On December 15, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Navajo Regional Office announced to Tribes and other consulting parties for the National Historic Preservation Act Programmatic Agreement associated with the Farmington Mancos-Gallup Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that the RMPA/EIS process would be halted.

Since the RMPA/EIS effort began in 2013 and after the publication of the Draft RMPA/EIS in 2020, the BLM and BIA have seen reduced interest in oil and gas development in the San Juan Basin; increased interest in renewable energy; and the withdrawal of 336,404 acres from mineral entry around the Chaco Culture National Historic Park. Additionally, Navajo and Pueblo ethnographic studies for the region have been completed, the Honoring Chaco Initiative was created, and interest in outdoor recreation has increased.

Given these changes in the landscape of the planning area, the BLM has formally terminated the RMPA/EIS process via notice in the Federal Register as of July 12, 2024. This was followed by development of an evaluation of the existing Farmington RMP (2003) with Tribal and public involvement. This will guide future revisions or amendments of the Farmington RMP based on current conditions. The Programmatic Agreement prepared pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act is also near completion and will guide cultural resource management of the area, including sacred sites.

The BLM and the BIA thank the consulting parties for their collaborative efforts, and both agencies are committed to maintaining the relationships forged through the development of the Programmatic Agreement.