Hispanic Access Foundation Announces the Sunsetting of the MANO Project Program, Launching a New Era of Workforce Development

Hispanic Access Foundation’s MANO Project (My Access to Network Opportunities) program will sunset at the end of October 2025. For over a decade, the program has connected, built, and developed young Latino leaders passionate about serving their communities by providing meaningful internships and fellowships with extensive training, mentoring, and professional development. Through trusted partnerships MANO has placed over 800 emerging professionals and built a thriving alumni network.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT: Why California’s National Monuments Must Be Defended Against Federal Rollbacks

From the rugged coastlines to desert wilderness and culturally sacred sites, national monuments preserve the stories, ecosystems and cultural legacies of California and the United States.

Hispanic Access’ Statement on Federal Court Blocking Attempt to Open Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to Industrial Fishing

On August 5, 2025, the U.S. District Court for Hawai‘i blocked the U.S. President’s executive order that sought to open the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to industrial fishing. In response, Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation, issued the following statement:

“The decision to maintain current protections for the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument is a victory for all communities that depend on a healthy ocean, including Latino communities. The executive order would have rolled back protections from 200 nautical miles to just 50, exposing 408,000 square miles of one of the last wild, healthy ocean ecosystems on Earth.

“Latinos have a deep connection to the ocean through history, culture, and food. For Latinos, protecting the ocean is about honoring our values of stewardship, responsibility, and well-being for our families and future generations. Scaling back protections and allowing industrial fishing in this national monument would not only endanger whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, seabirds, and fragile coral ecosystems, but it would also harm the long-term sustainability of nearby fisheries, as marine national monuments are essential to allow fish populations to recover, ensuring these marine resources remain available to communities in the future. Short-term extraction of resources should never come at the expense of sustainability. 

“We strongly support the preservation of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. Protecting these waters ensures the survival of unique ecosystems, strengthens coastal resilience against climate change, and safeguards the cultural and food traditions that Latino and Pacific Islander communities hold dear.”

The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument was established on January 6, 2009, by President George W. Bush under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906 and expanded to its current size on September 25, 2014, by President Barack Obama. Encompassing islands, atolls, and reefs in the central Pacific, the monument is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world.

COMMON DREAMS: Toxic Waters Know No Borders: The Tijuana River Crisis

The intense, acidic stench of raw sewage penetrating your nose and clinging to the back of your throat and yellow “Keep Out, Sewage Polluted Water” warning signs have become far too “normal” for us, southern San Diego, California residents. The Tijuana River once carried stories of binational friendship, but now it carries toxic pollution, including human feces and disease, into the United States.

Raising My Voice for the Coasts of Puerto Rico

My participation in Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2025 and UpWell: A Wave of Ocean Justice renewed my sense of hope in the face of the many challenges we face in protecting Puerto Rico’s coastal and marine environments. As a U.S. territory without voting representation in Congress, we are in a particularly vulnerable position when it comes to influencing federal decisions that directly affect the management of our coastal resources.

Pollinator Conservation: My Internship Takeaway

Hi everyone! As I am writing this blog, it is my last day as a Pollinator Conservation and Outreach Intern with the Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services. I started this internship in July, and since then I have been able to learn so much through several people and opportunities within the service. I’m incredibly grateful for my amazing office, and for the many relationships I have built through these past 7 months. 

Before I started this internship, I was a recent graduate unsure about my path in the environmental field. I knew I had a passion for animals and wildlife conservation, but was stuck trying to figure out where this would leave me. This internship has taught me so much about the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, endangered species, pollinator conservation, ecological data management, and community outreach. And in all of these stages, there is an emphasis on people in conservation. This field requires multiple perspectives, backgrounds, and openness to the unknown. Additionally, our research and science wouldn’t mean much if we can’t translate that to the greater public. Which is why I think it is important to always find a bridge between people and environmental science through community engagement and outreach. Through this internship, I also discovered that I enjoy scientific writing and data management for ecological conservation. Both of these interests, technical writing and community science, are two big components of my upcoming role as a Nature Study Development Coordinator in Reno, NV. 

Working with the MN-WI Ecological Services and MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge has given me unforgettable experiences and memories. Some of my favorite moments were finding 3 Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, seeing Dakota Skippers in the wild, helping with Monarch tagging, and participating in both the Latino Nature Fest and Bat Festival. These moments are just small examples of the amazing opportunities I have had with my office, and they all continued to grow my passion for wildlife conservation.

Chuckwalla National Monument: A Legacy of Love and Preservation

As a pastor, I have dedicated the past 30 years to serving the people of this community in Indio, California. This land is not just a landscape, but a source of life, faith, and heritage. My heart is filled with gratitude and joy for the official designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument on January 14, protecting 644,000 acres of desert in southern California, offering much-needed access to outdoor recreation areas for Latinos, reflecting years of hard work, community advocacy, and a deep love for the beautiful desert we are blessed to call home.

Looking Forward While Looking Back on my First Year in my Fellowship with the NPS-RTCA Program

Over the past several months, I completed the first year of my fellowship with the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program based in Seattle, and began the start of my 6-month fellowship extension with the same program.