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FARMINGTON, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office reminds the public of the upcoming public meetings for the proposed public land withdrawal surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park on Feb. 23 and 24. The agency proposes to withdraw 351,479.97 acres of public lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, subject to valid existing rights, from location and entry under the United States mining laws and from leasing under the mineral leasing laws, but not disposal under the mineral materials laws, to protect these public lands and the greater connected landscape with a rich Puebloan, Tribal Nations, and cultural legacy in northwestern New Mexico.  

On Jan. 5, the BLM published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the 90-day public comment period for the proposed withdrawal and the public meetings. The public may submit comments on the proposed withdrawal until April 6, 2022. Comments on the proposal may be submitted by any of the following: 

• ePlanning: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016892/510; 
• Email: blm_nm_fm_ccnhp_area_withdrawal_comments@blm.gov; or  
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Farmington Field Office, Attn: Sarah Scott, 6251 College Blvd., Suite A, Farmington, NM 87402. 

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.  

In addition to the 90-day public comment period for the withdrawal application, the BLM invites the public to register and participate in one of the upcoming public meetings. There will be one virtual session and two in-person sessions. BLM-New Mexico is considering possible additional meetings at this time. Scheduled meeting details are as follows:  

All attendees must pre-register for the meetings. In person meetings will follow the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of the Interior COVID-19 large-group gathering protocols and will be strictly enforced. Attendance at in-person meetings is capped at 50 participants. 

For more information on the withdrawal process, please contact Farmington Field Office project manager Sarah Scott at 505-564-7689 or sscott@blm.gov.