The Impact of the Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council, a Fast-Growing, First-Of-Its-Kind Network
By Camilla Simon, HECHO’s Executive Director.
This year is the 10th anniversary of Hispanics Enjoying Camping Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO). Since its formation in 2013, our mission has been to conserve and protect our public lands for future generations, providing a platform for Hispanics/Latinos to contribute knowledge and perspectives about public land conservation.
As part of our evolution as an organization and our commitment to amplifying Latino voices in conservation, the Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC) was born. Since its creation in 2020, it has become the heart and soul of everything HECHO does.
HECHO is proud to have formed this fast-growing, first-of-its-kind network of Hispanic-serving elected, appointed, and community leaders who prioritize public land and water conservation and climate change mitigation in their decision-making and community advocacy efforts.
The HCLC started with a few members from Arizona and New Mexico. We ended 2022 with over 50 members across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. The interest of Hispanic community leaders in joining the network keeps growing. The impact of HCLC's advocacy work is being noticed at the local, state, and federal levels.
In 2022, the Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council members did a remarkable job in conservation policy. They reached out to their elected officials at the congressional level to get the voices of the Hispanic communities across the Southwest heard. They wrote blogs and op-eds, bringing awareness to issues affecting their states. They participated in virtual roundtables and field trips to areas related to HECHO's top policy campaigns.
Some HCLC members even flew to Washington D.C. last September in the first to meet in person with different congressional offices, advocating for the protection of the Grand Canyon, Oak Flat, the Colorado River, and the Hermit's Peak Fire Assistance Act.
Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council members have had an enormous impact on communities across the region as well as nationally. They can make a difference when they put their voices together and work together on issues. We have seen tremendous progress, advancing toward our conservation and environmental justice goals.
With the expansion of HCLC's advocacy work and growing membership, HECHO's network has become a proactive Hispanic force leading conservation policymaking. As such, the HCLC is starting 2023 by launching its new logo with a clear goal to empower more Hispanic leaders and elevate their voices and perspectives, as well as conservation practices and community knowledge that have been historically ignored.
We are excited about how much the HCLC has grown and accomplished since its creation. We look forward to seeing what our members will achieve throughout the year to safeguard our precious public lands so they can be enjoyed by present and future generations.
