Guest Blog: Teaching Our Kids to Fish and Hunt: A Generations-old Tradition

Sylvia Lovato Huereña loves nothing more than to watch a child fish for the first time. She had this experience with her own children, her 10 grandchildren, and countless others. “When a child goes out to the lake and catches their first fish, at first they’re terrified to grab it when it’s jumping all over,” she said. “But then the amount of joy in their eyes is one of the most profound moments.” In addition to teaching them how to hold a fishing pole and pull the hook out of the fish’s mouth, she and her husband Lupe also let them know that whatever they kill they have to eat; and that they should leave the lake in better condition than they found it.

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Blog: Enjoying the Outdoors, October 2018

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!

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Blog: Celebrating the 112th Anniversary of the Antiquities Act with Max Trujillo

This month we’re celebrating the 112th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, a law enacted and first used by President Theodore Roosevelt. Sixteen presidents (8 Republicans and 8 Democrats) have taken action to preserve our American heritage by designating places of cultural and historical significance as national monuments—places such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, César E. Chávez National Monument, Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

As we recognize this legacy of preserving these places that has lasted well over a century, we joined up with the new group Artemis Sportswomen for a conversation with two New Mexicans active in conservation. Max Trujillo from HECHO and Christine Gonzales from Artemis were kind enough to hop on the phone and share their experiences with public lands and conservation and reflect on the importance of why we protect the places we love.

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Press Release: State Control of Oil & Gas on Public Lands Amounts to Transfer

At HECHO, we support making public lands management more responsive to local communities and diverse stakeholders. However, this bill would not only give states ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ over oil and gas development on our public lands, but it would also exempt states from following our laws requiring public involvement and reviews.

There’s no guarantee that states would provide the same opportunities for public comment or conduct the kind of environmental analysis that the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service do. This bill amounts to a de facto transfer of national public lands to the states, and we are very much opposed to it.

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Press Release: Congress Must Reject Shortsighted Public Land Bills

“We’ve been asking for commonsense updates to oil and gas leasing policies established in the 1920s for years, but this proposal is a loser. The fees we should be raising are oil and gas royalty rates, which currently offer up our public lands at rock bottom rates.

We at HECHO value both our public lands and our voices. This policy of ‘pay to say’ would not only charge $150 or more just to object to an oil and gas lease on public lands, but it would also have a chilling effect on our constitutional right to petition our government. Our deep ties to the land and generations-old traditions on the land compel us, as stewards, to reject any attempt to drown out our voices, especially when it comes to decisions being made about our public lands.

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Guest Blog: Why We Need a Sense of Place

There’s a lot less environmental education now because of the modernization and the comforts we bring into our cities. Historically Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado have been land-based cultures. We lived more sustainably and had more appreciation for what the land had to offer. Now we don’t need to worry about how much water is in the mountains because we buy our vegetables from the store.  Read more about what Dr. Eric Romero is doing to help educate young people about the importance of having a sense of place.

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Blog: Want to Have a Voice in Public Lands Policy? Now is the Time to Apply!

Believe it or not, some good news has come out of Washington recently related to public lands. On March 23, President Trump signed the omnibus spending bill, which included a two-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act (SRS Act). This is hugely important for supporting schools in rural areas, as well as road maintenance and Forest Service Resource Advisory Committees (RACs), which are solely funded by this bill. Want to get involved? Find out how.

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Statement: HECHO Joins Other Latino Organizations in Saying "No" to Rescinding Methane Waste Rule

Today HECHO sent two letters to the Department of the Interior saying “no” to rescinding the BLM Methane Waste and Prevention Rule. One letter was sent by HECHO alone, and the other was signed by 16 Latino organizations all in opposition to this proposed change.

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Statement: Local Elected Officials Urge Administration not to Repeal Methane Waste Rule

On April 10 the San Miguel County Board in Northern New Mexico unanimously passed a resolution opposing the BLM’s proposed repeal of the Methane Waste Rule, intended to reduce methane leaking, venting and flaring from oil and gas operations.  Introduced by HECHO Board Chair and County Commissioner Rock Ulibarri, the resolution was prompted by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s refusal to hold hearings on the repeal of this important Rule, which would save New Mexico approximately $10 million per year in revenue that could be used for education and other infrastructure.

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Statement: Trump & Zinke, Do Not Rescind the BLM Methane Waste Rule

We urge the Administration not to rescind the BLM Methane Waste Rule. It makes sense for our economy, for our health, and for the protection of our natural resources.  The enormous amount of time and resources that went into developing this rule represents the strength and beauty of our democracy.  We urge you not to violate the will of the people by rescinding this important policy.

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Blog: “Energy Dominance” Policy on our Public Lands, Not Popular in the West

The 2018 Colorado College Conservation in the West Poll was just released last month, finding that the Trump Administration’s energy and environmental polices are unpopular in the West.  It also reconfirmed what HECHO already knows – that more and more Latinos are identifying as conservationist.  Here are some highlights from this year’s poll that we thought you’d be interested in.

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Blog: HECHO Board Member Kent Salazar Hard at Work – and Play - in New Mexico

HECHO Board Member Kent Salazar,  lifelong resident of New Mexico and an avid hunter and outdoorsman, has been busy lobbying for important conservation bills in the state legislature.  Just a 30-day session in 2018 (New Mexico’s legislative sessions alternate each year between 30- and 60-day sessions), there is a lot to do in a short amount of time!

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Action Alert: Bears Ears National Monument Under Attack

ACTION ALERT: On Tuesday, January 30 at 2pm ET, the House Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing on H.R. 4532 – a bill which WOULD ELIMINATE BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT. Please join HECHO in standing with the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission's five sovereign tribal nations, including the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, in saying NO TO H.R. 4532.

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Guest Blog: The Outdoors Is My Second Home by Rose Ann Contreras Atherton (Plus my favorite wild game green chili recipe!)

Read the story of Rose Ann Contreras Atherton, whose second home is the outdoors - plus her favorite wild game green chili recipe! "Every Thursday night, like clockwork, my husband, son and I pack up our Fifth Wheel and prepare to head out into the woods the next day," she writes. "During hunting season, we drive a few hours away to our favorite spots looking for deer, elk, and wild turkey. I love the outdoors. I love the smell. I love that you can go for a walk for hours and you see something different every second. You don’t have to answer to anybody.  I can’t even tell you the last time I stayed in a motel – it’s been years."

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Statement: HECHO Condemns President Trump's Announcement to Shrink Monuments

HECHO condemns yesterday's announcement by President Trump that he intends to roll back protections of more public lands than ever before in our history by reducing Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by half.

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Guest Blog: Keeping Our Cultural Connection - Getting Urban Latino Youth into the Great Outdoors

Imagine if you never left your neighborhood. Imagine if you never had the opportunity to hike or camp. Imagine never having seen snow. For many urban Arizona youth, it’s an unfortunate reality. Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo Is an active advocate for these kids because he knows that experiencing the great outdoors has a beneficial impact on a child’s development. Here, he shares his story. (Plus you'll see photos of Free Fishing Day that Supervisor Gallardo organized along with HECHO on October 7!) 

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