Mesa City Councilmember Francisco Heredia represents District 3.
Mesa is the third largest city in Arizona with a diverse population of over 518,000 people. As this number increases, it is urgent that we prioritize solutions to curb the impacts of the climate crisis so that we can build the safety and resilience our communities deserve.
The City of Mesa is taking action to make sustainable improvements for our residents, and have released a Climate Action Plan to protect and conserve Mesa’s environment and natural resources.. To bolster this effort, we need to make investments that tackle the climate crisis, and have tangible benefits for Arizonans. Fortunately, Congress is working on a bill, the Build Back Better Act, that would make a difference for our city and state that will mitigate wildfires and protect forests and watersheds, address drought impacts and land and water issues, and act boldly on the climate crisis, and we need Senator Kelly and Senator Sinema to support it.
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By: Coconino County Supervisor, District 2, Jeronimo Vasquez
For as long as I can remember, the outdoors has been an interwoven element of my life. For my family, it was something that we were always mindful of and it informed so many of the values that I continue to carry in my life today. I also come from a family of educators and they instilled in me the importance of education, community, and youth programming. Looking back now, my career aligns with so much of the teachings they shared with me.
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By Arizona State Representative Alma Hernandez
I was born and raised on the South Side of Tucson. My father grew up on a farm in Van Nuys, California and my mother emigrated from Nogales, Mexico. I’m the youngest of three, and proud to carry the strength and resiliency of my ancestry and my community. The district that I’m from and also represent is predominantly Hispanic and low-income. Our community is beautiful, with vendor-lined streets and a strong sentiment of care.
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The Build Back Better Act passed the House of Representatives with bold investments to Create Jobs, Restore Public Lands, Act on Climate, and Reform the Federal Gas Leasing Program
(Arizona/Washington, DC) -- A group of Hispanic and Hispanic-serving community and elected leaders, including Hispanics Enjoying Camping Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO), sent a letter to Members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources urging them to pass the Build Back Better Act with nature-based investments that will restore natural systems, protect communities against climate-fueled disasters, create millions of jobs, and reform the federal oil and gas leasing program.
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In November 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law. The IIJA included transformative financial investments in drinking water infrastructure that will eliminate lead pipes and service lines across the county, and make necessary improvements for Arizonans.
In addition to funding for the removal of lead pipes, several other key IIJA provisions support clean water infrastructure through grants to municipalities including $1.4 billion for sewer overflow and stormwater reuse and $125 million for alternative water source projects. The impact of this funding will be resiliency against drought through projects that increase groundwater recharge, stormwater capture and reuse, and water recycling and ensures that municipalities have the needed infrastructure to properly manage polluted stormwater.
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The report follows a comprehensive review of federal leasing practices and priorities and highlights how the oil and gas industry has benefitted at the expense of taxpayers, wildlife, and public lands.
Today the Department of the Interior (DOI) released a long-awaited report on the state of the federal oil and gas leasing program and includes a path forward to bring the program into the 21st century so that it works for everybody.
“For too long, our oil and gas leasing program has been utilizing outdated practices that have long-term implications for the health, stewardship, and economics of our public lands. We are excited to see that the DOI has put forward recommendations that address long-standing problems with an antiquated leasing program. Congress should use this report as a guide for reforming the fiscal policies of federal oil and gas leasing program as part of the Build Back Better Act,” said Camilla Simon, Executive Director, Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO).
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Washington D.C. -- President Biden has signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, the largest federal investment focusing on tackling the climate crisis, setting a precedent for the protection of our communities, health, and landscapes.
Addressing the climate crisis by creating jobs, advancing environmental justice, and highlighting outdoor economies, it will enhance our existing infrastructure making it resilient against the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events with key investments to protect against droughts, heat, floods, and wildfires. Water systems, roads, bridges, power infrastructure, public transit, and railway systems will receive much-needed updates to create safe, efficient, and climate-friendly solutions. It’ll tackle legacy pollution, build a national network of electric vehicle chargers, and deploy cutting-edge energy technology to achieve a zero-emissions future.
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HECHO was created to ensure that Hispanic and Latinx communities have a voice in the public-land management process. Since our inception, we’ve worked hard to make sure that Hispanic and Latinx leaders and communities have a seat at the decision-making table when it comes to energy development, the management of federal lands, conservation funding, and the permanent protection of important landscapes across the West.
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I have always carried a deep connection to the outdoors. I was born in a rural town in Michoacán, Mexico which is where my indigenous identity is rooted; and I grew up in Fort Bragg, California, a small town nestled between the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the great Redwood Forest. It wasn’t uncommon for friends and I to walk to the quiet beaches after school or on a weekend morning. In middle school, I joined a climbing and hiking club which would often explore the adjacent streams and rolling hills of Jackson State Forest. In high school, I ran cross country. Through that sport I was lucky enough to spend afternoons running on coastal trails, and at times traveling inland to run through vineyards, and around serene lakes. I very much enjoyed my time connecting to nature in the area of California that I grew up in. Even today, I find that when life gets a little too hectic, nothing grounds me quite like nature.
Read MoreContact: Amy Dominguez, Communications Coordinator, Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO); 801-928-9157, amy@hechoonline.org
Flagstaff — In Arizona, where unprecedented weather events, such as devastating wildfires, drought, record heatwaves and flashfloods dominated headlines in 2021, nature-based infrastructure solutions in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act present an opportunity to keep communities and natural landscapes safe from the climate-driven impacts that are sweeping the nation today.
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