Blog: Hispanic Heritage Month

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked people on Facebook to share their favorite family memories of outdoor activities, and to post a photo if they could. The response was incredible and confirmed what HECHO proudly represents – the centuries old cultural connection of Hispanics to our public lands. Not only do Hispanics enjoy camping, hunting and the outdoors, for centuries, Hispanics have worked the land, provided sustenance for their families from the land and have been stewards of the land. 

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Blog: National Public Lands Day is Coming Up!

Saturday, September 30 is National Public Lands Day (NPLD)!  Entrance fees will be waived on all federal public lands and many state parks, including some monuments, wildlife refuges, forests, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes, and reservoirs. (Please check with your local parks to confirm!)   These special places belong to all of us.  They are testaments to our nation’s diverse heritage, recreational resources unparalleled in beauty, and economic engines for local communities.

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Blog: HECHO Eagerly Awaits Public Release of Monuments Review

HECHO (Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors) eagerly awaits the public release of Secretary Zinke’s report detailing his recommendations to change a handful of monuments.  Which monuments will be reduced in size and by how much is unclear, as the Administration has yet to release the full report to the public.

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Blog: Udall, Heinrich Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Support Latinos in Conservation

On July 28 U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to introduce a bipartisan resolution that supports the commitment of the Latino community to engage in conservation efforts. The resolution recognizes the contributions of the Latino community to conservation and wildlife protection and urges increased access to public lands for all Americans.

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Blog: Protecting & Enjoying Nevada's Natural Wonders

Most people think of Nevada as the home of the Las Vegas strip – and that’s it. But, there’s so much more to explore in the state. From high alpine wilderness to the floor of the Mojave desert, Nevada is a state of incredible natural diversity known around the world as an exceptional outdoor recreation destination. And the landscape of the state provides a lot more than just recreation and relaxation: it’s also a vital part of the economy, culture, and history.

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Event Recap: HECHO & Friends Clean Up High Point Canyon for Latino Conservation Week

Last week was Latino Conservation Week, when hundreds of events took place around the country to celebrate and honor Hispanics’ ancestral connections to the outdoors and stewardship of the land.  No other event exemplifies this more than the clean-up of High Point canyon in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Northern New Mexico. The event was spearheaded by HECHO Advisory Board Chairman Rock Ulibarri, whose family has lived in the Las Vegas area for seven generations, along with HECHO Advisory Board member Kent Salazar, volunteers from Hermit's Peak Watershed Alliance, Casa Cultura, San Miguel County, and more.  

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Blog: Herencia y Querencia for Our Public Lands

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.

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Statement: HECHO Applauds Senate’s Refusal to Overturn Methane Waste Rule Which Protects Public Health, Conservation, and Saves Taxpayers Millions

“We applaud the Senate for recognizing that this common sense rule should stay in place to cut the waste of publicly owned resources and save millions of taxpayer dollars,” said Camilla Simon, Executive Director of HECHO. “We are grateful to the U.S. Senators who voted for taxpayers and who value our public lands.”

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Blog: Appreciating Public Lands in a Border Community

My 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.

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Statement: Next 100 Coalition Responds to Executive Order Threatening Our Most Diverse and Inclusive National Monuments

The Next 100 Coalition urges the Administration and Congress to use this review to consider what additional designations are necessary to fill in missing elements of our national narrative, as well as represent a future that respects all cultures and engages all people.

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Action Alert: Take Action to Stop the Rollback of Protections for Taxpayers and Public Health

Congress’s effort to rollback the Natural Gas Waste rule would allow the waste of America’s energy resources and more pollution such as ozone that can trigger asthma attacks and worsen emphysema. The BLM’s Natural Gas Waste Rule is widely supported by local officials, businesses, landowners, Latino organizations, taxpayer groups, and others across the U.S. Call your Senator now!

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Guest Blog: The Arizona Schultz Fire & The Incredible Restoration that Followed - One Man’s Story

My 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.

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Press Release: Latino Groups Thank Sen. Cortez Masto for Support of Taxpayers and Clean Air, Urge Sen. Heller to Follow Suit

“We thank Senator Cortez Masto for her quick and timely statement of opposition to overturning the BLM methane rule. She rightly points out that it is ‘irresponsible’ for Congress to overturn a rule that will prevent more than $330 million worth of natural gas from being wasted on public and tribal lands by venting, flaring, and leaking natural gas into the air,” said Al Martinez, HECHO Advisory Board Member.

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Blog: Latino Partnership to Cut Waste and Protect Our Air

Right 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.

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Press Release: Latino groups unite over reducing natural gas waste, concerns for the future of BLM rule

Today, 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.

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Blog: House voted to overturn the BLM methane waste rule; Senate should put a stop to this

Today, the House used a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to block the BLM’s rules to limit natural gas waste. The CRA is a reckless and blunt tool that would prevent any “substantially similar” rule from being issued – allowing the oil and natural gas industry to continue to waste hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of taxpayer owned resources every year.

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