Title 16 › Chapter 1— NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter LIX–G— CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK › § 410ii–5
The Secretary must run and protect the park following the rules that apply to units of the National Park System. The Secretary must guard the Chaco Culture Archaeological Protection Sites, keep them in good condition, and make them available for study and for explaining their history. Lands the Secretary holds in trust for tribes or tribal members must keep their special status. No work is allowed on the top part of the sites that would harm their cultural value; the “upper surface” reaches down 20 meters. Mining or drilling below that is allowed only if it does not disturb the upper surface. Livestock grazing under existing cooperative agreements may continue. Within three complete fiscal years from December 19, 1980, the Secretary must send Congress a general management plan (under section 100502 of Title 54) and a joint plan developed with the BLM, BIA, and New Mexico’s Governor. The Secretary, through the National Park Service, must help the Navajo Nation manage sites on Navajo land by grants or agreements under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (Public Law 93–638), including help to build a Navajo facility for visitors.
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Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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16 U.S.C. § 410ii–5
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60