HECHO Requests Consideration of Hispanic Concerns Raised Regarding the Caja Del Rio National Monument Proposal

This public comment from HECHO was read by Santa Fe Commissioner Camilla Bustamante, a member of HECHO's Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC), to the Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners on December 9, 2024. Watch video here.

Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) is committed to amplifying Hispanic voices and ensuring meaningful participation in public lands management decisions that impact Hispanic communities. As a longstanding member of the Caja del Rio Coalition, HECHO has consistently advocated for the permanent protection of this significant landscape.

We urge the Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners to carefully consider and incorporate the perspectives and concerns of local traditional Hispanic communities in its letter of request to the Biden Administration for the designation of the Caja del Rio as a national monument. Any protection action must honor the deep historical and cultural connections Hispanic traditional communities have with the land. For Hispanic communities, the concept of querencia represents a profound love and stewardship of the land that goes beyond a user group – it is an intrinsic connection to place and heritage. 

If a National Monument becomes the chosen method for Caja del Rio, HECHO advocates for preserving and protecting the traditional land uses that have been integral to Hispanic American communities for generations.