WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House passed Senate Bill 47, the Natural Resources Management Act, protecting millions of acres of land and hundreds of miles of wild rivers across the country, establishing four new national monuments and permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the decade’s largest public lands package, which protects millions of acres of land and hundreds of miles of wild rivers across the country, as well as establishes four new national monuments and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Senate Bill 47, otherwise known as The Natural Resource Management Act, passed out of the Senate on Feb. 12 by a vote of 92 to 8 and would finally secure the future for the expired LWCF, which has been one of the most effective tools in conservation and in establishing access to the outdoors without a cost to taxpayers.

WASHINGTON – In response to the Senate’s passage of its Lands Package, which includes the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement:

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, Jan. 31, Arizona lawmakers passed the historic Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) — an agreement between California, Arizona and Nevada in the Lower Basin, and Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming in the Upper Basin — to reduce each state’s river use as a way to protect against catastrophic water shortages in Lake Mead and declining river flows across the Colorado River Basin. Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement applauding the actions taken by Arizona lawmakers to join the six other states that have approved the plan:

Water is the foundation of life. But as essential as it is, we often take it for granted and we treat it as a never-ending resource. With Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two of the nation’s largest reservoirs, and the states along the Colorado River basin in a chronic drought condition, the Colorado River is steadily losing its ability to meet all the demands placed upon it.

Poll finds overwhelming support for LWCF, concerns around water issues and the increasingly visible impact of climate change, optimism for outdoor recreation economies

In October 2018, after years of fitful effort, state agencies and water providers agreed on a draft Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) — an agreement between California, Arizona and Nevada in the Lower Basin, and Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming in the Upper Basin — to reduce each state’s river use as a way to deal with shortages in the water supply provided by the Colorado River. With a federal deadline of Jan. 31 for the participating states to forge a collaborative DCP, Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement encouraging Arizona lawmakers to take action and join the six other states approving the plan:

YUMA, ARIZONA – On Sunday, Jan. 6, Hispanic Access Foundation and Por la Creación Faith-based Alliance screened the film “Leche y Miel (Milk and Honey)” to 45 Latino youth, families and community members at Betania Church in Yuma. The future of the Lower Colorado River is especially important to the Latino community. One-third of the nation’s Latinos live, work or receive water from the Colorado River Basin. The importance of the river to Latino families’ faith, livelihood and future is showcased in the film produced by American Rivers and Hispanic Access Foundation.

Nowadays, video games or social media are some of the main ways kids entertain themselves. As a mother of three girls, I’ve made it a priority for them to stay active.

One of my first memories of Maryland was playing on the playground at Wheaton Regional Park. This is where I had my first horseback riding experience. It’s where a “middle-school me” spent afternoons ice skating with friends.