WASHINGTON – Today the Department of the Interior announced the largest expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities in recent history by allocating 2.1 million acres of public lands for hunting, sport fishing, and other outdoor recreation opportunities such as nature watching and environmental education.
The expansion aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative to restore and conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030.
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This piece originally appeared as commentary in the Los Alamos Daily Post on July 19, 2021
Submitted by Carol A. Clark | 07/19/2021, 8:49 a.m. MDT
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) traveled to the Sabinoso Wilderness Saturday to join U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland as she accepted the largest wilderness land donation in U.S. history.
The donation from the Trust for Public Land to the American people is in Cañon Ciruela, adjacent to the Sabinoso Wilderness in San Miguel County.
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April 16, 2021 — The Department of the Interior has been deeply entrenched in a review process to weed out orders that are not in line with the Biden Administration’s priorities, and this week passed Secretarial Order 3399, and Secretarial Order 3398, committing to building an equitable and just energy future, and prioritizing public input from impacted communities that have historically been underrepresented in the environmental review process.
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This week, 28 state and local elected officials -- representing thousands of constituents across the southwestern United States -- sent a letter to the Interior Department and Secretary Deb Haaland in support of their pause and review of the federal oil and gas leasing program. The letter, organized by Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hiking, and the Outdoors (HECHO), comes as the first opportunity for public feedback to the administration closes and the Department prepares its report on the future of the leasing program. Western voters, particularly Latinos, overwhelmingly want oil and gas development on federal public lands to be stopped or strictly limited, not expanded.
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March 15, 2021 – Congresswoman Haaland has made history as the first Native American woman to lead the Department of the Interior, a symbol of the progress that is yet to come under her tenure, and an important opportunity for the protection of our public lands.
A long-time advocate for expanding and preserving public lands so that future generations can continue to enjoy these special places, her track record of stewardship allows Indigenous and Latinx communities the opportunity to continue to practice the multicultural traditions that are reflected in our diverse landscapes such as hunting and fishing. Throughout her career, Congresswoman Haaland has worked to build equity, justice, and resilience in communities in New Mexico and across the country.
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This piece originally appeared as a Letter to the editor in The Salt Lake Tribune on January 26, 2021.
By HECHO National Advisory Board Member, Representative Mark Archuleta Wheatley | The Public Forum — 1/26/2021 6:00 AM MST
Like so many people during the pandemic, getting outdoors has been invaluable for my mental health — hiking at one of my favorite state parks, Antelope Island, has offered me solitude and respite. To continue to enjoy the special places we all love, we need to conserve these places and the wildlife they support. That’s why I support the nomination of Congresswoman Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary. I know she will ensure that our public lands and waterways are safeguarded for our families to enjoy and that she will ensure more people have access to the outdoors.
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This piece originally appeared as a Letter to the editor in The Santa Fe New Mexican on January 24, 2021.
By HECHO National Advisory Board Chair, Rock Ulibarri — 1/24/2021 2:00 AM PT
My family was one of the original families that settled Las Vegas, N.M. For generations, my family has lived off the land, growing food in the summer and hunting at the first snow to prepare for the winter. I am chairman of the advisory board for Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO). This deep connection to the land has led me to advocate for the responsible management of our public lands so that wildlife populations will flourish for generations to come. That’s why I’m so supportive of the nomination of U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland to lead the Department of the Interior.
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Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2020) — Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO), stands by the decision of the federal court ruling that William Perry Pendley has been illegally serving the Department of the Interior. HECHO is a strong proponent for the protection of our nation’s public lands, lands that Pendley fought to sell-off and dispose of by prioritizing mining in special places like the Grand Canyon National Park.
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After outrage from communities and leaders across the country, the Trump administration finally withdrew their nomination of William Perry Pendley to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). While this is a win for our communities and public lands, the fight is not over yet. Pendley is still serving – likely illegally – as acting director, and his power poses a direct threat to the Grand Canyon and surrounding communities. The recent release of a report from a Trump administration task force that recommends a handout to the uranium industry left many people fearful for the future of our nation’s crown jewel. With Pendley, who formerly sued the federal government on behalf of a mining company attempting to mine near the Grand Canyon, still serving, the future of this National Park looks even bleaker.
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HECHO (Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors) eagerly awaits the public release of Secretary Zinke’s report detailing his recommendations to change a handful of monuments. Which monuments will be reduced in size and by how much is unclear, as the Administration has yet to release the full report to the public.
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“We call on the new Administration to make it a top priority to protect and conserve our natural resources, and to ensure that oil and gas resources are developed responsibly, with input from local governments and communities.
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The following is a statement from Camilla Simon, Executive Director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) on the reports that president-elect Donald Trump will nominate Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) as Secretary of the Interior.
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The Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the surrounding areas contain not only natural treasures, but undeveloped lands and a network of ancient roads, villages, and shrines important to local and national history. It is an important step that the Bureau of Land Management has elected to have the Bureau of Indian Land Affairs co-lead oil and gas development planning for this area, but it is also important that BLM brings in other local stakeholders as well.
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The following is a statement from Camilla Simon, Director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO), on the 1st anniversary of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement that the greater sage-grouse no longer needed to be considered as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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America's National Parks Service recently celebrated its centennial and Secretary Sally Jewell laid out her vision of the next 100 years of American Conservation in her speech commemorating the event. In a letter to Secretary Jewell, HECHO voiced its support of her vision, including promoting landscape-level planning and increasing diverse stakeholder input when managing public lands, supporting the protection of our national treasures through the Antiquities Act, and emphasizing the importance of permanently authorizing and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
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We applaud the U.S. Department of the Interior’s announcement today of a proposed rule that will address the wasteful release of natural gas into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations on public and American Indian lands. Wasting resources contradicts our values of conserving and respecting what the land provides for us and we must update our 30-year old regulations to align with these values.
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HECHO has issued the following statement today regarding the Interior Department’s decision to launch a comprehensive review to identify and evaluate potential reforms to the federal coal program.
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