Hello,

Spring is here and the HECHO team is blooming! We hope that you and your family take the time to enjoy the sounds of songbirds, the woodpeckers drumming, the flowers budding, and that unforgettable smell of Spring.

We couldn’t be more excited for the progress we’ve made so far this year, and we are excited to share what we’ve been working on with you in this month’s newsletter.

In late March, Interior Secretary Haaland visited the border community of El Paso, where she met with community members and Monumental SHIFT coalition members to discuss the designation of Castner Range as a National Monument, an effort that HECHO has supported that will conserve wildlife and provide access to public lands to a majority Hispanic community.

Earlier in March, HECHO’s staff came together to meet in Denver to discuss strategic planning, campaign planning, and the management and development of our organization’s growing Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC). We had the opportunity to meet with our colleagues at the National Wildlife Federation and convene HECHO’s Advisory Board for the first time in years – it felt great to be in community and to engage in short, mid, and long-term planning efforts.

Prior to the March convening, I had the opportunity to visit Oak Flat, or Chi’chil Bildagoteel, 60 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona. I took a tour of the proposed site for the Resolution Copper Project mine, which if approved, will use 250 billion gallons of water from an already strained Arizona water supply, in a very sensitive cultural location with already very limited water resources. My visit to the site solidified HECHO’s opposition to the mine – protecting Oak Flat would conserve precious water supplies, honor sacred sites and landmarks for the Apache people, and prevent undue health impacts on surrounding. You can take action here.

Here’s what else we’ve been up to:

HECHO has added more than 50 members to its growing Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council
New positions at HECHO are posted! We’re hiring an Arizona and Colorado Field Coordinator.
We’re happy to welcome back Andres Fierro Morales as our Digital Engagement and Media Spring Intern.
Colorado veteran Don Martinez is featured on HECHO’s monthly guest blog and talks about the healing power of public lands for veterans – thank you for your service, Don!
Want a rundown of key conservation legislation that was and wasn’t passed in the New Mexico Legislature? Check out our summary here.
HECHO has been deeply involved in the development of a coalition to help protect an area known as the Caja del Rio in New Mexico, south of Santa Fe. Earlier this year, the site was vandalized, calling for more immediate action to protect this landscape from a growing number of threats. Read more about the Caja from our Senior New Mexico Field Coordinator, Max Trujillo.
Lastly, HECHO’s work and the contribution of Hispanic leaders to conservation policy was recognized on the House floor of the Arizona State Legislature! I was joined by members of Arizona’s Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council for the reading of a memorial supporting HECHO’s work in the state. Way to go, Arizona team!

Wishing you a wonderful Spring full of growth, health, and regeneration,

Camilla Simon

Executive Director

Protect Castner Range!

Earlier this month, Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited the community of El Paso, Texas, along with U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, community members, and members of the Monumental SHIFT Coalition, in what is likely a key step to the designation of more than 7,000 acres of the Franklin Mountains Range as a national monument in this majority-Hispanic border community. Federal public land makes up less than 3 percent of Texas’ total land mass, severely limiting opportunities for the state’s large Hispanic population to access the outdoors. This couldn’t be truer for the border communities of Juarez and El Paso – who could have an opportunity to enjoy a national monument in their own backyard. HECHO is urging the Biden Administration to use its executive authority under the Antiquities Act to support the community and Rep. Escobar’s legislation to designate the Castner Range as a national monument, providing recreational public access to some of the most pristine Chihuahuan Desert Mountain lands in the Southwest, which include the annual blooming of the Mexican Gold Popppies and opportunity to view and experience a variety of desert wildlife.

ICYMI

Overwhelming Support for RAWA!

With a remarkable 150+ bipartisan cosponsors for House bill (H.R.2773) and 30+ bipartisan cosponsors for Senate bill (S.2372), there is strong bipartisan support for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. It is time for us to actively steward the preservation of the vast biodiversity that makes up our ecosystem. Read more here.

Threats to the Caja del Rio Emerge

It’s not just a powerline that would cut through the Caja being proposed by Los Alamos National Laboratories, it’s also vandals hellbent on damaging the cultural resources that tell the stories of our Native and Hispanic communities. There is an immediate need to protect the Caja and HECHO is at the forefront of permanent protection efforts for this landscape. Read more here.

Resources & Opportunities

HECHO receives wonderful engagement opportunities that we’d like to share with our readers. If an opportunity speaks to you, click the link to learn more.

HECHO is hiring! | Help us find an Arizona and Colorado Field Coordinator/Senior Field Coordinator. Field Coordinators are responsible for deepening and cultivating authentic partnerships, and developing targeted outreach strategies, tactics, tools, and training that advance HECHO’s policy and strategic priorities in Arizona. Click here to learn more and apply.
New Mexico Conservation Corps | Want to work with passionate people on conservation and service projects in diverse communities? Looking to gain hands on experience? Waiting for your next adventure? Check out the newly established New Mexico Conservation Corps and apply now for traditional adult field crews, local adult conservation crews, veterans fire corps, and more.
Join the HCLC! | Are you a Hispanic elected or community leader that would like to join HECHO’s growing Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council? We’d love to talk to you and help lift up your voice and support your work in your community. Please email Bianca at bianca@hechoonline.org to inquire more about being a member of the first-of-its-kind, HCLC.

Thanks for reading!

And thanks for being part of the HECHO community. Together we can elevate Hispanic voices in public lands policy.