Posts by admin
Press Release: Hispanic and Hispanic-Serving Community and Elected Leaders Urge Senate to Pass the Build Back Better Act
Press Release: Hispanic and Hispanic-Serving Community and Elected Leaders Urge Senate to Pass the Build Back Better Act

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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Press Releases/Statements, Oil & GasadminBuild Back Better Act, Build Back Better, Climate Change, Oil and Gas, Arizona, Press ReleaseComment
Blog: Clean Water Provisions in the Reconciliation Bill Helps Arizonans
Blog: Clean Water Provisions in the Reconciliation Bill Helps Arizonans

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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adminWater, Land & Water Management, Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, Arizona, BlogComment
Blog: A new era of monument designations
Blog: A new era of monument designations

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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MonumentsadminBlog, Environmental Justice (EJ), Public Lands, Monumental SHIFTComment
Joint Press Release: Rep. Susie Lee Introduces Bicameral Bill to Promote Appropriate Land-Use Management and Protect Nevada's Public Lands from Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing
Joint Press Release: Rep. Susie Lee Introduces Bicameral Bill to Promote Appropriate Land-Use Management and Protect Nevada's Public Lands from Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing

This piece originally appeared as a press statement on May 4, 2021 via susieLee.house.gov

By Zoe Shepherd | 05/04/2021

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Susie Lee (NV-03) introduced the End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act. This bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), would promote more appropriate land-use management by prohibiting oil and gas leasing on public lands that are determined by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to have little to no potential for energy development. The bill would also reprioritize the BLM’s administration of these lands for more appropriate purposes, such as wildlife habitat preservation, outdoor recreation, mining, grazing, and renewable energy development.

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Press Releases/Statements, Oil & GasadminJoint Press Release, Oil and Gas, Nevada, Representative Susie LeeComment
Statement: 28 Western State and Local Elected Officials Support Biden Administration’s Oil and Gas Leasing Pause, Urge Reform
Statement: 28 Western State and Local Elected Officials Support Biden Administration’s Oil and Gas Leasing Pause, Urge Reform

This week, 28 state and local elected officials -- representing thousands of constituents across the southwestern United States -- sent a letter to the Interior Department and Secretary Deb Haaland in support of their pause and review of the federal oil and gas leasing program. The letter, organized by Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hiking, and the Outdoors (HECHO), comes as the first opportunity for public feedback to the administration closes and the Department prepares its report on the future of the leasing program. Western voters, particularly Latinos, overwhelmingly want oil and gas development on federal public lands to be stopped or strictly limited, not expanded.

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Press Releases/Statements, Oil & GasadminStatement, Public Lands, Oil and Gas, Leasing Reform, Department of Interior (DOI)Comment
Joint Press Release: Comments Signed by 115k+ People Submitted to Interior Department Urging Reforms to Federal Oil and Gas Leasing to Protect Public Lands, Oceans, Taxpayers, and Wildlife
Joint Press Release: Comments Signed by 115k+ People Submitted to Interior Department Urging Reforms to Federal Oil and Gas Leasing to Protect Public Lands, Oceans, Taxpayers, and Wildlife

This piece originally appeared as a press statement on April 15, 2021.

By Nolan Bush | 04/15/2021

Western, ocean, and conservation groups emphasize important opportunity to modernize the federal government’s antiquated leasing program Today, 28 leading conservation, ocean, and western advocacy organizations announced that they have shared more than 115,000 combined signatures with the Department of the Interior in support of their pause and review of the federal oil and gas leasing program. These signatures were collected in just a few weeks, during this first opportunity to provide feedback to the administration on how they can fix the broken federal leasing system so it works for everyone.

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Press Releases/Statements, Oil & GasadminJoint Press Release, Oil and Gas, Public LandsComment
Statement: Inauguration Day 2021 Breaks Barriers
Statement: Inauguration Day 2021 Breaks Barriers

History was made today as we watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, our nation’s first woman, and woman of color to take office as VP.

In 2021, Americans turned out in record numbers despite a global pandemic, high unemployment, and social unrest to cast their ballots in support of President Biden and Vice President Harris, marking a new opportunity to unite our country in a fair and equitable manner.

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Press Releases/StatementsadminStatementComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Victor Silva
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Victor Silva

HECHO spoke with Victor Silva of Tempe, Arizona to learn about his personal connection to the Grand Canyon, his favorite memories there, and why he believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Victor Silva (VS): ​My personal connection to the Grand Canyon is... it's served as sort of a window to the idea of national parks in general, and what they entail, what they represent, what their potential is -- in terms of enrichment….

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Sarah Benatar
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Sarah Benatar

HECHO spoke with Coconino County Treasurer, Sarah Benatar, about her personal connection to the Grand Canyon, her favorite memories there, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Sarah Benatar (SB): My personal connection to Grand Canyon is, it's in my backyard, so to speak. Living in Coconino County, we have the Grand Canyon here, and it’s one of the most amazing things.

I personally think the best parts in the Canyon are the North rim and the South rim. The Grand Canyon is something I find a lot of pride and joy in, especially in that it’s a part of our County. We really get to enjoy it whenever we want….

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Sarah Benatar, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Representative Raquel Terán
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Representative Raquel Terán

HECHO spoke with Representative Raquel Terán of Arizona to learn about her personal connection to the Grand Canyon, her favorite memories there, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Representative Raquel Terán (RT): I had never been to the Grand Canyon growing up. I finally went to visit in my early thirties. It was so easy to just get in the car and go visit the Canyon. It was amazing, and the colors were striking. It was so peaceful, and I remember thinking to myself, how is it possible that we had never driven here before? This wonder is in our backyard and it was just so gorgeous. The Grand Canyon holds the colours of Arizona….

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyon, HCLCadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Arizona, Raquel Terán, Grand Canyon, Uranium MiningComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Isabel Chavez
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Isabel Chavez

HECHO spoke with Isabel Chavez of Phoenix, Arizona to learn about her personal connection to the Grand Canyon, her favorite memories there, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Isabel Chavez (IC): As an Arizona native, my connection to the Grand Canyon is exactly that. It's one of the wonders of the world and it's here in my home state. I think a common thread that I used to share with a lot of native Arizonans is that they had never been there. It wasn't a preferred destination, maybe because of the social economics of my neighborhood, that wasn't an option. When I finally went to the Grand Canyon, I was already older…..

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Morgan Moore
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Morgan Moore

HECHO spoke with Morgan Moore of Phoenix, Arizona to learn about her personal connection to the Grand Canyon, her favorite memories there, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Morgan Moore (MM): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon is rooted both in its place, as well as the people that connect me to it. I grew up in Arizona. I was born and raised here, so I have been to the Grand Canyon plenty of times, mostly with family. I have gone there since I was a toddler. My parents took me, even though my dad was afraid of falling from it…….

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Juliana Huereña
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Juliana Huereña

HECHO spoke with Juliana Huereña of Phoenix, Arizona to learn about her personal connection to the Grand Canyon, her favorite memories there, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Juliana Huereña (JH): So, what is my connection to the Grand Canyon? It is that it was in my backyard and so I was able to take advantage of the wilderness and the opportunities that the Grand Canyon has offered. The beauty of it, the Majestics of it, all of it….

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Mark Cardenas
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Mark Cardenas

HECHO spoke with Advisory Board member Mark Cardenas of Arizona to learn about his personal connection to the Grand Canyon, his favorite memories there, and why he believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Mark Cardenas (MC): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon -- that was where, you know, growing up you would always go on the weekends, to the parks and to go hiking in the mountains, because that was what we could afford. I remember one of the biggest trips that we got to go on was a road trip to the Grand Canyon. I was probably like six or seven years old. was really little, and it was just so amazing that one, we got out of the city and two, there's this huge place that, you know, when you go into the parking lot there's license plates from all around the country…

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, Arizona, Mark Cardenas, Advisory BoardComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Steve Peru
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Steve Peru

HECHO spoke with Steve Peru of Flagstaff, Arizona to learn about his personal connection to the Grand Canyon, his favorite memories there, and why he believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Steve Peru (SP): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon started, and I don't know when it was that our parents took us to the Grand Canyon, but I was probably older than grade school, middle school years. It's probably more exciting to the parent, at the time, than it is to the child. At the same time, given the fact that our parents didn't always have a lot of resources to make that investment of time and money to take the family to the Grand Canyon, it must have been very special to our parents….

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Mesa City Councilmember David Luna
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Mesa City Councilmember David Luna

HECHO spoke with Mesa City Councilmember David Luna to learn about his personal connection to the Grand Canyon, his favorite memories there, and why he believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

David Luna (DL): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon begins with the fact that I'm a native of Arizona, which gives me that personal connection to one of the seven wonders of the world. I’ve had the opportunity to take visitors, relatives, and my grandkids to the Grand Canyon so they could see its majesty, its wonder, its uniqueness, the way one should experience it – in person. The Grand Canyon is something that we truly celebrate here in Arizona.

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyon, HCLCadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, Arizona, David LunaComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Rebecca Chavez-Houck
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Rebecca Chavez-Houck

Rebecca Chavez-Houck (RCH): So, in reflecting on my experiences and my personal connection to the Grand Canyon, I looked at it through some of the different phases of my life. My first recollection of having visited the Grand Canyon was when my husband and I took our daughter on a trip there. I believe that I was expecting our second child and it was during the off season. It is kind of interesting how, when we think about our experiences in the outdoors and we think about going to different, amazing places, incredible places like the Grand Canyon, the experiences kind of fall together….

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, Arizona, Utah, Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Advisory BoardComment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Michael Lerner
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Michael Lerner

HECHO spoke with Michael Lerner of New York, New York to learn about his personal connection to the Grand Canyon, his favorite memories there, and why he believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Michel Lerner (ML): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon is that I've had the privilege and the honor to be there three times as an adult. Once as a kid, but I was honestly too young to really appreciate it. As an adult, I went on a visit to some family friends in Arizona. I'm from New York City so it's not, by any means, nearby but they suggested going there and I wasn't really aware that you could just drive up and get into the best of it without privileges or paying a lot of expensive fares or permits. So, this family friend suggested staying over at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon…..

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment
Press Release: The Great American Outdoors Act Passes the House of Representatives
Press Release: The Great American Outdoors Act Passes the House of Representatives

With strong bipartisan backing, the Great American Outdoors Act today passed the House of Representatives and is one step closer to becoming law.

The landmark legislation fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which will address the maintenance backlog in our national parks and public lands, as well as allocating funding to parks and habitat projects.

HECHO commends the members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have come together to protect our nation’s state and local parks, trails, recreation facilities and public lands, fortifying our connection to our nation's diverse landscapes.

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Press Releases/StatementsadminPress Release, Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)Comment
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Feliz Baca
#MyGrandCanyonStory | Feliz Baca

HECHO spoke with Feliz Baca of Albuquerque, New Mexico to learn about her personal connection to the Grand Canyon, her favorite memories there, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?

Feliz Baca (FB): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon is that I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but split my time between Arizona and New Mexico growing up. Half my life consisted of living in Northern Arizona, in Flagstaff, taking trips to the Grand Canyon with my family. I didn't start exploring the canyon as much until I got a little bit older and went away from the state because, when you're from Arizona, you don't take as much time to truly enjoy the beauty and everything that it has to offer…..

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Guest Blog, Grand Canyonadmin#MyGrandCanyonStory, Grand Canyon, Uranium Mining, ArizonaComment