"ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. land managers will move forward in March with the sale of oil and gas leases that include land near Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico and other areas sacred to Native American tribes.
The sale comes as Democratic members of Congress, tribal leaders and environmentalists have criticized the federal Bureau of Land Management for pushing ahead with drilling permit reviews and preparations for energy leases despite the recent government shutdown.
With limited staff over the last month, the critics complained that they were locked out of the process because the agency didn’t release any information about the sale. They also questioned whether the agency would be able to adequately review the land that’s up for bid and whether it would consider protests to the move."
Susan Montoya Bryan reports for the Associated Press January 31, 2019.
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