Bill · S. 1412· Senate(119-S-1412)
Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 4/10/2025
- Last activity
- 4/10/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Sponsored by
- Ben Luján
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2025 aims to protect Federal land in the State of New Mexico. It seeks to withdraw specific lands surrounding the Chaco Culture National Historical Park from various forms of entry, mining, and mineral leasing. The bill includes provisions for the automatic termination of certain non-producing oil and gas leases. It also allows for the potential conveyance or exchange of Federal land to Indian Tribes. This legislation is intended to safeguard cultural, sacred, and historic resources within the Greater Chaco region.
Yes· 3 of 9
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+9
The bill provides significant protections for sacred lands and potential land conveyance to Tribes.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+8
The bill provides strong protections for cultural and environmental landscapes through mineral withdrawal.
Does this reduce how much oil, gas and coal is produced?+7
The bill mandates the termination of non-producing oil and gas leases in the protected area.
The opposite· 3 of 4
Would business owners be better off under this?-3
Energy sector business owners may face losses due to lease terminations.
Would union members be better off under this?-2
The termination of leases could negatively affect energy-sector union jobs.
Is this likely to create jobs?-2
The termination of oil and gas leases may reduce potential energy sector jobs in the region.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Cultural and Sacred Resources: The bill aims to protect archeological, sacred, and historic resources, including prehistoric roads, communities, and shrines, which are significant to many Pueblo Indian Tribes, the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and other Indian Tribes (Section 2).
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Preservation of Visitor Experiences: By implementing a mineral withdrawal, the bill intends to protect the holistic experience of the sacred landscape and the visitor experiences at the Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Section 2).
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Land Conveyance to Tribes: The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to convey or exchange Federal land to an Indian Tribe in accordance with approved resource management plans (Section 4(c)).
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Community Infrastructure Support: The act does not preclude improvements or rights-of-way for water, power, utility, or road development intended to assist communities located adjacent to or in the vicinity of the Federal land (Section 4(e)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Termination of Oil and Gas Leases: Certain "covered leases"—specifically those where drilling hasn't started before the end of the primary term and are not currently producing oil or gas in paying quantities—will automatically terminate and cannot be extended by the Secretary (Section 3 and Section 4(d)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+8Improves Public Land Management+7Reduces Fossil Fuel Production+7Improves Roads And Bridges+1Improves Rural Development+1Reduces Carbon Emissions+1Reduces Gas Prices-1
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Native Americans+9Good For Rural Residents+2Good For Business Owners-3Good For Union Workers-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+3
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation-2
- 4/10/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico