Last Friday, President Barack Obama signed into law legislation protecting Idaho’s Boulder-White Clouds as a wilderness area, which will help preserve water sources – it provides the headwaters to most of Idaho’s clean water – ecosystems and wildlife for generations to come.

Here in the High Desert, we enjoy many landscapes and natural wonders that are the envy of many throughout the country. With the desert’s unspoiled geologic features, recreation opportunities, unique wildlife, and starry skies in our national parks, wilderness areas, and other public lands, we are truly fortunate.

As news broke that the U.S. Senate passed the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act (SNRA+) and the bill would be sent on to President Obama for signing, Idahoans throughout the state, including the Latino community, rejoiced.

If you could – without costing taxpayers a single dime – create a program that pumps more than $17 billion into the protection of land in every state, contributes support to more than 41,000 state and local park projects and improves access to the outdoors for millions of people, why wouldn’t you?

As Congress prepares to hear from Pope Francis, Latinos throughout the nation are calling on our elected officials to not just listen to his words, but also act on them.

In June, Pope Francis's encyclical letter focused on climate concerns, as well as the connection between human health and the environment. Much of what he outlined in this letter is expected to be part of this historical meeting - this will be the first time the head of the Roman Catholic Church has addressed the U.S. Congress.

For 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has enhanced our country and our culture through projects that have improved our communities and created beautiful places where our citizens can thrive.  It has protected our country's most precious natural resources, like the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the tallest sand dunes in North America and Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge that provides critical outdoor and educational opportunities to Latino communities in Bernalillo and Valencia Counties in New Mexico.  LWCF funding benefited nearly every county in America and stood the test of time in terms of being both popular and bipartisan.