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Environment

Environmental equity is ultimately an issue of social justice, one that deeply affects Latino communities all across the United States. Particularly in low-income areas, access to parks and green space is becoming increasingly rare, with Latino adults lacking common areas to exercise and develop interpersonal connections, and Latino children unable to incorporate physical activity into their routines. As a result, Latinos across the country are experiencing chronic health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.

Research shows that Latinos believe clean water, clean air, access to green spaces and other environmental issues are important to the wellbeing of Hispanic communities nationally. Because of this, Hispanic Federation supports legislation that protects our environment and natural resources such as public lands and monuments. To advance this goal, HF educates lawmakers in Washington on how environmental policies impact Latino communities, defends the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which funds parks in urban and rural areas, and upholds the Antiquities Act, which enables the designation of national monuments.

Our environmental portfolio includes:

Latino Conservation Alliance

Clean air and water, sustainable energy practices, the protection of public lands and national monuments, and access to these resources – HF believes all are of critical importance to the Hispanic community. For these reasons, HF is proud to have co-founded in fall 2014 the Latino Conservation Alliance (LCA), the first Latino environmental coalition in history. LCA is made up of group of six Latino organizations who are dedicated to promoting conservation priorities in their respective communities, and committed to elevating our combined voices with the goal of preserving the nation’s precious natural resources.

LCA Coalition Members:

Green Latinos

Hispanic Access Foundation

Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO)

La Madre Tierra

Latino Outdoors

Healthy Parks: Healthy Latinos Environmental Policy Report

As the impacts of diabetes and obesity continue to be felt strongly in Latino communities, access to local parks and recreational areas critical for exercise is diminishing. Hispanic Federation’s report, Healthy Parks: Healthy Latinos, outlines the health disparities impacting the nation’s 58 million Hispanics and the importance of green spaces to Latino communities from coast to coast. The report calls on Congress to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund while preserving the longstanding Antiquities Act and the President’s authority to designate national parks and monuments. To read the full report, click here.

For more information, contact Jonathan Castillo Polanco, Manager of Green Energy and Enviornment.