Local opinion: Latino Conservation Week highlights importance of Arizona public lands

I grew up in Nogales, Arizona, where being outside was simply part of being a kid.

It wasn't until I moved to Tucson, became a mother and founded Mini Poderosas, an organization that helps young girls facing challenges without the support and confidence-building spaces they need, that I began to understand more deeply what those public spaces mean and how important it is to protect them.

My 7-year-old twins and I hike Tumamoc Hill, where we encounter deer and other wildlife. We also visit local parks and celebrate new community spaces. These aren't just outings for us. They are opportunities to create memories, connect with one another and give them little nuggets of wisdom that I hope they carry with them: This is your land. This is your home. We have to take care of it.

That is why Latino Conservation Week (LCW), celebrated this month, is so meaningful to me.

It is an invitation to Latino families into outdoor spaces where some may not have had the opportunity, exposure or encouragement to go before. It brings communities together to learn about our land, understand how we can protect it and recognize that conservation is something we all have a role in. In fact, Hispanic participation in outdoor recreation grew nearly 12% in 2024.

In Arizona, places like Ironwood Forest National Monument and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon hold our history, culture, wildlife, and natural beauty, while ensuring that future generations can experience and learn from these special places.

And there is broad support across the West for protecting these spaces. Eighty-nine percent of Western voters oppose removing existing national monument protections. Yet, in 2025, the current administration, with the support of U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, declared an “energy emergency” and directed the Interior Department to review certain national monuments. These actions, along with subsequent efforts to roll back protections for national monuments, put places like Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon and Ironwood Forest at risk.

National monuments are only part of the story. Protecting these places also means making sure the National Park Service has the funding, staff, and resources it needs to care for the lands and historic sites entrusted to it. Just this week, The Washington Post reported the Trump administration has blocked more than 130 projects in national parks across the country worth at least $25 million.

As a parent, I have to ask: Will my sons have the same outdoor opportunities when they are adults? Will these places be there for their children?

Those opportunities depend on people, funding and the resources to care for the places that make those experiences possible. Arizona ranked among the top 10 states for public land agency job losses in 2025, with a 16% loss across the public lands workforce. Maintaining public lands takes people and resources. As a nonprofit founder, I understand what happens when organizations are asked to do more with less: it becomes harder to maintain programs, facilities and services communities depend on.

As a first-generation American, I understand that many of us grow up in survival mode, focused on our families, our jobs and making sure our children have what they need. But caring for ourselves and our communities is part of that work, too.

I want Latino families to know that we have a voice.

Going for a walk. Taking our children to a park. Exploring a trail.

These aren't luxuries. They are investments in our health, our well-being and our communities.

I invite Latino families across Arizona to get outside and learn more about the land around you. At the same time, it’s also important to use our voices. Urge your Member of Congress to stand up for our national monuments and to fight for adequate funding for our national parks and staff. Secretary Burgum can’t get away with the chaos. Every action can help protect these places for future generations.

Our decision-makers should listen to the communities who value these lands and take action to protect Arizona’s parks, monuments and public lands. Our generation, and those who come after us, deserve the opportunity to experience, explore and enjoy them.