WHY WILDERNESS?
At the heart of the word “Wilderness” is a call to action to preserve America’s most threatened ecosystems.
The Wilderness Act of 1964 created one of the strongest and most durable types of U.S. land protection. Under this legislation, wilderness areas can be created to preserve an area where nature prevails. In the 60 years since its passage, the National Wilderness Preservation System has grown to include over 800 wilderness areas, totaling nearly 112 million acres across 44 states.
Central to many Latino cultures and traditions is a sacred relationship with la naturaleza. Plants, animals, insects, fungi, rivers, valleys, mountains, hills, grasslands, lakes and more have shaped who we are and our stories. By identifying and designating Wilderness areas and Wilderness Study Areas, our more than human relatives whom we depend on for our wellbeing receive the respect that they deserve in public land management policy. Places significant to Latino histories and cultures with wilderness characteristics can be added to the National Wilderness Preservation System, creating more places where our stories are told.
In order to cultivate a vibrant, effective and diverse movement para las áreas silvestre, GreenLatinos proudly joined the National Wilderness Coalition (NWC)!
THE INAUGURAL NATIONAL WILDERNESS WEEK
From September 9-11, 2024, the NWC convened nearly 60 advocates from conservation organizations, grassroots groups, and Tribal members Washington D.C. for three days of events and meetings with congressional offices to say “wilderness is essential”. Our call to action was simple: protect the Wilderness Act and find partners to grow a vibrant, diverse and modern wilderness movement.
In DC, the National Wilderness Coalition hosted over 30 meetings with members of Congress; hosted an insightful roundtable of the current challenges faced by wilderness advocates throughout the country; and awarded our first Congressional Wilderness Champion Awards to Senator Martin Heinrich (NM), Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM), Representative Diana DeGette (CO), Representative Joe Neguse (CO), and Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ).
The NWC Fly-In was the first of many events which will support the relationships needed to win on our issues, and cultivate elected and appointed public officials who champion equitable efforts for the preservation of wilderness.
OUR PAST AND FUTURE
Latinos experience some of the highest rates of cumulative pollution and nature deprivation. We are underrepresented in the federal land administration workforce. Our stories and histories are not equitably preserved and represented across public lands. This myriad of issues is heightened by constant challenges to the responsibility of the American public to steward nature. In 2024 alone, the federal agencies charged with administering public land and water have been under threat of severe budget cuts and a virtual impasse largely due to obstruction from the House of Representatives. The urgency to conserve nature and provide people necessary resources to be stewards has never been greater.
Since its inception there have been some clear problems with how the Wilderness Act has reinforced a Euro-Western belief that humanity is separate, and not a part of, nature. For example, the definition of wilderness as defined in this historic bill is an area, “where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” Many have interpreted this language as a reinforcement of historic policy which dispossessed native people of their home places.
To be sure, the national movement to protect nature has not been inclusive, or representative of all who depend on the integrity of these places–especially Tribal nations and Indigenous communities who represent those who have been visitors and dwellers upon all lands under the domain of the United States including public lands.
But in a short time, numerous justice-centered movements have shaped the way conservation gets done in the U.S. and territories, resulting in significant improvements for a national conservation movement that is led by and benefits everyone. Under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland alone our nation has benefitted from these actions and others which advance Tribal nations and Indigenous communities’ stewardship of lands and waters.
- Millions of dollars granted to 35 Tribes and Native Nations in America The Beautiful Challenge Grants
- The establishment of a Bison Working Group at the Department of Interior with $25m of Inflation Reduction Act funding to restore bison populations;
- $15m for Indian Youth Service Corps and other programs supporting the next generation of conservation and climate stewards;
- The completion of 200 (and counting) co-stewardship agreements between tribes and federal natural resource management agencies;
- The establishment of the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force and recommendations given to replace offensive, ethnic, racial and sexist place names.
The 60th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act marks the beginning of a new chapter for the role of Wilderness Areas in accomplishing our national goal to restore, connect and conserve 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030 through a collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation.
GET INVOLVED
There is much work to be done. If your organization is interested in learning more about the National Wilderness Coalition and the GreenLatinos Public Land Program, contact us at oliviajuarez@greenlatinos.org and pedrohernandez@greenlatinos.org.