuum, so i continum to store inertia, at my local Convenience store, for lnConvenience Sakes Alive,,, till dead on accurate
are my inaccuracies
but, i'm supposin u find that accurate never accu sed of rating
so i just B rate till i A rate, or is it erie, that i irritate ? ill let you rate or berate it
No it doesn't because you still don't see Italians putting oil rigs ( or any other kind of structure modern) near the coliseum.
This is my seed. If you have nothing better to do than to try to antagonize, leave.
The is a oversupply of oil and has been for quite some time. Additionally there are millions of acres that have oil and gas leases through out the US that have not been explored and brought to production...
HUZZAH.
Cool strawman! Are they seated at the UN? Where is their capital?
What are you talking about?
Strawman arguements make me laugh n snort, then shoot it out like a spitball, i n joy, making them swallow, but prefer humming
birds, named Robin, who's bobbin, like allure ing as it may seem, may i ask,
y do you wish to be mean and Demean , F U Know what i dOn't meen on Average , U No I Be leave it Is unacceptable to B little the original inhabitants of this country , cuz we all Illegal Immigrants accept for very few, exceptions.
They R UNseated at the Nations United
Their Capitol was spent on small letters written to DC, but too short, a circuit quart,
wear U can't handle the Punishment, cause
it's the CAPITOL
I enjoy Electric chairs, and long walks on the beech...
are U courting me ? or should i Judge ? as i prefer bean jury n executioner
of semantics , but, iv'e gotta go, sew yourin luck, N Joy
And the French ! There's a small, ancient roman amphitheater on the grounds of the Matisse Museum.
Interesting story:
Jimmy Page of Zep fame, is in a war with his neighbor over a pool his neighbor wants to put underground. Page is worried that the excavation will ruin his Grade A historic home. London, sided with Page. We are talking about a building that is about 200 years old, not our oldest Acoma Pueblo is the oldest, a continuously inhabited community in the US.
btw: Learn more about it here: