Education, the Pillar for Protecting Our Natural Resources and Public Lands in Southern Colorado and the Entire American Southwest

By Donald Valdez, HECHO Advisory Board member and Colorado State Representative.

It is said that the foundation of any successful state is the education of its citizens. That is why education is such an important pillar when it comes to protecting our natural resources and public lands in southwestern states like Colorado. When it comes to the conservation and protection of water and public lands in the San Luis Valley, I have seen first-hand how education is the key to protecting these natural resources for future generations. Looking at the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range behind my family’s farm, I can only admire these natural wonders in the Valley and feel immensely grateful to live here. However, my feeling of querencia, or a love for the land, comes from the education my family and community instilled in me growing up. It helped me to cultivate “el amor por la tierra y agua”, the love for the land and water.

For us in the Valley, rich soil and clean water are vital not only for growing crops or feeding livestock, but they are precious natural resources that we do not take for granted. That is why the right education is so essential when it comes to the protection of water and land throughout the American Southwest, because every person is a caretaker for these natural resources as well. 

You see, the education about the stewardship and conservation of our land and water starts not within traditional school walls, but outside of them. It begins at home, in the early years of one’s life. It is passed down from generation to generation. As a farmer, hunter, rancher, and fifth-generation Coloradan, I am proud to have learned the traits of stewardship from a young age. This education of stewardship to this day provides me with the tools needed to advocate effectively for the community my family and I have lived in for generations.

Unfortunately, lack of meaningful public land and water management policy puts our natural resources at risk. We, as humans, are continuing to erode our lands faster than any other natural disaster in time, because we are using some of our best public lands for development right now. Those actions are taking away our natural resources like water and land. And yes, we do need housing and infrastructure, but we also need to plan for the future. We have to think not only about the now, but more importantly, about tomorrow.

This is why partners like HECHO are so important in this critical moment. I am thankful for HECHO’s advocacy towards permanently protecting natural resources on a federal level, while also providing the education needed to get more people in the United States to know more about the water supply challenges on the Colorado River, and the devastating effects in has in places like the San Luis Valley.

As we continue to urge our elected and appointed leaders to safeguard our precious public lands and natural resources in Washington, we must also remember to educate ourselves daily on how we can do our part in taking care of our natural resources and public lands. By doing so, we can stand united with our communities in Southern Colorado and in the entire American Southwest to guarantee that our public lands and all of our natural resources are protected for the next generation now more than ever.