Protecting Chaco requires a commitment from ‘all levels’

New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

For more than a decade, a coalition of indigenous and environmental groups, along with archaeologists, have called for the federal government to protect the Greater Chacoan Landscape from increased oil and gas drilling.

On Sept. 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit heard oral arguments on the latest case, in which those groups challenge the Biden administration's continued adherence to a Trump-era move that approved more than 370 new drilling permits in that area.

This week, Our Land Senior Producer Laura Paskus speaks with Theresa Pasqual, with the Pueblo of Acoma. She’s an archeologist and Director of the Historic Preservation Office at Acoma.

In the conversation you’re about to hear, we talk about why Chaco has special meaning. We talk about how fossil fuel development has affected the landscape and communities. And Theresa explains what’s to be gained from protecting that landscape.

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