news releases

04 October 2021

Hispanic Access Statement on Senate Confirmation of BLM Director



Category: News Releases

 Last week, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Tracy Stone-Manning as director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In response to the confirmation, Hispanic Access Foundation’s President and CEO Maite Arce released the following statement: 

“Tracy Stone-Manning’s long history as a steward of our nation’s public lands and waters makes her a strong candidate for the director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Her valuable experience and commitment to ensuring everyone shares equitably in the benefits that public lands and waters provide, and to remove barriers for communities of color in doing so, will be instrumental. 

“We look forward to working with Stone-Manning closely to ensure President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 is carried out equitably. A whole-of-government approach centering equity and BIPOC perspectives throughout the America the Beautiful initiative is necessary to design a deliberately inclusive program that accounts for the myriad ways in which communities of color are excluded from a safe, accessible, pollution-free outdoors that addresses environmental justice and meets community needs.

“In addition, we hope Stone-Manning’s nomination will mean we can focus on taking bold action to fix our broken oil and gas leading system both on and offshore. Fossil fuel production on public lands alone has caused about a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. Latinos have experienced disproportionate health and economic impacts of poor air quality, extreme heat and aridification, wildfires, drought and other severe effects of climate change caused by oil and gas emissions, as well as respiratory problems and premature births caused by community proximity to fossil fuel development sites. 

“We also encourage Stone-Manning to urge President Biden to restore Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments as soon as possible. We all share a strong moral obligation to be good stewards of our public lands, waters, and ocean and to intentionally preserve and celebrate the diverse cultural heritage that makes up this nation. By restoring these national monuments, we can ensure that future generations can enjoy and learn from these special places, which are part of what makes America great.  

Hispanic Access, as well as the Latino families, faith leaders, and young people we serve, look forward to working with Stone-Manning and honoring the critical mission of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

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