Bill > HM70

This Memorial reaffirms New Mexico's commitment to protecting tribal, cultural, and historical sites within the Greater Chaco Canyon Landscape, a significant area that includes Chaco Culture National Historical Park and numerous associated archaeological sites and Chacoan roads. It emphasizes the deep cultural and spiritual connection Native American nations, tribes, and pueblos have to this landscape, recognizing it as sacred. The Memorial urges the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to uphold federal laws and executive orders that mandate consultation with these tribes, particularly concerning resource management plans and the protection of cultural resources. Specifically, it requests that the BLM and BIA cease any leasing or permit issuance in the Greater Chaco Landscape without prior tribal consultation until the ongoing resource management plan amendment process is completed in accordance with federal law, acknowledging the importance of these sites for tribal vitality, cultural preservation, and tourism.