Independence Day is a time to reflect on our freedom and outdoor traditions. We are lucky to have vast public lands that belong to every American, and we are proud to protect these lands for future generations.
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The methane also creates harmful smog, which has increased asthma attacks and aggravated lung diseases, especially devastating the state’s Latino population, which is three times more likely to die from asthma than any other racial or ethnic group. Fortunately, we are now on a better path.
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Last week brought some very good news for New Mexicans. In a unanimous ruling, the San Miguel County Board of Commissioners resolved to support the Bureau of Land Management’s rules to charge royalties on wasted methane – the primary component of natural gas – on federal and tribal lands.
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Let’s call on President Obama to issue a Presidential Memorandum to ensure that the second century of conservation in America reflects the full diversity of our nation’s citizens; respects the historical, cultural and spiritual stories and unique contributions of all Americans; and actively engages all people.
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The Ulibarri side of my family was one of the original 36 families that settled in Las Vegas, New Mexico and my mother’s side of the family is a mix of Apache and French Canadian (as a result of the cavalry in southern New Mexico). Our ancestry and heritage is assimilated from the Native American community, so we see ourselves as caretakers of the land, not owners. Indigenous DNA runs through us and makes us uninterested in developing or exploiting the land. The land is sacred. The blood from my father’s umbilical cord is soaked into this land and his mother before him and her mother before that.
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Each year in New Mexico, $101 million in natural gas is wasted on public lands through venting, flaring, and equipment leaks. As hunters and anglers, we use every bit of what we kill or catch. Surprisingly, New Mexico State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn is against common-sense rules to curb and capture natural gas waste. We call on Commissioner Dunn to support efforts to rein in waste on public lands and ensure New Mexicans get their fair share of revenues from the mining of our publicly owned resources.
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“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.”
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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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On 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.
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America'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.
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Lupe 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.
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On 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.
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HECHO 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.
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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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Throughout 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.
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The 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?
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Enjoying 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.
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The 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.
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We 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.
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HECHO 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.
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