The Biden Administration has already recognized some new national landmarks in our region. It鈥檚 part of the launched in May 2021 to protect 30% of lands and waters by 2030.
But some advocates from the Latino community want protections for more sites that are important to them and other underrepresented groups. The Hispanic Access Foundation has that it would like the Biden administration to consider.
鈥淭his is a list of places that have cultural, historical or just recreational ties to the Latino community all across the U.S.,鈥� said Shanna Edberg, director of conservation programs at the foundation. The sites 鈥渁re facing these dangers of degradation and are located close to Latino communities who are very nature-deprived.
鈥淲e want to make sure that it includes provisions that make sure that these benefits do reach our communities.鈥�
Currently, represent the stories of underrepresented groups, like Latino and Indigenous communities, according to an analysis by the National Historic Landmarks Committee. Many of the sites on its list reflect Latino history, which is often overlooked, according to Edberg.
鈥淏y protecting these places, by putting up trails and signage in all the languages that users will come in, we can share these histories and tell the stories that have such an important part of American identity,鈥� Edberg said.
Additionally, underrepresented communities face what the foundation calls a 鈥渘ature gap.鈥� by the foundation and the Center for American Progress found that the United States has fewer forests, waters and other natural places near the homes of Black, Latino and Asian communities. Families of color with children also have less access to nature than the rest of the nation.
鈥淭hey are more nature-deprived than white communities,鈥� Edberg said 鈥淪ince then, we've been really taking up that nature gap and trying to address it. And one way to address that, obviously, is by protecting new areas of lands, water and ocean to make sure that places nearby our communities are protected and are not in the process of being destroyed or degraded by development, by oil and gas production and things like that.鈥�
At the top of the foundation鈥檚 list is Avi Kwa Ame, a part of the Mojave Desert near Searchlight, Nevada. It鈥檚 sacred to , has one of the largest Joshua Tree forests, and is full of natural diversity, including species such as the Desert Tortoise. President Biden has pledged his support of a monument there, but no proclamation has been made yet.
鈥淚t's really important to the large and growing Latino community in Nevada,鈥� Edberg said, 鈥渁s well as the cultural and historical overlap that our Latino communities have with the Native Americans who have considered the land sacred and have occupied it and stewarded it for tens of thousands of years.鈥�
Also on the list is the Gila River in New Mexico, a tributary of the Colorado River. It鈥檚 a major water source for Latino farmers and a home for many endangered species.
鈥淧rotecting this place as a wild and scenic river would really promote the health of the river, which so much of our economies and Latino communities, farmworker communities depend on,鈥� Edberg said.
Regardless of what happens with the sites, Edberg said they want to see more trees and greenery in the streets so these communities have increased access to nature.
鈥�We need nature and all the benefits that it provides in every aspect of our lives and these parks would just be one piece of it,'' Edberg said. 鈥淣ature is really incredible in the physical and mental health benefits that it brings, as well as economic opportunities, outdoor recreation, businesses that are formed from folks who have access to nature.鈥�
More sites on the list were in California, Arizona and Texas. To read more about them, visit .
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, 萝莉少女 in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the .
