Partial protection for Hovenweep lands

The Utah office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has wisely decided to withdraw some lands near Hovenweep National Monument west of the tiny southwestern Colorado community of Dove Creek from an oil and gas leasing auction set for Friday.

Unfortunately, the agency opted to keep only two of the five contested parcels — those to the south of the national monument — off the leasing list. The other three parcels, which are north and west of the monument, will go on the auction block Friday.

When even officials with the National Park Service, which manages Hovenweep and is a sister agency to the BLM, express concern that drilling so close to the monument could potentially damage Anasazi ruins within the monument, the BLM has to take notice.