Press Release: Build Back Better Act and Nature-Based Infrastructure Could Protect, Restore, and Rebuild Arizona’s Natural Landscapes
Contact: Amy Dominguez, Communications Coordinator, Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO); 801-928-9157, amy@hechoonline.org
Flagstaff — In Arizona, where unprecedented weather events, such as devastating wildfires, drought, record heatwaves and flashfloods dominated headlines in 2021, nature-based infrastructure solutions in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act present an opportunity to keep communities and natural landscapes safe from the climate-driven impacts that are sweeping the nation today.
Major events like Arizona's Museum Fire, the Schultz Fire, and subsequent flash-flooding underscore the importance of the mitigation investments that nature-based infrastructure will achieve. The Museum Fire burned 1,961 acres of forest lands, threatening residents and private property, destroying wildlife habitat, and charring forest soil, resulting in landscapes that don’t absorb water – a prime factor for flash-flooding. After record rainfall, these conditions resulted in a severe flood that caused $1.3 million of damages for Coconino County residents. Additionally, a local school, the hub for local Hispanic/Latinx community members, was destroyed beyond repair.
Proposed federal investments in nature-based infrastructure would provide the necessary funding to protect forests and watersheds from wildfires, drought impacts, and land and water resources. With new federal funding, communities can receive support more quickly, and major climate events can be mitigated. These components are included in President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda, which would develop restoration and resilience projects to help maintain the health of Arizona’s forests, create millions of jobs, strengthen community resilience, and mitigate the effects of weather-induced events. This is made possible through the creation of new programs, such as the Civilian Climate Corps.
Government programing like the Civilian Climate Corps isn’t new, and in 1933 was referred to as the Civilian Conservation Corps, established to rebuild the U.S. workforce after the Great Depression. In Arizona, the Civilian Conservation Corps of the early 20th century created 41,000 jobs for Arizonans, provided more than $58 million in investments for the state, and made critical improvements to National Parks like the Grand Canyon, Tucson Mountain Park, and Coronado National Forest. Today, it could help restore and rebuild Arizona’s natural landscapes and strengthen the economy.
“Nature-based infrastructure must be an essential component to the protection of our communities. Legislation like the Build Back Better Act would be an investment that would enhance our future by developing climate impact solutions to protect the landscapes we cherish, strengthening our connection to the outdoors,” said HECHO Founding Advisory Board Member Mark Cardenas.
“Arizonans deserve a bold investment like the Build Back Better Act to help curb the climate crisis, and its impacts to our community. Modernizing the Civilian Climate Corps is an opportunity for our communities to nurture their relationship with the land and establish a conservation legacy,” said Coconino County District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez.
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