We love this time of year-- the changing colors of the leaves and the cooler temperatures make being outdoors that much more exciting. It’s a wonderful time to hike, bike, hunt, and fish on our beautiful public lands, and we wanted to start sharing around some of our favorite places to visit. We're starting with some adventures we like for October in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah from Al, Rebecca, and Viviana, and we will be sending out new recommendations over the coming months.

We hope you like our "Enjoying the Outdoors" recommendations. If you are inspired, we invite you to share places you enjoy and would like to recommend to the HECHO community!

Latino Conservation Week (#LCW2018) is here and HECHO will be celebrating all week by highlighting Latino Conservation Week events taking place in the Southwest and featuring the stories of Latino conservation leaders and their connections to the outdoors and stewardship of the land.

At HECHO, we support making public lands management more responsive to local communities and diverse stakeholders. However, this bill would not only give states ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ over oil and gas development on our public lands, but it would also exempt states from following our laws requiring public involvement and reviews.

There’s no guarantee that states would provide the same opportunities for public comment or conduct the kind of environmental analysis that the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service do. This bill amounts to a de facto transfer of national public lands to the states, and we are very much opposed to it.

“We’ve been asking for commonsense updates to oil and gas leasing policies established in the 1920s for years, but this proposal is a loser. The fees we should be raising are oil and gas royalty rates, which currently offer up our public lands at rock bottom rates.

We at HECHO value both our public lands and our voices. This policy of ‘pay to say’ would not only charge $150 or more just to object to an oil and gas lease on public lands, but it would also have a chilling effect on our constitutional right to petition our government. Our deep ties to the land and generations-old traditions on the land compel us, as stewards, to reject any attempt to drown out our voices, especially when it comes to decisions being made about our public lands.

Today HECHO sent two letters to the Department of the Interior saying “no” to rescinding the BLM Methane Waste and Prevention Rule. One letter was sent by HECHO alone, and the other was signed by 16 Latino organizations all in opposition to this proposed change.

Last month the HECHO Advisory Board came together in Santa Fe for our annual board retreat to reflect on HECHO’s first five years, and to brainstorm ways to maximize our impact for the next five years and beyond.

We urge the Administration not to rescind the BLM Methane Waste Rule. It makes sense for our economy, for our health, and for the protection of our natural resources.  The enormous amount of time and resources that went into developing this rule represents the strength and beauty of our democracy.  We urge you not to violate the will of the people by rescinding this important policy.

ACTION ALERT: On Tuesday, January 30 at 2pm ET, the House Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing on H.R. 4532 – a bill which WOULD ELIMINATE BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT. Please join HECHO in standing with the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission's five sovereign tribal nations, including the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, in saying NO TO H.R. 4532.