Mesa City Councilmember Francisco Heredia represents District 3.
Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona with a diverse population of over 518,000 people. As this number increases, it is urgent that we prioritize solutions to curb the impacts of the climate crisis so that we can build the safety and resilience our communities deserve.
The City of Mesa is taking action to make sustainable improvements for our residents, and have released a Climate Action Plan to protect and conserve Mesa’s environment and natural resources.. To bolster this effort, we need to make investments that tackle the climate crisis, and have tangible benefits for Arizonans. Fortunately, Congress is working on a bill, the Build Back Better Act, that would make a difference for our city and state that will mitigate wildfires and protect forests and watersheds, address drought impacts and land and water issues, and act boldly on the climate crisis, and we need Senator Kelly and Senator Sinema to support it.
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With our changing world and the constant pressure of climate change, many communities, especially Hispanic, Black, Indigenous and low-income communities, have been greatly affected by deteriorating ecosystems and difficultly accessing nature. Arizona, being one of the most biodiverse states, is especially susceptible to climate change as is evidenced by the increased frequency of devastating wildfires and decreasing water levels in our rivers and lakes each year. Now more than ever, it is important for us all to realize we are important stakeholders and for us to come together to restore degraded lands and waters as a form of resistance to the adversities Arizona communities continually face. The following examples of restoration projects in Arizona showcase some of the efforts to protect and restore our nature so communities—and generations to come—can continue to enjoy and have access to the outdoors.
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This piece originally appeared as an article by the Public News Service on December 29, 2021.
By Roz Brown | 12/29/2021
People of color historically have been excluded from outdoor-recreation jobs, but a collaborative effort to diversify staff within agencies that manage public lands could change that.
The Hispanic Access Foundation has teamed up with agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to tap college students and recent graduates for what are known as "MANO" fellowships.
"The potential of a 'Climate Corps' - you know, the Civilian Climate Corps - it begins to groom Hispanic people to take their place in conservation," said Max Trujillo, senior field ooordinator for the group Hispanics Enjoying Camping Hunting and the Outdoors in New Mexico.
By: Coconino County Supervisor, District 2, Jeronimo Vasquez
For as long as I can remember, the outdoors has been an interwoven element of my life. For my family, it was something that we were always mindful of and it informed so many of the values that I continue to carry in my life today. I also come from a family of educators and they instilled in me the importance of education, community, and youth programming. Looking back now, my career aligns with so much of the teachings they shared with me.
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The Build Back Better Act passed the House of Representatives with bold investments to Create Jobs, Restore Public Lands, Act on Climate, and Reform the Federal Gas Leasing Program
(Arizona/Washington, DC) -- A group of Hispanic and Hispanic-serving community and elected leaders, including Hispanics Enjoying Camping Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO), sent a letter to Members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources urging them to pass the Build Back Better Act with nature-based investments that will restore natural systems, protect communities against climate-fueled disasters, create millions of jobs, and reform the federal oil and gas leasing program.
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When I was 10 years old, I witnessed my grandfather, Cesar Chavez, fasting to demand a ban for pesticide use on table grapes. The pesticides poisoned the soil and posed serious health impacts to the farmworkers who tended the land.
At this early age it ignited in me a passion to ensure that our communities and our environment are protected and have access to clean air and fresh water.
Today this connection has led me to advocate for legislation that will mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis that my community is experiencing first hand. From frequent heavy pollution days and increasing concern over access to clean drinking water, it’s high time for comprehensive legislation that will address these important issues.
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Overview
Passed by bipartisan votes in both the Senate (69-30) and the House (228-206), and signed into law on Monday, November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is a transformative investment. It covers funding authorizations for our nation’s roads, bridges, highways, drinking and clean water infrastructure, internet access, electrical grid and transmission system, and wildlife crossing and natural infrastructure projects. It also includes notable provisions to remediate and reclaim abandoned coal mines, orphaned oil and gas wells, and Superfund sites, improve forest conditions to lessen the impacts of wildfires and better protect communities, and restore ecosystems on public and private land.
The IIJA is a bipartisan $1.2 trillion legislative package, with $650 billion of that amount paid for by existing trust funds that are automatically raised through existing taxes. That means that $550 billion is new infrastructure spending over 5 years, which includes $47 billion for new climate resilience initiatives—the largest federal investment yet to address the climate crisis.
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Washington D.C. -- President Biden has signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, the largest federal investment focusing on tackling the climate crisis, setting a precedent for the protection of our communities, health, and landscapes.
Addressing the climate crisis by creating jobs, advancing environmental justice, and highlighting outdoor economies, it will enhance our existing infrastructure making it resilient against the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events with key investments to protect against droughts, heat, floods, and wildfires. Water systems, roads, bridges, power infrastructure, public transit, and railway systems will receive much-needed updates to create safe, efficient, and climate-friendly solutions. It’ll tackle legacy pollution, build a national network of electric vehicle chargers, and deploy cutting-edge energy technology to achieve a zero-emissions future.
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Contact: Amy Dominguez, Communications Coordinator, Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO); 801-928-9157, amy@hechoonline.org
Flagstaff — In Arizona, where unprecedented weather events, such as devastating wildfires, drought, record heatwaves and flashfloods dominated headlines in 2021, nature-based infrastructure solutions in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act present an opportunity to keep communities and natural landscapes safe from the climate-driven impacts that are sweeping the nation today.
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On Sunday morning, July 21, 2019, just about a mile north of Flagstaff, AZ, a hibernating fire, started from an excavator striking a rock, began to grow until it came to be what is now known as the Museum Fire. The fire was first spotted around 10:00 A.M. that day, and continued to burn at varying intensities for almost a month before being fully contained. During the days that the fire burned, one of the city’s most popular recreational spots was covered in a thick blanket of smoke and the sight of an orange sky loomed over city residents. Helicopters and ground crews worked tirelessly trying to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further. Once the fire was 100% contained nearly a month later, on August 12th, it was determined that 1,961 acres were completely burned leaving the area, that is not only important to the local residents but also many species of concern, like the Mexican Spotted Owl, completely destroyed.
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Press Contact: Kristian Ramos, Comms@GreenLatinos.org
Oct 15, 2021
Washington, DC - Following on the momentum of the Latino climate priorities sign-on letter delivered to Congress and the Administration this summer, nearly two dozen leading Latino/a/x organizations are joining together today, the final day of Hispanic Heritage Month, to announce the launch of a project to develop and expand this letter into a comprehensive and inclusive Latino Climate Justice Framework (LCJF).
The Latino climate priorities letter advocates for improving and advancing the robust climate portions of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda and emphasizes that this agenda must prioritize frontline and communities of color. Latinos across the nation disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change – from air, water, and soil pollution to living in communities more vulnerable to climate-driven events – and disproportionately face economic and health disparities.
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The United States has been experiencing unprecedented times – from the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the health of Americans and leaving thousands without jobs, to extreme weather events amplified by climate change like wildfires, our livelihoods are on the line. During this tumultuous time, it is critical that our communities are protected from climate change impacts, that our economy is fortified via the introduction of jobs that would help to mitigate the effects of climate change, and that our existing infrastructure system is improved.
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This piece originally appeared as an op-ed in the Tucson Sentinel on September 22, 2021.
By Arizona State Representative Alma Hernandez | 09/22/2021, 1:37 p.m. MST
Rep. Alma Hernandez is a Democrat from LD 3 in the Arizona House of Representatives.
41,000 jobs for Arizonans, more than $58 million in investments for the state, and improvements to the Grand Canyon, Tucson Mountain Park, Coronado National Forest, and communities statewide: the impact of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the early 20th century was long-lasting for our state. The work of the original CCC provided economic benefits during the Great Depression while building long-lasting and crucial upgrades to improve our access to nature.
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Congress’ proposed $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill is a bold investment in America. It follows the already historic $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan, known as the INVEST in America Act, and plans for wider-ranging investments. Chief among these are investments to address climate change that build upon the infrastructure developments planned under the INVEST in America Act. In particular, the investments under the budget reconciliation bill will provide the country with much-needed help for critical restoration and resilience projects aimed at reducing drought and forest fires, and would support meaningful progress on environmental justice while creating millions of jobs.
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This piece originally appeared as an op-ed in the Arizona Mirror on February 12, 2021.
By Arizona Councilmember for District 5, David Luna | 02/12/2021 2:00 PM MST
Last month, President Joe Biden took bold action via executive order to fix our broken oil and gas leasing system, as well as to protect wildlife habitat, clean water, and conserve 30% of our land and waters by 2030. On behalf of a community that is impacted by oil and gas development, and that experiences health challenges as a result of climate change impacts, I support the measures the president took to pause oil and gas leasing on federal public lands, and protecting our lands and waters.
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This piece originally appeared as a Letter to the editor in The Las Vegas Sun on January 8, 2021.
By HECHO National Advisory Board Member, and Nevada State Senator, Moises Denis — 12/08/2021 2:00 AM PT
In 2020, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources released the Nevada State Climate Strategy, setting in motion the sustainable future Nevadans deserve.
Advancing Nevada’s climate goals has been at the forefront of Gov. Steve Sisolak’s leadership. In 2019, he signed Senate Bill 358 into law, raising our state’s renewable portfolio standard to 50% by 2030. As a primary sponsor of that bill, it was crucial to set this ambitious goal and take action on climate change. It passed unanimously, a major bipartisan accomplishment.
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