A group of Latino faith leaders, who represent more than 147-thousand churches, called on President Barack Obama to create the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument.

American Rivers is a special organization. We work on important issues we are passionate about. But it’s not just the issues, or rivers, that make this a special place. It’s the people – our colleagues, partners, supporters, friends – people like you who are critical to keeping our conservation work going day after day, year after year.

Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement in response to reports that President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) to serve as the Secretary of the Department of the Interior:

 Maite Arce, President and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement after the announcement that President Obama would establish the Gold Butte National Monument:

Earlier this year, Californians throughout the state’s desert region celebrated President Obama’s designation of the Sand to Snow, Castle Mountains and Mojave Trails national monuments. A diverse coalition including elected officials, veterans, Latinos, Native Americans, faith leaders, businesses, chambers of commerce, historians, biologists, and sportsmen came together in support of the effort and worked tirelessly to see it happen.

By Sally Jewell, Rue Mapp and Maite Arce Special to The Times

AMERICA’S iconic places — like the Statue of Liberty, Yosemite, Mount Rainier National Park, and more — each tell a unique story that, as preserved, help interpret our nation’s natural, cultural and historical past, present and, hopefully, our future. These treasures inspire us, put our lives in perspective and cause us to think about our place in the world.

Today, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell designated San Diego’s Chicano Park, a community hub widely recognized as playing a key role in civil rights efforts by local Latinos, as a National Historic Landmark.

Today, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum providing guidance to our nation’s public lands agencies on increasing the diversity and inclusion of the histories, cultures, knowledge and people represented in our public lands systems. In addition, President Obama designated three new national monuments — Freedom Riders National Monument, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and Reconstruction Era National Monument — that protect historic sites, histories and cultural resources important to communities of color.

Maite Arce, President and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, released the following statement in response to yesterday’s confirmation hearing for Rep. Ryan Zinke, the nominee for Secretary of Interior: