“Latinos have a long and enduring heritage on the Colorado and Wasatch Plateaus starting with the expedition of Fathers Dominguez and Escalante who crossed this area in 1776,” said Camilla Simon, Director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors. “The Old Spanish Trail crossed the San Rafael region where traders brought goods from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. Latino heritage continues today with Hispanic populations in Price and Green River, Utah.”
Read MoreRaul Morales, Deputy State Director for Natural Resources, Lands and Planning, Nevada State Office of the Bureau of Land Management discusses Latino engagement when managing public lands, finding a good balance between conservation and development, and working in a federal leadership position.
Read MoreOn March 3rd in Santa Fe, I sat on a Sustainable Recreation panel for the USDA Forest Service Southwestern Regional Chief’s Review. Sustainable recreation is a concept used to describe managing our public lands so that all Americans can receive the benefits of outdoor recreation today and in the future. It was an interesting panel, intentionally structured to showcase a variety of perspectives of how to maximize existing, but untapped, opportunities, increase diversity, and effectively leverage partnerships.
Read MoreAmerica'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.
Read MoreLupe Huerena and his daughter Alexis Stack discuss growing up hunting, fishing, and camping and how these activities have shaped their relationship, lives, and traditions. They also discuss how these outdoor activities forge a connection between person and land, and how protecting these vital resources for our future generations is paramount to the way we live.
Read MoreOn February 16th, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held a public hearing in Farmington, NM on their proposal to update regulations to address the wasteful release of natural gas into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations on public and Tribal lands. HECHO Board member Kent Salazar attended the hearing and discusses the diversity of people supporting the rule, from Tribal people, people of faith, elected officials, and enviros. The oil and gas industry made a showing, but their economic arguments were not valid; we must do a better job in the future of informing local officials and industry workers as to the economic benefits of capturing natural gas on public and Tribal lands.
Read MoreHECHO Board Member Juan Palma speaks to the Salt Lake Tribune about the today’s challenges on public lands and incorporating more diverse stakeholders in management decisions. As we celebrate the National Park Service’s 100-year anniversary, we have a chance to reflect on the 84 million acres of cultural and historic landscapes that have been protected, as well as the future of the Park Service. Today’s and future generations look much different than those of 100 years ago, and all federal land management agencies need to make significant changes to reflect the changing American cultural landscape.
Read MoreHECHO Advisory Board Members Mo Denis and Al Martinez recently sent a letter to President Obama, urging the protection of Gold Butte- Nevada’s piece of the Grant Canyon. The letter calls for the protection of thousand-year old petroglyphs, pioneer and historic mining artifacts, several at-risk species, and unique geologic features. Not only is this area important to Hispanic and Native American heritage and culture, but it also can be a vital and important addition to Nevada’s booming recreational tourism industry.
Read MoreThroughout 2015, we interviewed each of our Advisory Board members and posted them on our blog to help our community get to know them. We discussed their upbringings, their experiences in the outdoors, their jobs, and more. Today we’re sharing snippets of their inspiring stories.
Read MoreThe Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to update its regulations to address the wasteful release of natural gas into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations on public and American Indian lands.
There will be a public hearing to weigh in on the proposal in Farmington on Tuesday, February 16th at 1:00 pm. Can we count on you to come?
Read MoreEnjoying the outdoors naturally makes you want to conserve these resources so we can all continue enjoying them. And you don’t need to be in northern or rural Arizona to experience that with more and more city parks now including urban fishing and urban lakes. What good way to bring increased awareness of being outdoors and enjoying our natural resources. And for Latinos especially, it is important to keep public lands in public hands since this is where so many rich family traditions were created.
Read MoreThe Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) -- perhaps the most important piece of federal legislation that has been protecting our nation’s land and water for the last 50 years – was reauthorized in December.
Read MoreWe 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.
Read MoreHECHO 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.
Read MoreI’m the 5th generation in my family from Yuma. My great great-grandfather, Jose Maria Redondo, was one of the early pioneers – his property was 15 miles from here he had a huge hacienda. He cultivated an area east of Yuma called the Rancho San Ysidro where he had one of the largest ranches, over 3000 acres.
Read MoreMy family has been hunting and fishing and enjoying the great outdoors of the Southwest for generations. They had a garden and ate elk and deer and fish – they were the “farm to table” organic growers before it was cool and trendy. Knowing my grandfather hunted in the same places I have and fished the same waters creates a powerful connection to the land.
Read MoreI grew up in a family that would camp, fish, hunt, and hike, and I thought they were the coolest things we did. We’d camp around San Antonio, Texas and my dad also took us camping in Colorado – we spent a lot of time skiing and fishing there. I remember my dad teaching us how to BBQ fish and how he’d buy watermelons and stick them in sacks in the cold lakes to keep them cool.
Read MoreIn 2015, we've really accomplished a lot! Thank you for being a part of this vital movement. As part of Giving Tuesday, please consider making a donation to support HECHO’s work in 2016 – to keep empowering Latinos and elevating our voices, so we are heard by our leaders.
Read MoreMaking our voices heard in regards to the Moab MLP isn’t just about protecting public lands. It’s about protecting Hispanic heritage. Within the planning area is 43.2 miles of our history – the Old Spanish Trail.
Read More“Congressman Bishop is working overtime to end the Land & Water Conservation Fund as we know it. Instead of allowing a hearing on H.R. 1814 – a bill that would permanently authorize LWCF and has 195 bipartisan co-sponsors – he has introduced his own proposal that favors special interests, and is granting that a hearing instead. Mr. Bishop’s proposal is an attempt to dismantle a simple, tried-and-true program established to protect parks, trails, and wildlife. LWCF has worked for 50 years as it is. The focus of any hearing should be moving H.R. 1814 across the finish line.”
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