Today, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) reintroduced legislation to create a Chesapeake National Recreation Area (CNRA) that would operate as part of the National Park Service. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:

“The CNRA Act proposes the unification of new and existing parks in the Chesapeake Bay, which would increase public access to the bay for local Latino communities and help fund its restoration. A recent poll showed Latinos in Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia strongly support the CNRA. Polling indicates that 84% of Latino voters in these states would support the creation of the CNRA.

“Lack of access to nature and the outdoors is especially acute in mid-Atlantic states. Throughout the Chesapeake watershed, communities of color are more than three times as likely to live in a nature-deprived area than other communities. Bills like the CNRA Act, reintroduced by Senator Van Hollen and joined by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), that protect nature close to our communities are critical for closing the Nature Gap and creating equitable access to nature’s benefits, as well as honoring our region’s diverse heritage.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S. and is rich with history, culture, and biodiversity, and beloved to coastal and inland communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Establishing the CNRA would enhance protections for the Bay’s fragile ecosystems, improve water quality, and support habitat restoration for hundreds of species of fish, birds, and wildlife. This initiative would also help mitigate the effects of climate change by preserving natural buffers like wetlands and forests, which absorb floodwaters, reduce storm surges, and capture carbon. As environmental threats intensify, a coordinated, federally supported effort like the CNRA is crucial to ensuring the long-term resilience of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding communities.”

Senator Van Hollen first introduced the legislation with then-Congressman John Sarbanes in July 2023. A revised version passed unanimously and with bipartisan support in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in November 2024, followed by unanimous approval on the Senate floor in December. However, the House was unable to advance it before the previous Congress ended. Senator Van Hollen has now reintroduced the bill in the 119th Congress.

In a small, predominantly Latino town in California’s Central Valley, Antonio grew up surrounded by agricultural fields, Spanish-speaking neighbors, and a deep connection to the land. This sense of community and belonging, shaped by frequent trips to Mexico and a close-knit family of farmworkers, laid the foundation for Antonio’s passion for history and storytelling. Yet, the journey that led him to the César Chávez National Monument, where he now works as an oral histories and archives intern through Hispanic Access Foundation’s MANO Project, was anything but straightforward.

As we draw closer to the two-year anniversary of the Castner Range National Monument (CRNM) designation in El Paso, Texas, we find ourselves reflecting on what this achievement means for the nation and to those of us who call the borderland home.

Hispanic Access Foundation’s fifth annual Latino Advocacy Week begins on April 28 and runs through May 2, 2025. Latino Advocacy Week was launched in 2021 to help build the capacity and familiarity among Latinos to advocate for themselves, their families, and their communities. This year’s theme in “Our Voice, Our Strength, Our Future”, which is essential as the Latino community continues to shape the nation's social, economic, and political landscape.

Los resultados de la 15ª Encuesta Anual sobre la Conservación en el Oeste, realizada por State of the Rockies Project de Colorado College, revelan que los votantes latinos en todo el Oeste de las Montañas rotundamente apoyan las políticas de conservación, la gestión responsable de tierras públicas y el acceso equitativo a la naturaleza. Además, resaltan su alarmante preocupación y su fuerte compromiso con la preservación de las tierras públicas y del suministro de agua limpia.

The results of the 15th Annual Conservation in the West Poll, conducted by Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Project, reveal that Latino voters across the Mountain West overwhelmingly support conservation policies, responsible land management, and equitable access to nature, and underscore their alarming concerns and strong commitment to preserving public lands and ensuring clean water availability.

Pastor José Guardado’s journey into ministry has been one of growth, resilience, and deepening faith. Although he was raised in a Christian home, he drifted away from the church during his adolescence. Yet, at 21 years old, during his fourth year of college, he experienced a profound spiritual reawakening. It was then he felt the love of God so powerfully that it reignited his desire to serve. Initially, his aspirations leaned toward being a bi-vocational leader, but his passion for theology and ministry drew him into a deeper commitment. Now, 15 years since founding his first congregation, Pastor José oversees a thriving church in Southern California and continues to lead with purpose and humility.

Today, as our nation enters a new chapter with the swearing-in of President Donald Trump and Vice President James David Vance, Hispanic Access Foundation President and CEO Maite Arce issued the following statement:

President Joe Biden’s designation of Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and Sáttitla National Monument in Northern California mark significant milestones in the protection of our nation’s cultural, ecological, and recreational heritage. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement:

Hispanic Access is proud to announce the grantees for the Nuestros Bosques: Faith-Based and Strategic Local Investments program aimed at enhancing tree canopy across the U.S. In partnership with the USDA Forest Service, the initiative allocated over $10.7 million in funding. Eligible organizations, including faith-based and community groups were able to apply for grants ranging from $50,000 to $1,000,000.