por Christian La Mont
In 2021, when it was safe to spend time outdoors with others, I was honored to join Representative Adam Schiff (CA-28) and outdoor equity leaders for a hike in the Rim of the Valley Corridor in Southern California’s Santa Monica Mountains. We gathered at the trailhead, wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance, catching up with friends and colleagues we hadn’t seen outside of Zoom or Google Hangout calls in a year.
I heard some familiar voices and saw Dennis Arguelles with the National Parks Conservation Association, Araceli Hernández of Nature For All, and other outdoor advocates. Representative Schiff, a public lands champion and avid hiker, led us up the trail. It had been a long time since I had heard the crunch of dirt underneath my shoes and the winded but determined chatter of hikers. As we walked and talked, I couldn’t help but think of how calming and motivating it was to be back in nature, reconnecting with others.
Our main topic of conversation was the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, which would add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and increase access to nature for urban LA communities. The bill has been championed by Representative Schiff and has already passed the House of Representatives. A few weeks ago, the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act which puts us one step closer to making it a reality. I hope the full Senate follows suit and passes the bill this year.
Over the past few years, I’ve advocated for the Rim of the Valley expansion. I’ve traveled to Washington D.C. to speak to policymakers about the benefits of protecting and expanding public lands around the country, and in particular in my hometown of Los Angeles.
The bill isn’t only about preserving natural treasures like the Los Angeles River and Griffith Park, home of our beloved mountain lion, P-22. It’s also about protecting cultural treasures like El Pueblo de Los Ángeles near Chinatown which is near the area where the Tongva village of Yangna was located and near where the famed Aliso Tree once stood. Despite the often painful and violent history of this area, the Tongva, whose name means “people of the earth” are today a community full of advocates, artists, change-makers, and policy shapers. We should, as we move to expand the Rim of the Valley and continue to protect public lands and push for equitable access to the outdoors, always seek input, advice, and collaboration from the original caretakers of the land.
As we neared the top of the trail, I paused to take a photo of Araceli, Dennis, and Representative Schiff. In conservation and policy work we cannot forget the invaluable role Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) advocates and organizations play in protecting the lands we love and also the communities and cultures these lands represent.
On the way back to the trailhead we talked about our favorite local hiking spots with Representative Schiff. I recounted a uniquely magical L.A. moment on another hike in the Rim of the Valley. I hiked on Cinco de Mayo and was greeted by a calm breeze, a magnificent view of downtown Los Angeles, and the distant sounds of mariachi bands echoing throughout the valley below. It was, to me, a representation of what the Rim of the Valley is all about: nature, culture, opportunity, Los Angeles, home.
This summer, hundreds of outdoor advocates across the country celebrated Latino Conservation Week, dedicated to uplifting the power of Latinx community engagement and advocacy. I couldn’t help but think of all the public lands around L.A. and beyond that need community support, that need the advocates and storytellers, the legislators who listen, care, and act. Increasing access to nature helps make the world a better place, one park and one trail at a time. We have to make it easier for our communities to enjoy the outdoors. The Rim of the Valley bill is one such opportunity. It gives me hope that passionate leaders like Representative Schiff, Senator Alex Padilla, Dennis, and Araceli are willing to dream big and to be bold in re-envisioning our parks and open spaces. We need that kind of thinking, now more than ever.
If you live in Los Angeles and would like to learn how you can support public lands, you can learn how to take action HERE.