New Mexico is home to 13.5 million acres of Bureau of Land Management public lands — a sacred trust that nourishes Indigenous, Latino/a/e, and frontline communities. GreenLatinos New Mexico, led by State Program Director Carlos Matutes, defends these lands against privatization and extractive industry, enforces methane and pollution protections, and ensures Nuevo México's communities shape federal and state policy on the lands and resources that sustain them.
Led by State Program Director Carlos Matutes (Albuquerque), we coordinate Latino/a/e and allied opposition to harmful federal nominations and rollbacks, enforce accountability on BLM and DOI decisions, and partner with tribal nations and frontline communities to protect New Mexico's public lands, monuments, and air quality.
Description
Latino communities face some of the worst air pollution in the country. Join us this Air Quality Awareness Week to explore how methane pollution is worsening air quality in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, and what federal decisions mean for our future. Hear from -Climate Justice & Clean Air Director, Irene Burga -Patricia Garcia-Nelson, Colorado -Carlos Matutes, New Mexico Visit greenlatinos.org for more information.
Topic
Air Quality Awareness Week: The Methane Threat to Our Air
Por Irene Burga, Directora de Justicia Climática y Aire Limpio en GreenLatinos
Esta semana, líderes de todo el mundo se reúnen en Santa Marta, Colombia, para algo que no habíamos visto antes: una conferencia global enfocada en cómo dejar los combustibles fósiles de manera justa y equitativa.
Este momento no surgió de la nada. Es resultado de años de lucha liderada por comunidades indígenas, afrodescendientes, trabajadores y familias que han estado en la primera línea. Ellos han sido claros: no podemos resolver la crisis climática sin dejar los combustibles fósiles, y no podemos hacerlo sin poner al centro a las comunidades más afectadas.
En GreenLatinos, estamos presentes en Santa Marta como parte de nuestro compromiso de conectar a las comunidades latinas en Estados Unidos con las de América Latina. Nuestras historias y nuestras luchas están profundamente conectadas. La crisis climática también lo está.
La conferencia de Santa Marta refleja un impulso global creciente. Más de 80 países ya han pedido una transición que sea rápida, justa y bien financiada. Ahora, gobiernos y organizaciones están tratando de definir cómo hacerlo realidad.
Lo más importante es quién está liderando esta conversación. Las comunidades que han vivido los impactos de la contaminación no están esperando ser invitadas. Están marcando el camino.
También están dejando algo muy claro: una transición que deja atrás a los trabajadores, ignora a las comunidades o repite las mismas prácticas extractivas no es justa. Es simplemente más de lo mismo.
Para nuestras comunidades, esto no es algo lejano.
Vivimos todos los días con los impactos de la infraestructura de combustibles fósiles. Refinerías, carreteras y fábricas suelen estar cerca de nuestros vecindarios. Muchas familias enfrentan asma, calor extremo y costos de energía cada vez más altos.
Al mismo tiempo, la demanda de petróleo y gas en Estados Unidos impulsa la extracción en América Latina. Esto provoca desplazamiento, daños ambientales e inestabilidad en los lugares de donde vienen muchas de nuestras familias.
No son problemas separados. Son parte del mismo sistema.
En GreenLatinos, nuestro Marco de Justicia Climática Latina (LCJF) reconoce esta realidad. La justicia climática significa atender lo que pasa aquí y también lo que pasa más allá de nuestras fronteras.
Si hablamos en serio de dejar los combustibles fósiles, también debemos ser claros sobre lo que viene después.
Esto significa que las comunidades deben participar desde el inicio en la toma de decisiones, no solo al final. Significa que los trabajadores necesitan oportunidades reales de empleo, no promesas. Y significa que las comunidades afectadas necesitan inversión, apoyo y cuidado.
También implica ser honestos sobre lo que no funciona. No podemos depender de soluciones que dicen avanzar pero mantienen la dependencia a los combustibles fósiles. Si no reducimos las emisiones desde la fuente, no estamos resolviendo el problema.
Además, no podemos ignorar el contexto más amplio. Los combustibles fósiles están ligados a conflictos globales, militarización y disputas por recursos. Una transición justa debe alejarnos de esos sistemas, no reforzarlos.
A medida que fortalecemos nuestro trabajo internacional, en GreenLatinos estamos enfocados en:
Construir solidaridad entre países: Fortalecer las relaciones entre comunidades latinas en Estados Unidos y comunidades en América Latina, reconociendo que nuestras luchas están conectadas.
Traer aprendizajes globales a casa: Identificar estrategias de movimientos internacionales que nos ayuden en nuestras luchas por aire limpio, justicia energética e infraestructura en Estados Unidos.
Elevar el liderazgo latino: Asegurar que las voces latinas, especialmente de comunidades en primera línea, sean escuchadas e influyan en soluciones globales.
Impulsar una transición justa: A través del Marco de Justicia Climática Latina, centramos nuestro trabajo en la equidad, la protección de trabajadores y el liderazgo comunitario.
Santa Marta no debe ser solo otra reunión internacional. Debe acercarnos a compromisos reales y acción concreta.
Para GreenLatinos, esto es parte de un camino más largo. Estamos trabajando por un futuro donde nuestras comunidades no estén en la primera línea de la contaminación, sino liderando las soluciones.
Un futuro con aire limpio, energía accesible y oportunidades reales.
Y un futuro donde la transición lejos de los combustibles fósiles no solo ocurra, sino que ocurra de manera justa.
¿Quieres mantenerte informado y ser parte del creciente trabajo internacional de justicia climática de GreenLatinos? Únete a nuestra lista de comunicación para recibir actualizaciones.
By Irene Burga, Climate Justice & Clean Air Director at GreenLatinos
This week, leaders from around the world are gathering in Santa Marta, Colombia, for something we have not seen before: a global conference focused specifically on how to transition away from fossil fuels in a way that is fair and grounded in justice.
For many of us in the climate movement, this moment did not come out of nowhere. It is the result of decades of organizing led by Indigenous communities, Afro-descendant leaders, workers, and frontline families who have long been clear about what is at stake. We cannot solve the climate crisis without ending our dependence on fossil fuels, and we cannot do that without centering the people most impacted.
At GreenLatinos, we are showing up in Santa Marta as part of a broader commitment to connect Latino communities in the United States with those across Latin America. Our communities are deeply tied to both places. The climate crisis is too.
The Santa Marta conference builds on growing global momentum. More than 80 countries have already called for a transition away from fossil fuels that is fast, fair, and fully funded. Now, governments and civil society are coming together to figure out what that actually looks like.
What stands out most is who is leading this conversation. Communities that have lived with the impacts of extraction and pollution are not waiting to be invited in. They are setting the terms.
They are also making something very clear. A transition that leaves workers behind, ignores community voices, or continues the same extractive practices under a different name is not a just transition. It is just more of the same.
For Latino communities in the United States, this is not abstract.
We live with the impacts of fossil fuel infrastructure every day. Refineries, highways, and industrial facilities are often located near our neighborhoods. Many of our families are dealing with asthma, extreme heat, and rising energy costs.
At the same time, U.S. demand for oil and gas continues to drive extraction across Latin America. That extraction contributes to displacement, environmental damage, and instability in the very places many of our families come from.
These are not separate issues. They are part of the same system.At GreenLatinos, our Latino Climate Justice Framework was built with this in mind. Climate justice for our communities means addressing what is happening here in the U.S. and what is happening across borders.
If we are serious about phasing out fossil fuels, we have to be just as serious about what comes next.
That means communities need to be part of decision-making from the start, not brought in at the end. It means workers need real pathways to good jobs, not promises. It means communities that have been harmed need support, investment, and care.
It also means being honest about what does not work. We cannot rely on solutions that keep us locked into fossil fuels while claiming progress. If emissions are not going down at the source, we are not solving the problem.
And we cannot ignore the broader context. Fossil fuels are tied to global conflict, militarization, and struggles over land and resources. A just transition should move us away from those systems, not reinforce them.
As GreenLatinos deepens our international engagement, GreenLatinos is focused on a set of clear goals that connect our U.S.-based work with global climate justice efforts:
Building Cross-Border Solidarity
We aim to strengthen relationships between Latino communities in the U.S. and frontline communities across Latin America, recognizing that our struggles are shared and interconnected.
Bringing Global Lessons Home
We are identifying strategies from international fossil fuel resistance movements that can inform our work on infrastructure fights, air quality, and energy justice in the U.S.
Elevating Latino Leadership in Global Spaces
We are working to ensure that Latino voices, particularly those from frontline communities, are visible, heard, and influential in shaping global climate solutions.
Advancing a Just Transition Framework
Through the Latino Climate Justice Framework, we are grounding our work in principles that center equity, worker protections, and community leadership, ensuring that the transition away from fossil fuels benefits our communities, rather than leaving them behind.
Santa Marta should not be just another international meeting. It should move us closer to real commitments and real action.
For GreenLatinos, this is part of a longer path. We are working toward a future where Latino communities are no longer on the frontlines of pollution and climate harm, but are shaping the solutions.
A future with clean air, affordable energy, and real opportunities.
And a future where the transition away from fossil fuels is not only happening, but happening in a way that is fair.
Want to stay informed and be part of GreenLatinos’ growing international climate work? Join our communications list for updates.
GreenLatinos’ Urban Greening Initiative Shows Climate Resilience Starts at Home
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/22/26
MEDIA CONTACT: Cumbia Padilla, Communications Coordinator, 707-382-8113, [email protected]
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In celebration of Earth Month, GreenLatinos is proud to share the growing impact of its Urban Greening Initiative, a community-driven effort advancing climate resilience, environmental justice, and authentic local stewardship across Albuquerque.
From expanding urban tree canopy and community gardens to bolstering youth workforce development programs and neighborhood compost hubs, the initiative has delivered measurable environmental and community benefits since its launch in August 2025.
Over the past six months, the program has:
“During Earth Month, we celebrate the real impact of our urban greening initiatives. When we invest resources directly into the hands of our communities, our planet heals,” said Amanda Pantoja, Urban Greening Initiative Coordinator with GreenLatinos. “Our neighborhoods have been caring for the Earth for generations, and this stewardship continues every day in our Latino households and communities. Seeing our people lead urban greening projects with their own vision and hands shows that climate resilience is not just a goal—it is a reality we are building together.”
In Albuquerque, local organizations distributed nearly 12,000 pounds of fresh food, trained 18 BIPOC youth in agriculture and urban forestry, and expanded food forests, compost systems, and irrigation infrastructure. “Urban greening and urban farming have been vital to our communities in Albuquerque. Not only do these projects feed those in need, but they also build stronger bonds, teach the next generations about our traditional connections with the land, and help mitigate the inequitable effects of climate change," said Carlos Matutes, GreenLatinos New Mexico State Director.
This Earth Month, GreenLatinos reaffirms its commitment to investing in frontline communities and supporting community-led, culturally grounded solutions built for long-term climate resilience.
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/a/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestra justicia ambiental, batallas de conservación, climáticas e impulsados a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
Community members on the Southeast Environmental Task Force Boat Tour.
This Earth Month, we want to take a moment to share and celebrate what our comunidades have been building across the country.
In the past six months, GreenLatinos partners across Chicago, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque have been doing what Latinos have always done: taking care of the land, feeding our neighbors, and investing in the youth around us.
Here's a look at what that work looks like on the ground.
The numbers
7,600+ community members showed up. 13,000+ pounds of fresh food were distributed. 611,000+ pounds of organic waste were diverted from landfills. 201 trees are in the ground. 3,500+ volunteer hours were logged by neighbors who chose to give their time to this work.
Gracias to our comunidades across the country for their work!
Chicago
People for Environmental Restoration & Riverfront Organization (PERRO) holding a community event at the Canal Origins park restoration project in partnership with the Chicago Park District.
In Chicago, residents are helping design the future of Canal Origins Park from the ground up. More than 100 community members joined boat tours, walking tours, and design conversations to share their vision for the space, all led by our partners at PERRO. Students at the Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) are learning in brand new outdoor classrooms, including Geodesic domes and Community gardens. Stay tuned to see exciting updates from Centro San Bonifacio and Southeast Environmental Task Force!
Los Angeles
Community members collaborating and sharing their vision for Aliso Pico Recreation Center with Proyecto Pastoral.
In Los Angeles, a community garden opened in Pico Union and became a gathering place almost immediately thanks to our friends at Cultiva LA. Over 1,200 people joined events there in just a few months. Youth with the San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps planted 201 trees in Pico Rivera and were recognized by the city for their work. Our partners at LA Compost diverted over 611,000 pounds of organic waste from landfills, turning it into soil that feeds more gardens and more community. We are rooting for our amigues at Proyecto Pastoral as they continue to dream and plan their vision for Aliso Pico Recreation Center!
Albuquerque
A group gathered at the SouthWest Organizing Project community garden space.
In Albuquerque, the Southwest Organizing Project and the Semilla Project distributed nearly 12,000 pounds of fresh food, grew over 2,000 plant starts, and welcomed thousands of neighbors to Loma Linda Community Farm. Eighteen BIPOC youth graduated also from a pre-apprenticeship in agriculture and urban forestry, earning certifications in CPR, Wilderness First Aid, and wildfire mitigation. And CESOSS brought hundreds of K-5 students into hands-on learning about acequias, soil, and water, the same systems their ancestors built and maintained for generations. Yes! Housing continued to build the infrastructure for a new orchard.
This is what our people have always known
As Amanda Pantoja, our Urban Greening Initiative Coordinator, put it: "Our neighborhoods have been caring for the Earth for generations, and this stewardship continues every day in our Latino households and communities."
This Earth Month, we're proud to celebrate that. These are not new ideas, but concepts and practices our comunidades have been practicing all along.
Want to continue supporting our work across the country and make a real impact? Make a donation today HERE.
GreenLatinos’ Urban Greening Initiative Shows Climate Resilience Starts at Home
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/22/26
MEDIA CONTACT: Cumbia Padilla, Communications Coordinator, 707-382-8113, [email protected]
[Los Angeles, California] — April 2026 — In celebration of Earth Month, GreenLatinos is proud to share the growing impact of its Urban Greening Initiative, a community-driven effort advancing climate resilience, environmental justice, and authentic local stewardship across Chicago, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque.
From expanding urban tree canopy and community gardens to bolstering youth workforce development programs and neighborhood compost hubs, the initiative has delivered measurable environmental and community benefits from its launch in August 2025 to this spring.
Over the past six months, the program has:
“During Earth Month, we celebrate the real impact of our urban greening initiatives. When we invest resources directly into the hands of our communities, our planet heals,” said Amanda Pantoja, Urban Greening Initiative Coordinator with GreenLatinos. “Our neighborhoods have been caring for the Earth for generations, and this stewardship continues every day in our Latino households and communities. Seeing our people lead urban greening projects with their own vision and hands shows that climate resilience is not just a goal—it is a reality we are building together.”
Across Los Angeles, GreenLatinos’ grantees planted over 200 trees, opened a community garden in the Pico-Union/Westlake area, provided job training for frontline youth, and built a robust composting infrastructure that has diverted more than 611,000 pounds of organic waste. “Investing in solutions for our most nature-deprived communities unlocks the full potential of both the community and our planet,” said Pedro Hernández, GreenLatinos’ California State Program Director. “These projects demonstrate that nature can heal while cultivating the next generation of frontline leaders to steward our future.”
In Albuquerque, local organizations distributed nearly 12,000 pounds of fresh food, trained 18 BIPOC youth in agriculture and urban forestry, and expanded food forests, compost systems, and irrigation infrastructure. “Urban greening and urban farming have been vital to our communities in Albuquerque. Not only do these projects feed those in need, they build stronger bonds, teach the next generations about our traditional connections with the land, and help mitigate the inequitable effects of climate change," said Carlos Matutes, New Mexico State Program Director.
In Chicago, projects advanced community green spaces, environmental learning areas for children, and restoration planning through partnerships with local institutions and residents. “In Chicago, we’re investing in community-driven projects that are turning some of our most environmentally burdened neighborhoods into healthier, greener spaces,” said Lucy Contreras, Illinois State Program Director with GreenLatinos. “Our awardees are reclaiming land, revitalizing their communities, and expanding access to nature in areas that have long been overburdened by pollution and disinvestment.”
This Earth Month, GreenLatinos reaffirms its commitment to investing in frontline communities and supporting solutions that are community-led, culturally grounded, and built for long-term climate resilience.
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/a/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestra justicia ambiental, batallas de conservación, climáticas e impulsados a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
El nominado Director de la Bureau of Land Management Director, Steve Pearce oído ante el Comité del Senado
Washington, DC – El martes 25 de febrero, el Comité de Energía y Recursos Naturales del Senado celebró una audiencia para considerar la nominación del excongresista Steve Pearce para dirigir la Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM, por sus siglas en inglés). Esta agencia administra 245 millones de acres de tierras públicas nacionales, incluidos 14.9 millones de acres en California, 13.5 millones de acres en Nuevo México, 12.1 millones de acres en Arizona, 8.35 millones de acres en Colorado y 22.8 millones de acres en Utah. Estas tierras abarcan numerosos monumentos nacionales, áreas de importancia cultural, ecológica e histórica y otras tierras recreativas federales. Steve Pearce asistió aparentemente sin estar preparado para responder a preguntas críticas relacionadas con las regulaciones aplicadas por la BLM y sin estar dispuesto a rechazar sus esfuerzos impopulares para vender tierras públicas, los cuales son rechazados por una abrumadora mayoría bipartidista.
En respuesta, GreenLatinos instó a los senadores a oponerse a su nominación y emite las siguientes declaraciones:
“Nuevo México, lamentablemente, está muy familiarizado con lo enormemente descalificado que está el Sr. Pearce para administrar las tierras públicas bajo la Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM). Él ha ganado personalmente millones de dólares mediante cuestionables ventas de arrendamientos de petróleo y gas, ha mostrado un total desprecio por la ley al talar árboles ilegalmente en el Bosque Nacional Lincoln y aboga abiertamente por vender tierras públicas a intereses corporativos extractivos. El Sr. Pearce representa un peligro inminente para nuestro medio ambiente, la preservación de las tierras públicas y la misión multifacética de la BLM”, dijo Carlos Matutes, director estatal de Nuevo México para GreenLatinos, con sede en Albuquerque, NM.
“Sobre el Monumento Nacional Chuckwalla, el Sr. Pearce no dio en el blanco. Cuando se le pidió reunirse con la Comisión Intertribal de Chuckwalla, Pearce recordó haberse convertido en una voz para las Tribus en Washington, DC. Esta es una visión inapropiada e incorrecta de la relación de gobierno a gobierno de los Estados Unidos con las naciones tribales soberanas. El Sr. Pearce legalmente no es, ni nadie querría que fuera, una voz para otra nación soberana. GreenLatinos apoya inequívocamente las relaciones de la Comisión Intertribal con Chuckwalla. Agradecemos al Senador Padilla por su compromiso con los valores de alianza con los miembros de la Comisión y aplaudimos al Senador Gallego preguntando para una promesa de honrar el Monumento Nacional de Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon,” dijo Pedro Hernández, Director del Programa Estatal de California para GreenLatinos con sede en Fresno, CA.
“Pearce el Contaminador está superando las expectativas que vienen con ese nombre. Él afirmó no estar familiarizado con la ampliamente respaldada Regla de Prevención del Desperdicio de Metano administrada por la agencia que ha sido nominado para dirigir, porque no está dispuesto a admitir que la polución es su prioridad. El Director de la BLM debería ofrecer una certeza inequívoca de que esta regla será cumplida”, dijo Meisei Gonzalez, Defensor de Justicia Climática y Aire Limpio para GreenLatinos con sede en Salt Lake City, UT.
“Cuando fue presionado sobre sus declaraciones pasadas en apoyo a la venta de tierras públicas, Steve Pearce dijo: ‘No estoy tan seguro de haber cambiado’. Está claro que seguiría el liderazgo del principal promotor de la privatización de tierras públicas, el Senador Mike Lee. El Sr. Pearce debió haber dicho, fuerte y claramente, que no apoya la venta o transferencia de tierras públicas. No lo hizo. Como señaló el Senador John Hickenlooper, ‘Si alguien se revela a sí mismo, créanle’. Si la mayoría que apoya las tierras públicas esperaba que el Sr. Pearce atenuaría sus preocupaciones sobre su nominación, la audiencia de hoy fue un fracaso”, dijo Ean Thomas Tafoya, Vicepresidente de Programas Estatales para GreenLatinos con sede en Denver, CO.
“Steve Pearce es una amenaza para las tradiciones de las comunidades hispanas y latinas de cocinar carne asada con seres queridos, la caza de temporada y contar historias alrededor de la fogata en tierras públicas. El Senador Ruben Gallego articuló el peligro de vender tierras públicas: que lugares cercanos y de calidad para que las personas trabajadoras puedan pescar, cazar y acampar se conviertan en fincas privadas como segundas y terceras residencias para los más pudientes. Esta amenaza se ve reforzada por las medidas del Departamento del Interior para impedir que los inmigrantes y el 22% de los estadounidenses que hablan un idioma distinto del inglés en casa accedan a las tierras recreativas nacionales. Merecemos un Director de la BLM que actúe con la responsabilidad de garantizar el acceso a las tierras públicas para nuestros hijos, bisnietos y las generaciones venideras; Steve Pearce no es esa persona”, dijo Olivia Juarez, Director del Programa de Tierras Públicas para GreenLatinos con sede en Salt Lake City, UT.
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GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) convoca a una comunidad activa de líderes ambientales, de conservación y de justicia climática, arraigada en el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unida para impulsar nuestras prioridades y motivada a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
Bureau of Land Management Director Nominee Steve Pearce Heard in Senate Committee
Washington, DC – On Tuesday, February 25, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of former Congressman Steve Pearce to serve as the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This agency administers 245 million acres of national public lands, including 14.9 million acres in California, 13.5 million acres in New Mexico, 12.1 million acres in Arizona, 8.35 million acres in Colorado, and 22.8 million acres in Utah. These lands encompass numerous national monuments, areas of cultural, ecological, and historical significance, and other federal recreational lands. Pearce attended the hearing apparently unprepared to respond to critical questions pertaining to regulations enforced by the BLM and unwilling to disavow his long supported efforts to sell off public lands, which are opposed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority.
In response, GreenLatinos urged Senators to oppose his nomination and issues the following statements:
“New Mexico is unfortunately very familiar with how massively unqualified Mr. Pearce is to steward public lands under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). He has personally made millions of dollars from questionable oil and gas lease sales, has shown utter disregard for the law by illegally cutting trees in the Lincoln National Forest, and openly advocates to sell public lands to extractive corporate interests. Mr. Pearce is an imminent danger to our environment, preservation of public lands, and the multifaceted mission of the BLM,” said Carlos Matutes, Albuquerque, NM-based New Mexico State Director for GreenLatinos.
“On Chuckwalla National Monument, Pearce missed the bullseye. When asked to meet with the Chuckwalla Inter-Tribal Commission, Pearce recalled becoming a voice for Tribes in DC. This is an inappropriate and incorrect view of the United States’ government-to-government relationship with sovereign tribal nations. Mr. Pearce legally is not, nor would anyone want him to be, a voice for another sovereign nation. GreenLatinos unequivocally supports the Inter-Tribal Commission’s relationships with Chuckwalla. We thank Senator Padilla for his commitment to kinship values with the Commission members and applaud Senator Gallego for asking assurance for honoring Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, ” said Pedro Hernández, Fresno, CA-based California State Program Director for GreenLatinos.
“Polluter Pearce is exceeding the expectations that come with this name. Mr. Pearce claimed unfamiliarity with the broadly supported Methane Waste Prevention Rule administered by the agency he is nominated to lead because he is unwilling to admit that pollution is his prerogative. The BLM Director should deliver unequivocal certainty that this rule will be abided by,” said Meisei Gonzalez, Salt Lake City, UT-based Climate Justice and Clean Air Advocate for GreenLatinos.
“When pressed on his past statements supporting the sale of public lands, Steve Pearce said, ‘I’m not so sure that I’ve changed.’ It is clear that he would follow the lead of the foremost public land sell-off proponent, Senator Mike Lee. Mr. Pearce should have said, loudly and clearly, that he does not support the sale or transfer of public lands. He did not. As Senator John Hickenlooper remarked, ‘If someone reveals themself, believe them.’ If the pro-public land majority was expecting Mr. Pearce to soften their concerns about his nominations, today’s hearing was a failure,” said Ean Thomas Tafoya, Denver, CO-based Vice President of State Programs for GreenLatinos.
“Steve Pearce is a threat to Hispanic and Latino community traditions of cooking carne asada with loved ones, seasonal hunting, and telling stories around the campfire on public lands. Senator Ruben Gallego articulated the danger of selling off public lands: nearby, quality places for working-class people to go fishing, hunting, and camping are being fenced off as private second- and third-home estates for the wealthiest. This threat is aided by the Department of the Interior’s moves to prevent immigrants and the 22% of Americans who speak a language other than English at home from accessing federal recreational lands. We deserve a BLM Director who will act with the responsibility to deliver public land access to our children, great-grandchildren, and generations to come; Steve Pearce is not that person,” said Olivia Juarez, Salt Lake City, UT-based Public Land Program Director for GreenLatinos.
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GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) convenes an active comunidad of environmental, conservation, and climate justice leaders rooted in the power and wisdom of our culture, united to uplift our priorities, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
GreenLatinos rechaza la nominación de Stevan Pearce para dirigir la Oficina de Administración de Tierras
WASHINGTON — El miércoles 5 de noviembre, el Presidente Trump nominó al ex Congresista de Nuevo México Steve Pearce para dirigir la Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM). Se espera que el Comité Senatorial de Energía y Recursos Naturales tenga una audiencia antes de una votación de confirmación este invierno. En respuesta, el Director del Programa Estatal de GreenLatinos en Nuevo México, Carlos Matutes, dice:
"Mientras representaba a Nuevo México en la Cámara de Representantes, el Sr. Pearce denigró a la misión del Servicio de Parques Nacionales pidiendo la extracción de combustibles fósiles en los Parques Nacionales. La trayectoria del Sr. Pearce demuestra que está comprometido con el desmantelamiento de monumentos nacionales, la venta de nuestras tierras públicas y la promoción de las industrias extractivas a expensas de profesionales de confianza en la Oficina de Administración de Tierras.
La Administración Trump ha acelerado una crisis en nuestras tierras públicas al planear despedir a 474 servidores públicos en la Administración de Tierras después de despedir a 800 en febrero, y despedir al 43 por ciento de los funcionarios públicos de la agencia durante su cierre del gobierno. El Sr. Pearce ayudaría a la Administración a intentar desmantelar el BLM sin tener en cuenta las vidas y el sustento de su personal.
El pueblo estadounidense merece un Director BLM comprometido a mantener la salud, la diversidad y la productividad de nuestras tierras para las generaciones presentes y futuras; no uno que los entregue al mejor postor."
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Acerca de GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/a/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestra justicia ambiental, batallas de conservación, climáticas e impulsados a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
GreenLatinos rejects nomination of Stevan Pearce to direct the Bureau of Land Management
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, November 5, President Trump nominated former New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected to hold a hearing ahead of a confirmation vote this winter. In response, GreenLatinos New Mexico State Program Director, Carlos Matutes, says:
"While representing New Mexico in the House, Mr. Pearce denigrated the National Park Service mission calling for fossil fuel extraction in National Parks. Mr. Pearce’s track record shows he is committed to dismantling national monuments, selling off our public lands, and favoring extractive industries at the expense of trusted professionals at the Bureau of Land Management.
The Trump Administration has accelerated a crisis on our public lands by planning to fire 474 public servants at the Bureau of Land Management after firing 800 in February, and furloughing 43 percent of the agency’s public servants during their government shutdown. Mr. Pearce would aid the Administration attempts to dismantle the BLM with no regard for the lives and livelihoods of its staff.
The American people deserve a BLM Director committed to sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of our lands for present and future generations, not one who would hand them over to the highest bidder."
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About GreenLatinosGreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
