Biden Administration Writing a New Chapter In Conservation History

May 2, 2024

WASHINGTON — Today GreenLatinos Founding President & CEO Mark Magaña was proud to be a part of the small delegation of Indigenous, Latino, Asian, and CA conservation leaders that were invited into the White House Oval office to be with President Biden, Vice-President Harris, Secretary Vilsack, Chair Mallory, and CA Senators Padilla and Butler among many other elected and appointed officials to witness the President sign the proclamations expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument at Molok Luyk. In response, GreenLatinos Founding President & CEO Mark Magaña issues the following statement:

“The conservation of Molok Luyuk as part of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and the expansion San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is a resounding victory in the America The Beautiful Initiative to provide access to outdoor, nature, and green space to Latino/a/e, Black, Indigenous, Asian, and more communities of color–communities that are disproportionately nature-deprived and overburdened by pollution. GreenLatinos applauds and encourages the Administration’s continued commitment to ensure at least 40% of conservation investments cultivate justice for all. 

These proclamations will ensure that millions of Californians–more than half of which are people of color–have more equitable access to nearby forests as our nation moves one step closer to reaching our national goal of conserving 30% of the country’s lands by 2030. President Biden is making history as leading the most effective, equitable and community-centered track records on climate and conservation. 

GreenLatinos stands ready to help secure long-term funding for maintenance of these expanded monument areas and continue our partnership with the Biden Administration to ensure that they use every tool at their disposal to conserve sacred landscapes; the cultures and histories of all Americans, and ecosystem services that provide clean air, clean water, habitat, recreation, and climate change resilience for historically underserved and marginalized communities.”

Our national community of Latino/a/e climate and conservation leaders celebrate this monumental milestone. ¡Felicidades!”