LandDesk
Rethinking oil & gas Chaco’s landscape extends beyond park boundaries and needs protections by Jonathan Thompson
have been destroyed indelibly? The limits of Section 106, when THE NEWS: Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian faced with a federal land manageVallo and former Interior Secretary Bruce Babment agency inclined on leasing as bitt recently called on the Biden administramuch land as is possible, become tion to reform the oil and gas leasing abundantly clear in the Greater program in such a way that protects cultural Chaco Region. Clearly the agencies resources and elevates tribal expertise. They did not consult with the relevant highlighted a new report by Paul Reed of Artribes or incorporate their expertise chaeology Southwest, which found that over into the leasing decisions, either, the last 70 years oil and gas development has despite the cultural significance of come to dominate public lands and “has prothe area. foundly fragmented cultural landscapes and The industrialization of the Chadisrupted the connections tribal communities coan landscape is not the product of maintain with these places. Furthermore, the Trumpian energy dominance, by BLM has failed to pursue meaningful tribal any means – nearly all of the 40,000 consultation and engagement in the oil-gas wells in the San Juan Basin were leasing process.” drilled years before Donald Trump’s election. Nor has the rate of develTHE CONTEXT: On a cloudless, opment hastened or slowed accordscorching August afternoon four years ing to who sat in the Oval Office. ago, I followed Reed’s directions to a The entirety of the most recent major Chacoan Great House that sits just boom in the region, a fracking inside the proposed buffer zone around frenzy targeting oil in the Mancos Chaco Culture National Historical Park. I Shale near Chaco, took place under should say I tried to follow Reed’s direcPresident Barack Obama. And the tions, since finding one’s way through Biden administration, while pausing the web of gas patch roads can be a connew leases, has issued new drilling founding task, to say the least. Eventually permits on existing leases in the San I gave up on driving to the official access Juan Basin, where about 90 percent point, parked my car on an oil and gas of public lands are already under inIndigenous leaders have called for stronger protections from oil and gas development wellpad, and headed on foot into the dustry control. around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Though protections are in place around sagebrush sea. The entire system clearly needs the park boundaries, conservationists say the imprint of the Ancestral Puebloan society It was a lonely journey. After leaving to be rebuilt to go beyond the curthe highway I saw no other cars and cer- extends for miles across the landscape. / Photo courtesy of National Park Service rent hodgepodge method of trying tainly no other hikers. And yet the detrito protect a limited number of sites to 100 feet away, a process known as “identify and tus of humanity was scattered everywhere: pumpjacks while sacrificing everything else. The leasing program, avoid.” Tribes are supposed to be consulted during the dancing their slow, metallic grind; appendages of Reed writes, must be overhauled to embrace a holistic process, as well. pipelines jutting from soft dirt; giant tanks streaked with landscape approach. This would include: “This approach has protected the physical footprint of rust. A small herd of horses, their manes shiny in the sun, • Involve Indigenous communities from the beginmany cultural resources over the last 45 years,” Reed watched me curiously, and bees swarmed the lascivious ning of the process, ideally during the creation of the Rewrites. “Nevertheless, the focus on individual sites, and fuchsia blossoms of a gangly beeweed that stood no less source Management Plans that guide leasing and not the larger landscapes they are a part of, has led to than 4-feet tall. permitting, keep them involved through the leasing, perhighly fragmented cultural landscapes across the West.” Somehow, I managed to go the correct direction and mitting and development stages, and actually hear what Pierre’s provides a perfect example of both the protecsoon reached my destination, where the flat, sage-topped they say and integrate it into the decision-making tion and fragmentation. The structures, placed among mesa gives way to badlands and conical buttes, offering process; and in harmony with the surrounding buttes and bluffs, an expansive view of the Chaco River Basin and beyond. • Prohibit development of leases until all tribal conremain unmarred by development. From my AcropolypIt was easy to see why someone had chosen the place to cerns are identified and addressed; tic perch, however, I could see at least 10 pumpjacks bobbuild a complex of structures known as Pierre’s Site. I • Hold field visits for tribal leaders of proposed develbing up and down, and the whir-pop-pop-whir of the headed straight for the “Acropolis,” an aptly named flatopment areas prior to permitting; machines and the diesel engines that run them was irritopped butte upon which three of the structures in the • Make oil and gas leaseholders responsible for a cultatingly audible. The site is surrounded by industrial ancient complex sit. Unlike the buildings in Chaco tural inventory of the entire lease, not just the areas that equipment. Canyon, these haven’t been excavated or stabilized, so at are being developed. Pierre’s lies along the Great North Road – the most first glance they appear to be amorphous piles of rock. The Interior Department reportedly has completed its prominent and visible of several such “roads” in the reBut, on closer inspection, the outlines of old walls, kivas review of the oil and gas leasing program but has not yet gion – an architectural feature that stretches directly and rooms became visible, like the curves of a body released the results. Perhaps when the infrastructure bill north of Chaco Canyon for 30 miles or more. It may under a thick blanket. is finalized, the Biden administration will move forward have been a symbolic path through time, connecting old Various layers of protection cover Chacoan sites. The on the reforms, perhaps including these recommendaworlds with new, or a reminder of the power Chaco-cenpark itself is off-limits to all oil and gas development. tions. tral wielded over its outliers, or a giant arrow pointing Pierre’s Site and several other outliers are part of the I stayed at Pierre’s Site for a couple of hours, walking ginpeople to a holy place. Reed calls it “a landscape monuChaco Culture Archaeological Protection Sites Program. gerly around the structures, gazing out at the view from up ment on a large scale.” Yet little effort has been made to All sites are on federal land and shielded by the Archaehigh, thinking about all of the life that had passed through protect it. Oil field roads and pipelines cross it in dozens ological Resources Protection Act and Section 106 of this spot, listening to the sound of the breeze in the shrubs of places, and workers have bulldozed well pads right on the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires and trees. Then I slowly waded back into the sea of sage. top of it, erasing the subtle signs that it was ever there. If oil companies to conduct a cultural inventory of The Land Desk is a thrice-weekly newsletter from Jonathan P. something so significant can get plowed under, how all land in the path of development. If the surveyors Thompson, longtime journalist and author of River of Lost Souls, many more subtle features – shrines, corn fields, planthappen upon a “significant” site, the well pad or road Behind the Slickrock Curtain, and the newly released Sagebrush gathering sites, ceremonial areas, flint-knapping spots – or pipeline must be relocated – if possible – at least 50 Empire. To subscribe, go to: www.landdesk.org.■
8 n Sept. 9, 2021
telegraph
