Joint Press Release: Comments Signed by 115k+ People Submitted to Interior Department Urging Reforms to Federal Oil and Gas Leasing to Protect Public Lands, Oceans, Taxpayers, and Wildlife

This piece originally appeared as a press statement on April 15, 2021.

By Nolan Bush | 04/15/2021

Western, ocean, and conservation groups emphasize important opportunity to modernize the federal government’s antiquated leasing program Today, 28 leading conservation, ocean, and western advocacy organizations announced that they have shared more than 115,000 combined signatures with the Department of the Interior in support of their pause and review of the federal oil and gas leasing program. These signatures were collected in just a few weeks, during this first opportunity to provide feedback to the administration on how they can fix the broken federal leasing system so it works for everyone.

Press Releases/Statements, Oil & GasadminApril 15, 2021Joint Press Release, Oil and Gas, Public LandsComment

Statement: “We’re the ones we’ve been waiting on,” a recap of our Clean Economy and Justice Roundtable

Thursday, March 25, 2021 – Leaders from across the nation joined Thursday evening’s Clean Energy Economy and Justice Roundtable, calling for policy changes that would center the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities, while holding the administration accountable to implement these changes.

Statement: In Solidarity with Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander Community Members

As the COVID-19 pandemic surges in the United States, so has racist rhetoric against Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander community members. According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, anti-Asian hate crimes have surged by 149% from 2019 to 2020.

Press Releases/StatementsGuest UserMarch 16, 2021StatementComment

Statement: Senator Cortez Masto 2021 Bill Would End Speculative Leasing on Our Public Lands

Today Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sponsored the End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021 that would prevent oil and gas speculators from leasing public lands that offer little to no potential for energy development.

Our nation’s public lands, and the people and wildlife who rely on them, face unprecedented challenges. Among them is the threat of speculative leasing, a destructive practice that allows oil and gas companies to tie up public lands with little to no potential for development in long-term leases. Speculative leasing not only wastes important government resources, but it also puts critical wildlife habitat in harm’s way, and hinders public access to the great outdoors, threatening important opportunities to connect with the landscape that is home to valuable cultural landmarks. Thankfully, it is not too late to stop this.

Press Releases/Statements, Oil & GasGuest UserMarch 4, 2021Statement, Oil and Gas, Leasing Reform, Public LandsComment

Statement: Inauguration Day 2021 Breaks Barriers

History was made today as we watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, our nation’s first woman, and woman of color to take office as VP.

In 2021, Americans turned out in record numbers despite a global pandemic, high unemployment, and social unrest to cast their ballots in support of President Biden and Vice President Harris, marking a new opportunity to unite our country in a fair and equitable manner.

Press Releases/StatementsadminJanuary 20, 2021StatementComment

Statement: Insurrection at U.S. Capitol

Washington D.C. -- Last week, we witnessed the consequences of the dissemination of misinformation, and the perpetuation of white supremacy in the violence enacted at the U.S. Capitol.

Like many of you, we were shocked and saddened as we watched insurrection ensue, our nation’s Capitol breached by white nationalist groups and others who were emboldened by the leader of our country to undermine our fair and honest elections. To see the mob fight their way into the Capitol, and to learn that our country’s leaders were evacuated for their safety, was surreal. It was absolutely jarring and unacceptable.

Press Releases/StatementsCamilla SimonJanuary 15, 2021StatementComment

Press Release: Practicing cultural traditions on public lands safely should be right for all vs. privilege for few

Albuquerque, New Mexico (December 27, 2020) -- Following the holiday at Petroglyph National Monument, a Navajo and Oneida man named Darrell House was repeatedly tased by a National Park Service ranger for stepping off-trail to maintain social distancing protocols when he noticed a crowd walking in his direction.

The site plays an important role for Indigenous people, and was designated after Native American activists sought to protect the stone carvings from vandalism and land development. House visited the national monument to pray before the petroglyphs, and to collect earth for ceremonies.

Statement: A Record Year for Voter Registration and Turnout, HECHO Congratulates President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris

HECHO is proud of the work that took place across the country to encourage communities to vote in what was a landmark year for voter turnout. We congratulate President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, and look forward to advancing opportunities to build connection to our nation’s precious landscapes, advocating for access to public lands, climate change solutions, environmental justice, and more.

Press Releases/StatementsCamilla SimonNovember 13, 2020Statement, Latino VoteComment

Press Release: Judge's Removal of Pendley a Win for Public Lands

Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2020) — Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO), stands by the decision of the federal court ruling that William Perry Pendley has been illegally serving the Department of the Interior. HECHO is a strong proponent for the protection of our nation’s public lands, lands that Pendley fought to sell-off and dispose of by prioritizing mining in special places like the Grand Canyon National Park.

Press Release: The Great American Outdoors Act Passes the House of Representatives

With strong bipartisan backing, the Great American Outdoors Act today passed the House of Representatives and is one step closer to becoming law.

The landmark legislation fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which will address the maintenance backlog in our national parks and public lands, as well as allocating funding to parks and habitat projects.

HECHO commends the members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have come together to protect our nation’s state and local parks, trails, recreation facilities and public lands, fortifying our connection to our nation's diverse landscapes.

Statement: Trump Administration Weakens Key Standards under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

July 15, 2020 – As the country grapples with COVID-19, the Trump Administration announced a new final rule for the NEPA, the law that requires federal agencies to review and diagnose environmental, economic, social, or health impacts of all federal projects before construction begins. HECHO Executive Director Camilla Simon released the following statement:

Press Releases/StatementsGuest UserJuly 15, 2020Statement, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)Comment

Press Release: HECHO Celebrates Senate Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act

June 17, 2020 -- Today, HECHO is celebrating alongside countless others the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) by the U.S. Senate. An act of bipartisanship (73-25) marks a major milestone for full and consistent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects and increases access to public lands and national parks, and addresses the significant maintenance backlog in our national parks.

Statement: In Solidarity Against Racism

We grieve the loss of George Floyd. His treatment by the police was inhumane, and the egregious abuse he suffered in police custody killed him. His death is a stark wakeup call that there is much work to do in the ongoing fight against racism and the battle for justice. We are part of a collective struggle, and stand in solidarity with the movements taking place across the nation bringing attention to the injustice our Black community members experience.

Press Releases/StatementsCamilla SimonJune 8, 2020Statement, JEDIComment

Joint Press Release: Conservation, civic organizations file amicus brief of stream access rule to state Supreme Court

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (New Mexico Wild, alternatively), the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico, Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors, and the Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project have filed an amicus brief with the New Mexico Supreme Court in support of a petition asking the Court to invalidate a rule passed in the final days of the Susana Martinez administration that limits public access to New Mexico’s rivers, streams and lakes and risks privatizing many of the waterways enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts and traditional users.

Press Releases/StatementsadminApril 29, 2020New Mexico, Access, Water, Joint Press ReleaseComment

Press Release: New Recommendations Risk Public Health and Safety, Invites Uranium Mining at the Grand Canyon

FLAGSTAFF (April 23, 2020)—Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) opposed new recommendations released today from the Nuclear Fuels Working Group citing the audacity of its claims that the U.S. Government ought to “revive and strengthen the uranium mining industry” by streamlining “land access for uranium extraction”—a move that could open up uranium mining outside the Grand Canyon.

Statement: HECHO Statement on Halting Enforcement of Pollution Regulations Amid Public Health Crisis Despite Link Between Air Pollution and Covid-19 Deaths

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.

Press Releases/StatementsadminApril 22, 2020Statement, Utah, Pollution, Mark Archuleta Wheatley, Advisory BoardComment

Statement: HECHO Commends Bipartisan Senate Effort to Ensure Full Funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund

Yesterday, March 10, 2020, 56 U.S. Senators introduced legislation that would support full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The proposed bill, named The Great American Outdoors Act, would fully fund LWCF in addition to supporting national parks and public lands by addressing maintenance backlogs.

Press Release: Village of Pecos, City of Española, and Town of Taos Vote to Support Wildlife Corridors

The Village of Pecos, City of Española, and Town of Taos council members unanimously approved resolutions this week supporting the protection of wildlife corridors in the Upper Rio Grande region. The resolutions also urge Congress to support the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2019 that would serve to protect wildlife corridors nationally. Pecos, Española, and Taos join Rio Arriba, San Miguel, and Santa Fe Counties in passing wildlife corridor resolutions this summer.

Press Release: Rio Arriba County Commission Joins Growing List of Counties Unanimously Passing Wildlife Corridor Resolutions

RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, NM – Today members of the Rio Arriba County Commission unanimously approved a resolution in support of the protection of wildlife corridors in the Upper Rio Grande Region. The resolution also urges Congress to support the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act that would protect wildlife corridors nationally.

Press Release: Santa Fe and San Miguel County Commissions Pass Wildlife Corridor Resolutions

The Santa Fe and San Miguel County Commissions on Tuesday both unanimously endorsed resolutions in support of protecting wildlife corridors in the upper Rio Grande Basin. The resolutions also urge Congress to support pending legislation to protect wildlife corridors nationwide.

"Passing the Wildlife Migration Corridor Resolutions at this level sets a precedent, showing communities that our traditions, culture, and uses of these lands are valuable," Ulibarri said. "With so many barriers to migration patterns like highways and other urbanizing development, these corridors ensure the protection of genetic diversity, and the continuation of species.”

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