©2026 League of Conservation Voters
Representative Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) sponsored H.R. 2181, the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2019, which would establish a 10-mile buffer zone from oil and gas development around Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Chaco Canyon). Chaco Canyon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to ancient indigenous structures and artifacts sacred to many tribes including the Pueblo people. In the past decade, Indigenous communities and leaders in New Mexico and Arizona have been concerned about the encroachment of oil and gas drilling to Chaco Canyon and the possible destruction of ancestral structures these activities could cause. The passage of this bill is a major victory for the Pueblo people who have tirelessly fought for their sacred and ancestral lands and for our country’s cultural heritage. On October 30, the House approved H.R. 2181 by a vote of 245–174 (House roll call vote 597). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The Senate took no action on this legislation.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters