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.

On May 2, President Biden answered the call of Senator Alex Padilla and Representatives John Garamendi and Mike Thompson, Northern California Tribes, over 300 scientists, local elected officials, and community leaders and expanded the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to add 13,753 acres of public lands.

On May 2, President Biden answered the call of Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, and Representative Judy Chu, elected officials, community and tribal leaders, and local residents in the Los Angeles region, and expanded the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument designation to include 109,000 additional acres of public land.

Hispanic Access is thrilled to announce the addition of Melissa Morris as the new Conservation Director, who will shape the program’s vision, lead the program team, and steer the program toward becoming a model of excellence in the conservation and environmental space.

Hispanic Access is pleased to announce the addition of Sofia Barboza as the new Ocean Manager to play a pivotal role in overseeing and coordinating all aspects of our conservation efforts related to marine ecosystems, ocean and coastal communities, and biodiversity.

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, announced on behalf of the EPA the awardees for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a $20 billion program that will direct funding to projects that will reduce pollution, lower energy costs for families across the United States, and create good-quality jobs — all while catalyzing an unprecedented wave of private sector investment. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is part of the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal of 40% of federal climate benefits going to disadvantaged communities.

EMERGING EVIDENCE shows that exposure to air pollution increases the incidence and progression of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurocognitive diseases, according to Francesca Dominici.

In conservation, the journey from threat to triumph is often marked by the tireless efforts of advocates dedicated to protecting our natural heritage. Castner Range and Avi Kwa Ame National Monuments stand as a testament to the transformative power of grassroots community advocacy in safeguarding precious landscapes for future generations.

Hispanic Access is delighted to announce the transition of Brenda Gallegos from Conservation Program Associate to Public Lands Manager to develop and refine the organization's public lands conservation strategy and long-term goals as the conservation program scales up in geographical focus, partnerships, network growth, and in the elevation of Latino advocates and leaders for conservation.

Hispanic Access is thrilled to announce the transition of Jessica Godinez from Conservation Program Associate to Latino Conservation Week Manager to play a pivotal role in planning, organizing, and executing activities and events aimed at engaging the Latino community during Latino Conservation Week.