This piece originally appeared as a press statement on May 4, 2021 via susieLee.house.gov
By Zoe Shepherd | 05/04/2021
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Susie Lee (NV-03) introduced the End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act. This bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), would promote more appropriate land-use management by prohibiting oil and gas leasing on public lands that are determined by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have little to no potential for energy development. The bill would also reprioritize the BLM’s administration of these lands for more appropriate purposes, such as wildlife habitat preservation, outdoor recreation, mining, grazing, and renewable energy development.
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This piece originally appeared as a Letter to the editor in The Las Vegas Sun on January 8, 2021.
By HECHO National Advisory Board Member, and Nevada State Senator, Moises Denis — 12/08/2021 2:00 AM PT
In 2020, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources released the Nevada State Climate Strategy, setting in motion the sustainable future Nevadans deserve.
Advancing Nevada’s climate goals has been at the forefront of Gov. Steve Sisolak’s leadership. In 2019, he signed Senate Bill 358 into law, raising our state’s renewable portfolio standard to 50% by 2030. As a primary sponsor of that bill, it was crucial to set this ambitious goal and take action on climate change. It passed unanimously, a major bipartisan accomplishment.
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This piece originally appeared as an op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun Times on September 30, 2020.
By HECHO National Advisory Board Member, and Nevada State Senator, Moises “Mo” Denis — 09/30/2020 2:00 AM MDT
Growing up, I was shaped by my time outdoors, hiking and camping with my family. Now, I’ve made it a priority to keep myself and my children connected to the outdoors, both for recreation and as a place of respite and rejuvenation from the fast pace of life.
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Nevada is a state that has long been in the interests of fossil fuel extraction companies. Under the current administration, there have been more than 1.8 million acres of federal land put up for leasing since March of 2017, yet oil production has continued to be futile in the state. People in Nevada recognize the need to take valuable steps to ensure resilience for their communities and has proven the case for responsible and renewable energy production on public lands and a step in the right direction.
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More than 30 students and community leaders gathered at Springs Preserve despite rain showers for HECHO’s second Public Lands and Climate Leadership workshop to build knowledge about how public lands management impacts climate change, and create awareness around the local impacts of climate change in the community.
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I grew up in southern Nevada in the Las Vegas area. At that time Las Vegas was already a very casino-centric town – with not a lot of entertainment options for families. So for my parents who had small kids, public lands was a way to entertain us. We spent a lot of weekends discovering new places.
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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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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.
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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!
Raul 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.
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HECHO 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.
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I 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.
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We need to provide our children with the things that make life worth living, and getting out and participating in the outdoors is very important for that.
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During my childhood in Las Vegas I got to enjoy regular family outings to a slew of landscapes, from deserts and dry lakebeds, to marshland and forests. I remember gazing upon breathtaking sights that expanded my outlook on life and put into perspective my place in nature.
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