Today, President Biden restored Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, carrying out a campaign promise to protect more than 2 million acres of national public lands, and making good on his America the Beautiful initiative.
For time immemorial, Bears Ears National Monument has been stewarded by the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni, who have been advocating for the protection of this culturally and archeologically significant landscape. Together, they are the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, and they recently published a letter to the White House urging protection for the sacred site where religious ceremonies continue to take place. President Biden’s announcement comes on the eve of Indigenous People’s Day and evokes the importance of prioritizing Indigenous perspectives in the management of our public lands.
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This piece originally appeared as an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune on July 21, 2021.
By Utah Legislative Quad Caucus: Representative Sandra Hollins, Representative Karen Kwan, Representative Ashlee Matthews, Representative Angela Romero, Representative Mark Wheatley, Senator Luz Escamilla, Senator Jani Iwamoto | 07/21/2021, 9:59 p.m. MDT
The federal Bureau of Land Management manages almost 42% of our state — 22.8 million acres of public lands. And, whether it is the sprawling desert lowlands, the spectacular snow-capped peaks of Utah or the breathtaking red-rock canyons, these lands arouse intense demands from hunters, anglers, recreationists, businesses and local governments — not to mention the flora and fauna that depend on these places for survival.
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I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is right on the Texas Gulf Coast. I came from a family that did not have a lot of money, so we did a lot of outdoor things like car camping, fishing, and hiking. The hunting we did was for our own livelihood. My father made it a priority to instill an appreciation for all the things the land offers us, clean air, clean water, and wildlife. These values have informed the conservation practices that have carried on into my life, that I have passed to my own children, and that I look forward to sharing with my grandchildren.
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I had never heard of the Delaware Water Gap until my freshman year of college. Months before classes were scheduled to start, I had signed up on a whim to my school’s outdoor orientation program, thinking that it would be of great benefit to make friends before school officially started. Although I grew up in Salt Lake City, I was never- in any sense of the word- “outdoorsy.” I was, as a matter of fact, quite indifferent to the whole notion of outdoor recreation, with a strong desire to live in a large metropolitan area like New York City or Los Angeles. I didn’t own any outdoor gear, and mostly shut down ideas of hikes with my siblings, who have both been outdoor enthusiasts. I didn’t expect much from the trip beyond making a few friends and coming home with a lot of mosquito bites. What I came away with, though, was invaluable
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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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For generations, Hispanics have enjoyed a unique relationship with nature that connects us to our ancestors and fortifies the bond that we have with our community. Being able to practice these cultural traditions that depend on open spaces, is more critical than ever, and policy that includes Hispanic and Latinx values is especially urgent. For all of these reasons, Hispanic and Latinx leadership is invaluable in conservation legislation that is implemented and passed.
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Utah’s public lands are the envy of other states, and they draw countless visitors from all over the world. They also are at the heart of what it means to be a Utahn — no matter your background. Growing up, I spent a majority of my free time outdoors, hunting elk and deer on our public lands to put food on the table. Now, as a state representative, I feel an even greater sense of duty to protect these places so that families like mine can continue to enjoy and recreate on our public lands, particularly during these difficult times.
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Rebecca Chavez-Houck (RCH): So, in reflecting on my experiences and my personal connection to the Grand Canyon, I looked at it through some of the different phases of my life. My first recollection of having visited the Grand Canyon was when my husband and I took our daughter on a trip there. I believe that I was expecting our second child and it was during the off season. It is kind of interesting how, when we think about our experiences in the outdoors and we think about going to different, amazing places, incredible places like the Grand Canyon, the experiences kind of fall together….
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Recent reports demonstrate the link between air pollution and deaths from COVID-19. This distressing connection underscores existing failures of the Trump Administration to prioritize public health-- from restricting access to health care to allowing corporations to pollute the air, land, and water-- making the Trump administration’s shamefully inadequate response to this public health crisis even worse. In response HECHO issued the following statement.
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It’s not everyday we get to see a Latinx family enjoying an adventure outdoors. In partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, HECHO collaborated to host an advanced screening of Dora and the Lost City of Gold across New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah.
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Lately there has been a surge of state-based Outdoor Recreation Offices, and important coinciding efforts—namely equity funding in New Mexico and the Kids Outdoor Initiative in Utah, both supported by HECHO.
Earlier this month representatives from eight states signed off on a first-of-its kind agreement called the Confluence Accords, to unify and strengthen the outdoor industry voice on matters of public policy.
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I always went fishing with my grandfather and my uncles, Bernave Arellano and Virgil Lopez, who taught me how to catch trout. Both of my uncles were very respectful of the land and understood that it was important to leave it better than you found it.
Growing up in Salt Lake City, I always enjoyed the outdoors. The air felt so good to breathe and it seemed like the opportunities were endless. We were rather poor. My mother raised four kids by herself. We didn’t have a car for much of the time. When we got on the train to visit relatives, I always looked out the window at the open range where you could run fast and feel free.
Back then, my family hunted deer and elk. It’s important to realize that hunting and fishing are fun, but the best reason is to hunt to put food on the table. This is true for most Latinos. My family made jerky from the meat of the animals they killed. They would smoke the fish that we caught. Today, my relatives living in small towns in the Southwest still hunt for subsistence. A lot of these towns are food deserts and don’t have access to the best grocery stores. But through fishing and hunting you can still feed your family with good nutrition.
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In honor of the LWCF, we asked some of our HECHO Board Members to share their favorite places that have benefited from the LWCF in this edition of Enjoying the Outdoors. Read on for their great tips on where to visit this holiday season and throughout the year.
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In late November, our mission and our passion came together when HECHO Advisory Board Members from Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah flew to Washington D.C. to speak directly to their members of Congress on the importance of protecting our shared public lands by reauthorizing the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
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By Mark Archuleta Wheatley
Rep. Rob Bishop has been called a lot of things by the environmental community, but late this session of Congress he defied labels and voiced his support for reauthorizing one of the most important, if underappreciated, conservation laws, the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Bishop’s pursuit of a bipartisan deal to sustain this important program was a watershed moment for a town renowned for gridlock and on an issue that had previously and repeatedly died on the vine due to the congressman’s past opposition.
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By Arizona state Rep. Mark Cardenas, Utah state Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck and Nevada state Sen. Mo Denis
As state representatives of the Southwest, we are concerned about the future of our national monuments. Right now, both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are under attack, and the public has just a short window to weigh in.
Both of these monuments are in Utah, but they are vital to us all, as they safeguard our nation’s diverse history and cultural heritage. Our voices are part of the two-thirds of western voters, and 86 percent of Latino voters in the west, who say that reducing these monuments is a bad idea. We are proud to have public lands in our backyard — lands that belong to all of us.
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