16 U.S.C. § 410ii — Findings and purpose

(a) Congress made these findings: (1) archeological research in the San Juan Basin over recent years has greatly increased public knowledge of the prehistoric Chacoan Anasazi culture; (2) these discoveries and the growing public interest in Chaco have come at a time when the San Juan Basin is seeing extensive exploration and development of energy resources, including coal, uranium, oil, and natural gas; (3) developing the basin's important natural resources, and honoring the valid existing rights of private property owners, will not be harmed by also preserving the area's archeological integrity; and (4) because the Chacoan sites are nationally significant and urgently need protection, federal agencies and private companies must keep cooperating so that development in the basin fits together with preservation and archeological research. (b) The purpose of this subchapter is to recognize the unique archeological resources of the prehistoric Chacoan culture in the San Juan Basin and surrounding areas, to preserve and interpret those resources, and to support research connected to them.