IPANM (June 1, 2023) - The following statement has been released by Jim Winchester, Executive Director of the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico regarding the Department of Interiors declaration of a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Canyon.

"The arbitrary 10-mile boundary imposed around Chaco Canyon announced today is discompassionate to generations of Navajo Allottees -- many living in poverty -- who will now lose out an estimated $194 million in potential royalties; is indifferent to the pleas of the Navajo Nation against a blatant government taking; is complete capitulation to pressure from outside environmental groups who simply want to outright ban all oil & gas drilling; and, is highly unethical due to Secretary Deb Haaland's own family conflict of interest due to her daughter's local political activism.

IPANM has long supported responsible oil & gas development around culturally sensitive sites, including support for a 5-mile buffer around Chaco Canyon which offers a natural geologic barrier of environmental protection, recognizes the culturally sacred nature of the site, and safeguards historic structures against potential physical damage."

--Jim Winchester
Executive Director, Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico