Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt calls on U.S. to overhaul oil, gas leasing

An Indigenous leader from New Mexico and former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt called on the federal government Aug. 24 to overhaul its oil and gas leasing program to ensure the protection of cultural resources, saying for far too long tribal expertise has been ignored to the detriment of sacred landscapes.An Indigenous leader from New Mexico and former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt called on the federal government Aug. 24 to overhaul its oil and gas leasing program to ensure the protection of cultural resources, saying for far too long tribal expertise has been ignored to the detriment of sacred landscapes.