National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize the contributions Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to our community’s heritage and culture. Here in the Coachella Valley we have the opportunity to highlight the recent contributions we have made in protecting the California desert.

For so many of us in the West, experiences such as getting lost in the beauty of a mountain vista or being made new by a clear-running river reflecting diamond sparkles of sunshine are among the prime reasons we live here. These are places where one can feel the spirit and become connected to God’s creation. And often we have set aside these places, including irreplaceable treasures such as the Grand Canyon or Yosemite National Park, as protected public lands for all Americans to enjoy.

Living in the Southwest, we are very fortunate to be surrounded by a diversity of God’s most beautiful natural creations.  We are blessed with majestic mountain vistas, desert solitude, verdant valleys and flowing rivers, and they are much of the reason why we live here.  But in recent years our natural bounty has been threatened by a record drought that persists and compromises the rivers that sustain our lives.  

Numerous sites dot our American landscapes and cities that tell a different story about our past. Places that embody the architectural, cultural and deep historical roots of the Latino community within the shared national identity. In an effort to provide insight into the vast amount of sites that deserve protection and merit official recognition, the Latino Heritage Scholars have developed a top ten list of historic sites associated with Latino heritage worthy of consideration.

Gov. Doug Ducey’s assertion that Arizonans oppose the Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument is unfounded. State polls show vast support for protecting the Grand Canyon watershed from uranium mining and preserving the threatened cultural and historical sites in the region.

WASHINGTON – Maite Arce, President and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement after the Department of the Interior released standards to regulate methane waste from existing oil and gas sources on public lands:

A group of Latino faith leaders, who represent more than 147-thousand churches, called on President Barack Obama to create the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.

American Rivers is a special organization. We work on important issues we are passionate about. But it’s not just the issues, or rivers, that make this a special place. It’s the people – our colleagues, partners, supporters, friends – people like you who are critical to keeping our conservation work going day after day, year after year.

Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement in response to reports that President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) to serve as the Secretary of the Department of the Interior: