Chaco Culture National Historical Park — The Fight for the Buffer Zone (Episode 77)

Send us Fan MailA UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over a thousand years of ancestral Pueblo history. Sacred tribal land protected through years of advocacy and 150 days of public comment. And the Department of Interior wants to revoke its last line of protection in 14 days.Maude Dinan, New Mexico Program Manager with the National Parks Conservation Association, joins The Parks Podcast for an urgent conversation about the proposed revocation of the 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park — and what it would mean for 300,000 acres of public land, 12,000 estimated cultural sites, and some of the most celebrated dark skies in the world.In this episode: — What Chaco Culture National Historical Park is and why it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site — What the 10-mile protection zone is and why it exists — How revoking the buffer would impact the park — air quality, erosion, dark skies, and sacred views — Why 90% of federal land in the region is already leased — and why they want more — The Wilderness Society report: half of all leased federal land isn't even actively producing — How a protection that took 150 days of public comment could be undone in 14 — What you can do right now — before July 29th⚠️ Take action before July 29th: Quick comment: npca.org/chaco Write your own: find the "Participate Now" button at the official BLM project page (link in show notes) Follow @NPCA for the latest updatesRelated: Episode 75 — Bears Ears and Grand Staircase: What Just HappenedSupport the show