We have a very rich history and a very strong connection to the land. Some people see the land as the topography, the boundaries, maybe mineral rights, a place to exploit. We see the land as where my father was born, where the blood from his umbilical cord soaked into this earth. We have a connection to the land. We have herencia and querencia and querencia is a love for the land.
Read MoreMy experiences growing up not only taught me to respect the land, it also taught me the importance of getting out there. You care more about protecting our land and water when you have a personal relationship with them. Now, I bring that to my work as county supervisor and I organize events that will get the community involved in outdoor recreation.
Read MoreMy family’s been living in the San Francisco Peaks area for three generations and the forest is everything to us. All my life my family would tell stories of the time they spent out on the land. One of my grandfathers was a logger and spent his entire career in the forest. There’s even a legend about a huge mule deer buck my grandpa got at Schultz Pass back in the 40’s. Personally, I’m an avid bow hunter, hiker, and mountain biker. I’m out there all the time. I even combine my mountain biking and hunting, since most of the forest is closed to cars.
Read MoreRight now Congress is threatening to overturn a ruling by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that would save taxpayers millions of dollars and curb harmful pollution from methane waste.
The BLM rule – which HECHO worked hard to help finalize last year -- would curb natural gas waste by requiring new and existing oil and gas operations on public lands to use the most up-to-date technology to capture wasted natural gas that is either released into the atmosphere or burned off, and repair leaks from equipment. To help prevent this important ruling from being overturned, we are partnering with other Latino groups including: the Hispanic Access Foundation; Chispa Nevada; League of Conservation Voters; Mi Familia Vota; and Por la Creación Faith-based Alliance, to educate Congress, the press, and the public about this issue.
Read MoreToday, five Latino groups announced the formation of a new initiative, “Latino Partnership to Cut Waste, Protect Our Health.” The partnership includes Hispanic Access Foundation; HECHO; Chispa Nevada, League of Conservation Voters; Mi Familia Vota; and Por la Creación Faith-based Alliance.
Read More“We call on the new Administration to make it a top priority to protect and conserve our natural resources, and to ensure that oil and gas resources are developed responsibly, with input from local governments and communities.
Read MoreHECHO thanks our nation’s leaders for listening to the many voices that supported the finalizing of the methane rule. Read more about the national thank you letter and HECHO's radio ads applauding the finalization of the rule.
Read MoreThe following is a statement from Camilla Simon, Executive Director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) on the reports that president-elect Donald Trump will nominate Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) as Secretary of the Interior.
Read MoreOn November 11, the Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management finalized the long-awaited Methane and Waste Prevention Rule. The following is a statement from Camilla Simon, Executive Director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) in support of this announcement.
Read MoreOn October 25, the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners resolved to support the Bureau of Land Management’s rule to charge royalties on wasted methane—the primary component of natural gas—on federal and tribal lands. The resolution addresses the serious problem of methane waste, which is impacting state revenues, harming the environment and threatening the health of New Mexicans.
Read MoreThe Latino Conservation Alliance released the following statement upon the introductions of Latino Conservation Resolutions in the US House of Representatives and Senate.
Read MoreThere’s no doubt that the oil and gas sector is an essential source of jobs and revenue to the state of New Mexico. It is a critical part of our economy. At the same time, New Mexico can’t afford to tie its fiscal health, and the welfare of our schools, colleges, and universities to the boom-and-bust cycles of fossil fuel markets.
Read MoreThe Latino community needs to be represented in conversations, forums, and formal consultations that are helping shape the next 100 years of our public lands. Our communities’ heritage, inter-generational wisdom, values and practices should be incorporated into the vision and implementation of public lands management plans.
Read MoreDecision-making about where to drill typically excludes diverse stakeholders, including Latino communities that hunt, fish, camp, and use public lands. As a result, our access to public lands for recreation, subsistence, education, and traditional cultural uses are impeded. And, worse yet, sometimes the landscape, wildlife, or water is irreparably damaged.
Read MoreAn example of good planning and incorporating diverse voices in the management of public lands can be seen in the Heritage Area in Yuma, Arizona on the border with the state of California. In this area, adjacent to the Colorado River, wetlands have been restored and space has been created for family life and contact with nature. Development and management of the project has had major participation from Latino communities who have lived in the area for generations and know, inhabit, and have close links with the region. Today, we are proud of this space where natural beauty, conservation, cultural traditions and recreational spaces are merged.
Read MoreThe Centennial of the National Park Service is a time for all Americans to celebrate, enjoy, and engage in the conservation of our nation’s public lands. It is also a time to call upon federal government agencies to engage multicultural communities, including the Latino community, in the decision-making process and management of public lands to reflect the diversity and changing cultural landscape of America.
Read MoreOne way to get involved in the management of our public lands is through Resource Advisory Councils (RACs), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has established 31 of them in the western states. What makes RACs unique is that they are required to be made up of community members who represent various backgrounds and experiences.
Read MoreIndependence 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreLast 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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