Tag: HECHO

HECHO October Newsletter

by Community Contributor • October 21, 2022 • Comments Off

It has been an incredible month for HECHO, celebrating public lands policy wins and elevating the voices and visibility of Hispanic leaders in public lands decision-making and advocacy. Our Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC) members continue to grow and make a difference in their communities.

On September 28th through 30th, HECHO brought Hispanic leaders from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah to Washington D.C. to advocate on conservation issues, including protecting the Grand Canyon watershed from uranium mining, saving Oak Flat from a copper mine, the resilience of the Colorado River, and making communities whole after the devastating Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire. They met with members of Congress and federal agencies. Read a recap of HECHO’s first advocacy trip.

HECHO September Newsletter

by Community Contributor • September 29, 2022 • Comments Off

This is an important time for HECHO – Hispanic Heritage Month. During the month, which spans September 15-October 15, we are celebrating and reflecting upon the longstanding Hispanic leadership and stewardship of our land and water. We are lifting up a way of life that puts relationships with nature and each other as a central part of the culture, and we are asking you to join our cause to work toward ensuring that these practices are reflected in future public land and water management policy and decision-making. To learn more, I hope you’ll read my blog post elaborating on HECHO’s vision of strong, culturally-rich communities connected to nature and each other. We also have some very exciting news to share with you:

HECHO August Newsletter

by Community Contributor • September 1, 2022 • Comments Off

As the summer draws to a close and students head back to school, the dog days can be seen as a time of significant positive signs, beginning, of course, with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (see the main feature). This sweeping piece of legislation signals a strong step forward in the battle against climate change.

HECHO continues to monitor and advocate for the Colorado Water Plan, but also played co-host to the 2nd Colorado Water Education Night.
HECHO National Policy and Advocacy Manager José Gaona recently visited New Mexico, meeting with the state’s Senior Field Coordinator Max Trujillo to tour the areas that were devastated by the state’s largest wildfire. See José’s blog here.
San Miguel County Commissioner Janice Varela, a member of HECHO’s Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council discussed the importance of the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission designation of the Pecos River and many of its tributaries as Outstanding National Resource Waters. See her blog on the matter here.
While on the New Mexico theme, Santa Fe City Councilors Carol Romero-Wirth (an HECHO HCLC member), and Renee Villarreal published an op-ed in the Santa Fe New Mexican looking at the Caja del Rio and the council’s decision to join other organizations in seeking greater protections and oversight of the area.
In Arizona, we’re still working hard to pass legilsation to protect the Grand Canyon watershed from uranium mining. This issue needs to be resolved in a manner that will protect one of the world’s special places. See more here.
Internally at HECHO, there are some big changes afoot as Daniela Zavala has been brought on as Communications Director and Gabriel García-Contreras as the new Communications Coordinator. See their stories here. And while browsing the website, look for new updates on the site, particularly for members of the Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council, as there has been quite a bit more activity and information posted. See more information here.

HECHO March Newsletter

by Community Contributor • March 31, 2022 • Comments Off

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.

HECHO January Newsletter — Featured Guest Blog with Coconino County Supervisor for District 2 Jeronimo Vasquez — Building the Community We’d Like to See in Coconino County

by Community Contributor • January 31, 2022 • Comments Off

In December, Coconino County Supervisor for District 2, Jeronimo Vasquez, shared his story with us about how connections to the outdoors can empower our communities and instill a legacy of stewardship. He writes: “The time I spent outdoors left a profound impact on me, instilling a legacy of stewardship that I hope to pass on to my children, and to my community.”

To read this blog post, click here.

HECHO September Newsletter

by Community Contributor • October 1, 2021 • Comments Off

September marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a special time where we celebrate the contributions of our culture and examine the sometimes complex identities that Hispanic and Latinx communities can embody. We explored what some of these challenges can be in our blog, where we dive into the definition of “Hispanic” and “Latinx,” and seek to share a broad understanding of the role colonization has played in our history. We’re continuing to highlight the importance of Hispanic and Latinx voice and visibility in public lands and conservation decision-making, and are proud to have been featured in the Nevada Wild Podcast, where HECHO Program Manager Bianca McGrath-Martinez shared our mission with listeners — tune in here. Make sure that you are following our Facebook page to also see our staff spotlighted and speak on what they appreciate about their culture!

HECHO April Newsletter

by Community Contributor • April 26, 2021 • Comments Off

We hope that you’re enjoying the spring weather and the blossom that often follows! From my vantage point, I can finally see our beloved backyard tree regaining its bright green leaves. It serves as a reminder to me that growth is possible with a little bit of sunshine, time, and patience.

At HECHO, we’re excited to share that a (virtual) seed we planted is also in bloom. We’ve worked hard over the past several months to revamp and reorganize our website, and it is LIVE! We hope that you’ll take the time to explore our new pages, and find the stories that inspire you to continue to advocate for the protection of our prized public lands. On our website, you’ll also be able to read about the recognition HECHO received this month in New Mexico and Colorado, honoring the work we do to ensure that Hispanic culture and perspectives are part of the conservation of our lands and waters.