Guest Blog: The Natural World is Part of our Heritage, and We Should Protect It

By Arizona State Senator Rosanna Gabaldón

When our family first arrived in Tucson in 1973, we experienced a different meaning of the natural world. We had just arrived from Panama, and my father, an Air Force Veteran, was stationed in Arizona.

We traded the wet, tropical, maritime climate for the hot, dry, southwest Sonoran Desert. And it was magical. My father took us camping on public lands, hiking in our beautiful state parks, and it didn't take long for us to fall in love with the Desert.

We ventured near and far, from climbing Picacho Peak and bike riding in Tucson to hiking the Chiricahua's; we were an outdoor family. That's how I learned to love and appreciate the outdoors, and I was lucky that I was able to experience this with my relatives. You see, the Southwest Desert, and especially our borderlands, are rich in land, wildlife, and culture – it's not the barren landscape that is often portrayed on TV or the national media.

Today, as a state Legislator, I fight to protect our natural resources so that future generations can have these same experiences and learn from the outdoors. It's the only way to create a new generation of people to fight our climate and public lands.

I ran for office out of passion to serve my community in my hometown of Sahuarita, first elected as a city councilor and later running successfully for the State House of Representatives and the State Senate. My passion was to bring equity in investment and decision-making to our southern Arizona communities, particularly for our underserved and communities of color.

We have successfully protected and held on too much of our state and federal land in my community. It has been a tremendous economic and cultural benefit for all visitors and us alike. But we have one resource that we must do a better job of protecting, and it is the most precious of all – water. 

I like to believe about our water management as buckets of water – because if you've ever lived without water, or you've had to haul water, you know just how important it is to have one bucket. In the arid Southwest, every bucket counts, and every bucket represents the future of our communities. That means we must be measured and strategic about how we use our water – do we use it for municipal utilities, wildlife, our desert wetlands, and our communities, or do we allow corporations to use it for profit and extractive industries like hard rock mining – what matters most in the end?

Part of the solution is ensuring that we, as a state and nation, are also transitioning to clean energy and electric vehicles. We all win when we transition to clean energy and reduce reliance on water to produce fossil fuels and other extractive activities. We have great opportunities in Arizona to do more, and we must do it with the future of our communities in mind.

I am humbled to have the opportunity to provide my voice and perspective in our State Legislature, as it is rooted in the values and traditions of my own Hispanic family. I encourage other Hispanics and Latinos to step up, heed the call of public service, participate in a school board, in an advisory board, in their city council, step up and run for office, and never be shy to ask the hard questions.

I applaud HECHO and all of the hard-working advocates fighting for the future of our natural resources, and I am proud to be part of a team that puts the priorities of our communities front and center.