Blog: The Safety and Resilience of Our Communities Depends on Bold Investments in the Build Back Better Act

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.

HECHO: Year End Review

Guest UserDecember 20, 2021Comment

Guest Blog: Building the Community We’d Like to See in Coconino County, Arizona

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.

Guest Blog: The Connecting Power of Time Spent Outdoors

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.

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.

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.

adminNovember 29, 2021Water, Land & Water Management, Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, Arizona, BlogComment

Statement: HECHO Applauds Interior Department’s Recommendations to Reform Broken, Antiquated Oil and Gas Leasing Program

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).

Press Releases/Statements, Oil & GasGuest UserNovember 26, 2021Statement, Deb Haaland, Public Lands, Oil and Gas, Leasing Reform, Build Back BetterComment

Statement: House Passes Build Back Better Act, Largest Climate Investment in U.S. History

Press Releases/StatementsGuest UserNovember 19, 2021Statement, Build Back Better, Build Back Better Act, Public Lands, Climate Change, Renewable EnergyComment

Statement: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Signed into Law

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.

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.

MonumentsadminNovember 10, 2021Blog, Environmental Justice (EJ), Public Lands, Monumental SHIFTComment

Guest Blog: From the Redwood Forest to the Halls of Congress

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.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerOctober 30, 2021Blog, Public Lands, Environmental Justice (EJ), HECHO StaffComment

Press Release: Build Back Better Act and Nature-Based Infrastructure Could Protect, Restore, and Rebuild Arizona’s Natural Landscapes

Contact: 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.

Statement: HECHO Celebrates Restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments

Today, President Biden restored Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, carrying out a campaign promise to protect more than 2 million acres of national public lands, and making good on his America the Beautiful initiative.

For time immemorial, Bears Ears National Monument has been stewarded by the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni, who have been advocating for the protection of this culturally and archeologically significant landscape. Together, they are the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, and they recently published a letter to the White House urging protection for the sacred site where religious ceremonies continue to take place. President Biden’s announcement comes on the eve of Indigenous People’s Day and evokes the importance of prioritizing Indigenous perspectives in the management of our public lands.

Guest Blog: Developing a Passion for Protecting Landscapes

I grew up in the very busy metropolitan city of Bogota, Colombia, and the majority of my time was spent going to the mall or school. Once in a while, my family and I would take trips to the countryside to see beautiful scenery and enjoy the wonderful biodiversity, but as a kid, I was more interested in my Nintendo than engaging with the nature around me.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerAugust 31, 2021Blog, Public Lands, HECHO StaffComment

Blog: Budget Reconciliation Process Breakdown

Congress’ proposed $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill is a bold investment in America. It follows the already historic $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan, known as the INVEST in America Act, and plans for wider-ranging investments. Chief among these are investments to address climate change that build upon the infrastructure developments planned under the INVEST in America Act. In particular, the investments under the budget reconciliation bill will provide the country with much-needed help for critical restoration and resilience projects aimed at reducing drought and forest fires, and would support meaningful progress on environmental justice while creating millions of jobs.

Guest BloggerAugust 31, 2021Blog, Climate Change, Public Lands, Environmental Justice (EJ), The HillComment

Statement: DOI’s Expansion of Outdoor Recreation Opportunities for Hunting and Fishing Opportunity to Foster Legacy of Stewardship

WASHINGTON – Today the Department of the Interior announced the largest expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities in recent history by allocating 2.1 million acres of public lands for hunting, sport fishing, and other outdoor recreation opportunities such as nature watching and environmental education.

The expansion aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative to restore and conserve 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030.

Action Alert: Public Lands, Wildlife, and Tribes Left Behind?

Action AlertGuest UserAugust 5, 2021Public Lands, Wildlife, Bipartisan Infrastructure PackageComment

Guest Blog: The Legacy of my Family's Love for the Outdoors Lives On

I grew up in Trinidad, Colorado – an old western town settled as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. As a result, it has been a mining community and a cattle town. I’ve always appreciated its history, the grit it must have taken to survive and thrive. Because of the way Trinidad was settled, and the industries that began here, it was a microcosm of different cultures.

In the late sixties, my father arrived from northern New Mexico after receiving a full-ride scholarship to the University of Denver School of Law. He was the first in his family to pursue and graduate with a law degree. Soon after graduating, my parents moved to Trinidad. My father was deeply respected and was even elected to two terms as District Attorney. He also served as County Attorney for Las Animas County before he and my mother opened several businesses in Trinidad. They embraced life here and were beloved by their community. Their appreciation of Trinidad was something they made sure to pass on to my siblings and me.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerJuly 26, 2021Blog, Colorado, Public Lands, Environmental Justice (EJ), Outdoor Recreation, Carlos Lopez, AccessComment

Guest Blog: Building Community and Sharing our Outdoor Connections During Latino Conservation Week

This piece originally appeared as a blog post on July 21, 2021 via The National Wildlife Federation during Latino Conservation Week.

By Bianca McGrath-Martinez | 07/21/2021

Saturday, July 17th marked the start of the 8th annual celebration of Latino Conservation Week, which is an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation created to support Latinx communities getting into the outdoors and participating in activities that protect our natural resources.

Guest Blog: Looking to the Past to Guide our Present and Future

I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is right on the Texas Gulf Coast. I came from a family that did not have a lot of money, so we did a lot of outdoor things like car camping, fishing, and hiking. The hunting we did was for our own livelihood. My father made it a priority to instill an appreciation for all the things the land offers us, clean air, clean water, and wildlife. These values have informed the conservation practices that have carried on into my life, that I have passed to my own children, and that I look forward to sharing with my grandchildren.

Guest BlogGuest BloggerJune 28, 2021Blog, Public Lands, Utah, Maria Stillman Farrington, HECHO Advisory BoardComment

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