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Tag: Advocacy

Public Lands Belong to All of Us

From the U.S. Capital to Public Lands Across the Nation

Por Latino Outdoors

This summer, Latino Outdoors traveled to Washington, D.C., joining GreenLatinos and partners for a Congressional Hispanic Caucus briefing honoring America’s 250th anniversary. The gathering offered an opportunity to celebrate Latino contributions to our nation’s parks and public lands, while confronting the challenges shaping their future.

Public lands are lands and waters managed by federal, state, and local governments for the public, including many of the national parks, monuments, forests, wildlife refuges, and other outdoor spaces. These places hold stories of celebration and loss, including slavery, migration, genocide, stewardship, familia, leadership, cultura, recreation, opportunity, and belonging. The people, ecosystems, wildlife, origin stories, native plants, and histories connected to these landscapes all contribute to their meaning.

The Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., USA.

For Latino communities, access to the outdoors also means seeing our gente reflected in the places we visit and in the stories our country chooses to tell. What is happening in communities across the United States, including on our public lands, raises concerns about whitewashing, manipulated power, and attempts at erasure, or rewriting parts of our shared history. We recognize there is privilege in being able to speak up and speak out, but many of us can hold a united front to protect others and hold public servants accountable. Policies and enforcement should not be controlled by the few at the cost of the many. The connection between place, people, and belonging remains especially important as changes unfold across our public spaces.

In Washington, D.C., changes to nationally significant places, such as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, have raised questions about how historic public spaces are altered without public input, clear funding sources, or transparent management practices. But the concerns extend beyond physical infrastructure to what people can learn while visiting public lands. The Center for American Progress analysis documented efforts affecting the interpretation and representation of Black history, Indigenous history, immigration, women, labor, LGBTQ+ history, and science. When signs, images, language, exhibits, and interpretation are removed or rewritten, communities can lose opportunities to see themselves represented in places that belong to all of us.

Protecting these places also requires defending the laws that make conservation possible. The Antiquities Act of 1906 has long been one of the nation’s most important tools for safeguarding places of cultural, historical, ecological, and scientific significance. For 120 years, presidents from both parties have used the Act to establish national monuments and protect significant federal lands. Defending the Antiquities Act is about more than policy in Washington; it is about ensuring that significant landscapes, histories, and cultures endure for future generations.

The urgency is clear at Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah, where efforts to reduce protections threaten much more than acreage on a map. Bears Ears is a living cultural landscape shaped by generations of Indigenous stewardship, with sacred places, cultural resources, and histories deeply connected to Tribal Nations today. Grand Staircase-Escalante likewise protects significant cultural, ecological, paleontological, and scientific resources. Latino Outdoors recently joined more than 300 Tribal and Indigenous entities, organizations, businesses, faith communities, veterans, scientists, and conservation partners in opposing reductions through the Monuments for All effort. Standing with Tribal Nations and communities reflects our shared commitment to protecting these landscapes and the cultural connections they carry.

Big Bend National Park. Photo Credit: Jeanette M. Honermann

More than a thousand miles away, the fight to Protect Big Bend National Park shows why these issues matter beyond any one region. Latino Outdoors has supported efforts to prevent physical barriers and construction from disrupting Big Bend National Park and access to the Rio Grande. The Latino Outdoors short documentary Yo Cuento: Entre Ríos y Desiertos explores this borderland and its connections to ecology, binational history, migration, people, and culture.

“Big Bend isn’t just a place we visit, it’s a place that holds our history. For Latino communities across Texas and beyond, these lands carry the stories of our families, our ancestors, and the generations who called this borderland home long before it was a national park. When we protect Big Bend, we’re protecting more than desert and river and mountain, we’re protecting a sense of belonging. Every child who gets to stand under that big Chihuahuan sky and feel like it’s theirs too, that’s the work. That’s what Latino Outdoors is here for.”

Jeanette M. Honermann, Latino Outdoors Board Member and Texas resident

Big Bend National Park feat. Jeanette M. Honermann

Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Big Bend may be separated by state lines, but the challenges facing them are connected. Weakened monument protections in Utah, physical barriers through a culturally significant landscape in Texas, reductions in the public lands workforce, and the removal of history from national parks all raise a larger question about what we choose to protect and pass on. Latino Outdoors’ commitment to our comunidades and the outdoors stretches across the country. Public lands should remain protected, accessible, and reflective of the people and histories that make up this country.

Now is the time to turn that connection into action.

Take Action:

  1. Contact the U.S. Congress.
    1. Ask your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to defend the Antiquities Act, protect national monuments, and support H.R. 8523, the Public Lands Workforce Stability Act.
    2. Find your representative, find your senators, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
  2. Stand with communities protecting national monuments. Take action through Monuments for All and learn more from the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and Grand Staircase Escalante Partners.
  3. Help protect Big Bend. Visit Protect Big Bend to learn about threats facing Big Bend and the Rio Grande and how you can speak up, no matter where you live.
  4. Share your story. Our stories build belonging and show the many ways our comunidades connect with the outdoors. Share your experiences and relationship with public lands through Latino Outdoors’ Yo Cuento blog.

A call, an email, an action, or a story can make a difference. Protecting our public lands, their stories, and the people who steward them takes us all.

Resources:

  • Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. (n.d.). Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. Bears Ears Coalition
  • Center for American Progress. (2026). Censored: Erasing 250 years of American history on public lands. Center for American Progress
  • Center for Western Priorities. (2026, August). Doug Burgum’s Reflecting Pool lies lead to an Oval Office showdown. Center for Western Priorities
  • Congressional Hispanic Caucus. (n.d.). Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Congressional Hispanic Caucus
  • Congress.gov. (2026). H.R. 8523, Public Lands Workforce Stability Act, 119th Congress. H.R. 8523
  • Earthjustice. (2026). Trump administration works to erase Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. Earthjustice
  • Grand Staircase Escalante Partners. (n.d.). Grand Staircase Escalante Partners. Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
  • GreenLatinos. (n.d.). GreenLatinos. GreenLatinos
  • Latino Outdoors. (n.d.). A guide to writing your Yo Cuento blog post. Yo Cuento submission guide
  • Monuments for All. (2026). Over 330 Tribal entities, businesses, faith communities, veterans, science and conservation organizations speak out against evisceration of protections for Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. Monuments for All
  • Mr. Beat. (2026, July 17). All the “woke” history that Trump is trying to erase [Video]. YouTube. YouTube video 
  • National Park Service. (n.d.). Antiquities Act of 1906. U.S. Department of the Interior. Antiquities Act
  • National Park Service. (n.d.). Big Bend National Park. U.S. Department of the Interior. Big Bend National Park
  • National Park Service. (n.d.). Rio Grande. Big Bend National Park, U.S. Department of the Interior. Rio Grande
  • PBS NewsHour. (2026). Crews are draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool again as part of Trump’s troubled revamp. PBS NewsHour
  • Protect Big Bend. (n.d.). Protect Big Bend. Protect Big Bend
  • U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). America’s public lands explained. U.S. Department of the Interior 

It Started in My Backyard

por Jazzari Taylor, Policy Advocate

Every morning as a child, I could see the San Gabriel Mountains tucked between buildings across the street from my home. Their snow-covered peaks in winter, and more often than not, hazy outlines in smog-filled summers, shaped my view of afuera; what felt like another world beyond my city streets. Despite living just 10 minutes from the foothills, I rarely visited. Barriers like transportation, limited understanding of safe exploration, and a sense of cultural disconnection stood in the way.

Between the ages of 7 and 12, I joined a local summer camp that introduced me to the mountains. Little did I know those same landscapes were an extension of my backyard. As a kid, I didn’t quite grasp that connection to my hometown. It wasn’t until decades later that I returned with Latino Outdoors and Nature for All. Their programming expanded my perspective, highlighting the benefits of the outdoors, the interconnectedness of nature beyond city limits, and the confidence to explore safely.

📸Unceded homelands of the Ancestral Puebloans and the Fremont people –  learn more.

In just the past five years, that confidence has taken me beyond my community to visit and respect public lands across the country. Each place tells its own story, reminding me of the deep connection between nature, identity, and healing. From human-powered recreation like hiking, camping, kayaking, or simply breathing fresh air, I’ve found my purpose. These visits also connected me with local communities and small businesses whose livelihoods are tied directly to the landscapes around them.

 📸Unceded homelands of the Ute and Arapaho people – learn more.

Yet, every time I visited these places, I was reminded how access continues to be a challenge and how there were so many folks back at home who have never experienced these sacred lands and the many benefits they hold, in addition to not feeling safe in unfamiliar areas. Too often, people are profiled, targeted, or made to feel unwelcome based on their appearance, the language they speak, the music they listen to, the color of their skin, or their income level. Safety is a real concern, compounded by underfunded infrastructure, lack of representation, and limited transportation. For many of us, safety comes through solidarity; through group outings and community trust.

  📸 Unceded homelands of the Pit River Tribe and Modoc Peoples – learn more.

As we continue to advocate for equity, conservation, and community-centered stewardship, we must remember that protecting public lands also means protecting our stories, our identities, and our rights. These lands face constant threats, budget cuts, rollbacks, and even sell-offs. If we care about clean air, clean water, cultural survival, and inclusive access to nature, now is the time to act. Our voices and stories matter in shaping the future of conservation.

📸 Unceded homeland of the Gabrielino-Tongva, Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples – learn more.

One of the most powerful tools we have for that protection is the Antiquities Act of 1906. This law has been used for more than a century to safeguard cultural, historic, and natural treasures as national monuments. Defending the Antiquities Act means defending our shared heritage and future access to these lands, but it is currently being targeted at the Federal level of government for private investment and natural resource extraction that will impact the land, animals, and cultural sites. Now more than ever we need to hold the line for conservation and for our future

Last week, we wrapped up Hispanic Access Foundation’s Latino Conservation Week, a national celebration of cultura and community in the outdoors across “community, non-profit, faith-based, and government organizations and agencies”. We are reminded that conservation is not only about protecting landscapes, it’s about ensuring they are safe, accessible, and reflective of all communities. As we celebrate milestones like the 25th anniversary of the National Conservation Lands system, we must also look ahead.

📸 Unceded homeland of the Southern Paiute people – learn more.

Representation in our storytelling and the representatives we elect matters because our country is not a ‘one size fits all’. We are beautifully diverse. That diversity is the dream I hold onto, the hope and beauty of a conscious and changing America… but dreams alone are not enough. We must hold our leaders accountable to that vision, to act with courage, and to ensure policies reflect the voices of all communities. We need their voices to take action, because the future of our gente, conservation, and our democracy depends on it.

Together, we can ensure these breathtaking places remain protected for generations to come, and that every child, no matter where they live, can look to the outdoors and know they are safe and belong there too.

Help us tell Congress to fully fund outdoor access and protect conservation programs, and oppose policies that threaten these vital places with Outdoor Alliance. Our voices, our stories, and our future depend on it!

Advocacy Afuera: ¡Actúa ahora for Public Lands!

Latino Outdoors, alongside local business representatives, recently joined the Conservation Lands Foundation as part of the Protect California Deserts Coalition to advocate for public lands and the communities that depend on them. We began by introducing our organizations and the shared commitment we hold to protecting landscapes that sustain wildlife, provide recreation, and strengthen local economies.  During Congressman Jay Obernolte’s (CA-23) mobile office hours at Big Bear City Hall, we discussed the value of nearby national public lands, which anchor local recreation and small business activity across the region—from the mountains and nearby deserts to their backyards.

At the heart of America’s conservation legacy is the Antiquities Act, a bipartisan law signed in 1906 that has allowed presidents from both parties to protect our nation’s most treasured lands and cultural sites as national monuments. These designations safeguard places like the Sand to Snow and San Jacinto Mountains, which connect to Joshua Tree National Park, the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, and the San Bernardino Mountains. From desert valleys to high mountain forests, these landscapes are deeply interconnected. Protecting them ensures clean water, thriving ecosystems, and outdoor opportunities for all.

Today, the most pressing concern is the future of the 2001 Roadless Rule (Map), which protects nearly 4 million acres of California’s national forests from harmful industrial activities such as logging, mineral extraction, and oil-and-gas drilling. Rescinding these protections would threaten clean drinking water, animal habitat, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Roads fragment ecosystems, create fire ignition points, and degrade watersheds that supply both rural communities and cities alike. Protecting roadless areas is a bipartisan issue; it ensures that our forests remain intact for current and future generations, while supporting hunting, angling, tourism, and rural economies. Just like the Antiquities Act, the Roadless Rule is about safeguarding irreplaceable lands and the values they hold.

Protecting the outdoors is also closely tied to Latino Conservation Week (September 13–21, 2025), a national initiative that highlights the contributions of Latino communities to conservation and ensures Latino voices are centered in protecting our public lands. The week is about building connections to nature, inspiring stewardship, and showing that conservation is inclusive and benefits everyone. Our stories must be shared to show the many ways people of all backgrounds connect to the outdoors.

Now, we need your voice. The U.S. Forest Service is accepting public comments on the Roadless Rule until Friday, September 19 at 11:59 PM. You can submit your own story—why these forests matter to you, families, businesses, and communities directly to the federal register. Sharing a personal perspective about recreation, clean water, cultural connections, or local livelihoods helps decision-makers understand what is at stake. Submissions can be made individually or as part of a group petition from businesses, nonprofits, and organizations across the region.

How to Comment (It takes less than a minute):

  1. Copy 1-2 talking points that resonate with you.
    1. Protect clean water sources that supply California communities.
    2. Support local economies that depend on outdoor recreation and tourism.
    3. Defend animal habitat and migration corridors.
    4. Reduce fire risks by limiting new road construction.
    5. Preserve cultural and community connections to public lands.
  2. Click here to submit directly: Regulations.gov — Comment Portal.
  3. Paste your comment, or type your own story, and hit submit.

Together, we can ensure that public lands remain protected and accessible, for clean water, healthy animal life, vibrant local economies, and outdoor enjoyment for all. Join Latino Outdoors, Conservation Lands Foundation, and community partners in speaking up before the deadline. Let’s keep working toward an outdoors that is protected and open for everyone.

References