In March, United States officials will move forward with plans to sell leases for oil and gas exploration in two states: New Mexico and Oklahoma. The leases include land near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park and other areas that Native American tribes consider holy. The sale comes against the wishes of tribal leaders, environmentalists and Democratic Party lawmakers. All three groups have criticized the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for pushing ahead with drilling permit inspections and preparations for energy leases. The bureau had few people working when the federal government was partially closed for five weeks in December and January. Critics have said that they were barred from the process because the government failed to release any information about the sale. Critics also questioned if the bureau would be able to effectively examine the land available for leasing and whether it would consider objections to the plans.