Blog: Upholding New Mexico’s Multilingual Tradition by Translating the New Mexico Game and Fish Department’s Hunting Rules and Information Booklet in Spanish

New Mexico has always been a culturally diverse, multilingual state, and in 1911, after Mexico had ceded the state to the U.S., a provision was included in the New Mexico Constitution calling for all laws to be published in Spanish and English. Additionally, the state’s Constitution specified that no citizen would be restricted or denied the right to vote, to hold office or serve on juries, or to go to public school if they were not able to speak, read or write English or Spanish. Public school teachers were also to be trained to be bilingual.

Today, as the state with the highest per capita population of Hispanic residents and with the greatest percentage of Spanish speakers, translation of key documents rightly contributes to the state’s equity, fairness, and inclusivity. This should continue to be the dominant norm of our social fabric.

URGadminJanuary 12, 2022Blog, Traditional Land Uses, Environmental Justice (EJ), Hunting, Fishing, New Mexico, Max Trujillo, Kent SalazarComment

Statement: DOI’s Expansion of Outdoor Recreation Opportunities for Hunting and Fishing Opportunity to Foster Legacy of Stewardship

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.

Featured: Broad Coalition of New Mexicans Praise Governor's New Executive Order to Protect 30% of Lands and Waters by 2030

This piece originally appeared as commentary for KRWG Public Media on August 25, 2021

By Sierra Club | 08/25/2021

Commentary: A broad coalition of New Mexico advocates today applauded Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for announcing an executive order to protect 30% of the state’s land by 2030. The order—titled “Protecting New Mexico’s Lands, Watersheds, Wildlife, and Natural Heritage”—is a critical step to conserving the state’s treasured landscapes and biodiversity for generations to come, while bolstering our economy, expanding access to the outdoors, and increasing opportunities for hunting and fishing.

Guest Blog: Building Community and Sharing our Outdoor Connections During Latino Conservation Week

This piece originally appeared as a blog post on July 21, 2021 via The National Wildlife Federation during Latino Conservation Week.

By Bianca McGrath-Martinez | 07/21/2021

Saturday, July 17th marked the start of the 8th annual celebration of Latino Conservation Week, which is an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation created to support Latinx communities getting into the outdoors and participating in activities that protect our natural resources.

Guest Blog: Building Family Connection Through Time Spent Outdoors

I live on four-acres of land next to the Coronado National Forest. I love living in the boondocks. When I’m home I sit outside and have a 360-degree view of nature. I listen to the birds and it clears my mind. It gives me solace to be out here by myself. It’s relaxing, but most of all, it’s inspirational.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerOctober 27, 2020Arizona, Traditional Land Uses, Hunting, Fishing, Sportspersons, Public LandsComment

Guest Blog: Bridging Culture, Community, and Nature: Latina Leadership Benefits Maricopa County's Parks

I’m proud to be an 8th generation Arizonan. My family has traced our long history in Arizona back to the 1740s. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents were farmworkers, tending the fields. My father was a farmworker as well.

My family settled in Pima County after an uncle bought a plot of land and invited his brothers to join.

Arizona is what I know best. I was brought up in South Phoenix, and moved after gentrification pushed us out. Afterwards, my family moved to Golden Gate Barrio. I find comfort in familiarity and today, my children go to the same elementary school I did.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerMarch 31, 2020Arizona, Picknicking, Traditional Land Uses, Outdoor Recreation, FishingComment

Event Recap: Free Family Fishing at Red Mountain Lake

HECHO (Hispanics Enjoying Camping Hunting and the Outdoors), in partnership with City of Mesa Councilmember David Luna, the Arizona Game & Fish Department, and the City of Mesa Parks and Recreation hosted the first Free Family Fishing Day of 2020 at Red Mountain Lake on February 1, 2020.

Guest UserFebruary 11, 2020Event Recap, Family Fishing Day, Fishing, Arizona, Liz Archuleta, David Luna, Traditional Land UsesComment

Guest Blog: Meet HECHO’s Newest Board Member, Lynn Córdova

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Colorado is such an outdoorsy place, but I grew up with limited means. We lived in a housing project and often relied on government assistance. My mother was a single mom who worked as a janitor. Even though the mountains were only 20 minutes away, we rarely went because when you’re poor, even buying the gas to get there is an extreme effort.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerJune 10, 2019Lynn Cordova, Advisory Board, Outdoor Recreation, Colorado, FishingComment

Guest Blog: Healing a River, Healing a Community

Many of us here carry a sense that we are connected to the land. Even many of those who live in town have family connections with land nearby. Many people spend time out of town “at the ranch”.

Las Vegas is situated at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. They are the very last of the Rockies if you follow them down from north to south. We have many acres of National Forest including Carson, Santa Fe, and Pecos. Growing up I’d go backpacking or camping with girlfriends, or we’d go out in the winter with our snowboards and enjoy the snow. I had this feeling that this wild land of the communal forest was my own. A lot of people have those types of strong connections to the land here.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerMay 1, 2019New Mexico, Outdoor Recreation, Fishing, Water Comment

Guest Blog: The Outdoors Taught Me Everything I Need to Know About Public Service

The favorite activity that my father and I shared was fishing. Fishing taught us patience and respect, not easy lessons for my rambunctious siblings and myself. When we would catch something too small to eat we would always throw it back. I’ll never forget the first fish my baby brother finally caught. It was a tiny Bluegill no bigger than the length of my index finger and certainly nothing that was going to feed anyone. Beaming with pride from this seminal experience he threw it in the freezer instead of throwing it back into the lake. My dad lit into my wide-eyed little brother. With the frankness signature of a Marine-Corps drill sergeant he informed us that we don’t waste. If we kill we eat and when we eat, we use as much of the animal as possible.

That lesson struck a nerve with me much deeper than just my love of fishing or nature. Spending time with my father in the outdoors was a masterclass in respect. I’ve carried that respect with me from the lush forests of Northern Michigan to my arid home in Southern Colorado. I’ve tried to embody it everyday as an adult, as a mom, as a teacher and now as a State Legislator.

Guest Blog, HCLCGuest BloggerMarch 21, 2019Bri Buentello, Colorado, Outdoor Recreation, Fishing, Hunting, Access Comment

Guest Blog: Protecting the Pecos River

I was born and raised in Pecos, New Mexico, where my family has been for several generations. I grew up eating deer meat and trout. Nature is what sustained me growing up. My father was a hunter and a fisherman, and we depended on that for our food source. We’d gather berries and pick piñon in the fall. Food gathering has always been really important to my family.

I still share the tradition of picking berries and making jelly with my family. My daughter asks me why we’re doing it since we still have leftover jelly from last year, but I tell her it’s about remembering grandma and her recipes and continuing the tradition. I want to teach my kids and grandkids about the foods that are edible in this area and how to identify them. That’s something that’s been part of my upbringing and something that’s always been important to me.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerMarch 5, 2019Janice Varela, New Mexico, Hunting, Fishing, Traditional Land Uses, Outdoor Recreation, Pollution, WaterComment

Guest Blog: Hiking to the View - The Most Peace I've Ever Had

Once you get up there the treeline stops – you can see Sedona, all of Flagstaff, and the view from the back of the mountain is unreal. Breathtaking.

On the way down, a storm rolled in so for the last hour or two I was walking in the rain. People say, “oh man,” but honestly it was the most peace I’ve ever had. I totally got drenched it was so peaceful. The clouds rolled in and that’s all you hear is just the rain. That was one of the better hikes I’ve had in a long time. The last mile or two it really started coming down so I picked up the pace. But the rain actually ended the hike really well.

Featured Story, Guest BlogGuest BloggerFebruary 13, 2019Arizona, Outdoor Recreation, Fishing Comments

Guest Blog: The Land is My Life

The land has always been our life. Our dedication is to the land. We’ve always depended on the land to survive. My family were farmers and ranchers. I spent most of my summers with my grandfather, and I continue his traditions. We own pieces of land, but I don’t feel like they’re ours, only ours to take care of while were here.

Event Recap: Free Family Fishing at Desert West Park in Maryvale, AZ

Liz Archuleta, HECHO spokesperson said, “It is personally rewarding to see the community out here discovering their sense of adventure or renewing their connection to the land. I hope that by experiencing all that nature has to offer, we can help people understand the importance and urgency to protect and conserve our public lands and waterways. We used this opportunity to educate community members on the importance of permanent reauthorization of the Land Water Conservation Fund that is used to build and maintain parks and trails with no cost to taxpayers.”

Camilla SimonNovember 19, 2018Event Recap, Family Fishing Day, Arizona, Liz Archuleta, Fishing Comment

Blog: Enjoying the Outdoors, November 2018

November is a spectacular time to be outdoors, and we are highlighting our recommendations for special bird watching events, urban fishing opportunities, ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, and tips for visiting Utah’s National Monuments during this beautiful fall season.

Guest Blog: The Outdoors Is My Second Home by Rose Ann Contreras Atherton (Plus my favorite wild game green chili recipe!)

Read the story of Rose Ann Contreras Atherton, whose second home is the outdoors - plus her favorite wild game green chili recipe! "Every Thursday night, like clockwork, my husband, son and I pack up our Fifth Wheel and prepare to head out into the woods the next day," she writes. "During hunting season, we drive a few hours away to our favorite spots looking for deer, elk, and wild turkey. I love the outdoors. I love the smell. I love that you can go for a walk for hours and you see something different every second. You don’t have to answer to anybody. I can’t even tell you the last time I stayed in a motel – it’s been years."

Guest BlogGuest BloggerDecember 19, 2017Arizona, Hunting, Fishing, Traditional Land UsesComment

Guest Blog: Keeping Our Cultural Connection - Getting Urban Latino Youth into the Great Outdoors

Imagine if you never left your neighborhood. Imagine if you never had the opportunity to hike or camp. Imagine never having seen snow. For many urban Arizona youth, it’s an unfortunate reality. Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo Is an active advocate for these kids because he knows that experiencing the great outdoors has a beneficial impact on a child’s development. Here, he shares his story. (Plus you'll see photos of Free Fishing Day that Supervisor Gallardo organized along with HECHO on October 7!)

Guest BlogGuest BloggerNovember 29, 2017Arizona, Family Fishing Day, Fishing, AccessComment

Blog: Appreciating Public Lands in a Border Community

My experiences growing up not only taught me to respect the land, it also taught me the importance of getting out there. You care more about protecting our land and water when you have a personal relationship with them. Now, I bring that to my work as county supervisor and I organize events that will get the community involved in outdoor recreation.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerMay 9, 2017Arizona, Ranching, Hunting, Fishing, Family Fishing DayComment

Blog: RACs – One More Opportunity to Make Latino Voices Heard

One way to get involved in the management of our public lands is through Resource Advisory Councils (RACs), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has established 31 of them in the western states. What makes RACs unique is that they are required to be made up of community members who represent various backgrounds and experiences.

Blog: Hunting Is A Way of Life, Goes Hand-in-Hand With Conservation of Wildlife Habitat

For hunters and anglers, conservation makes perfect sense. We must be stewards of the wild just as a farmer must be a steward of his land to ensure a bountiful harvest in years to come. For Hispanics, it goes even further, as it’s part of our culture. Hunting and fishing are centuries-old traditions, and we know that in order to enjoy these activities, we depend upon healthy watersheds, clean air, and robust wildlife habitats.

Guest BloggerAugust 9, 2016Advisory Board, Kent Salazar, Hunting, Traditional Land Uses, Public Lands, Sportspersons, FishingComment

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