IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 601 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 19, 2023 Ms. Barragán (for herself, Mr. Espaillat , Mr. Cárdenas , Mr. Soto , Ms. Salinas , Mr. Correa , Mr. Costa , Ms. Escobar , Mr. Frost , Mr. Gallego , Mr. Gomez , Mr. Grijalva , Mr. Levin , Mrs. Napolitano , Ms. Ocasio-Cortez , Mr. Vargas , Ms. Velázquez , and Mr. García of Illinois ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources RESOLUTION Recognizing the importance of engagement with the Latino community to get into the outdoors and participate in activities to protect United States natural resources, and expressing support for the designation of the third week of July as Latino Conservation Week .

Whereas Latino Conservation Week was created by the Hispanic Access Foundation to support the Latino community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect United States natural resources; Whereas, during this week, Latino community, nonprofit, faith-based, and government organizations and agencies across the United States will go on hiking or camping outings in National Conservation Lands, national monuments, and parks and other public lands, learn about conservation efforts in their community, and show their support for permanently protecting United States land, water, and air; Whereas local activities include community-wide public events, private events, film screenings, discussion, ground hikes, birdwatching, picnics, neighborhood cleanups, and more; Whereas national monument designations celebrate the Latino community’s contribution to this country, contribute to local economies, and provide beautiful spaces for outdoor recreation; Whereas 78 percent of Latinos say they have directly experienced the effects of climate change; Whereas two-thirds of Latinos say air pollution and contaminants in drinking water are serious threats to the health of their families; Whereas Latino children in the United States are 40 percent more likely to die from asthma than their White counterparts, in part due to the disproportionate pollution burdens their communities are exposed to; Whereas Latinos are more likely to lack access to health insurance and thus are less able to treat health ailments caused by exposure to poor air quality; Whereas access to natural spaces— (1) provide mental and physical health benefits; (2) can save almost three dollars in health care on every dollar spent on creating and maintaining park trails; and (3) helps mitigate climate change and can aid economic recovery; Whereas communities of color in the United States are 3 times as likely as White communities to live in nature-deprived places, which means there are far fewer parks, forests, streams, beaches, and other natural places near Black, Latino, and Asian communities; Whereas Latinos are 21 percent more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to live in urban heat islands, or areas dominated by asphalt and concrete without access to parks that provide shade for urban cooling; Whereas public lands are a key component of the Latino identity, and they weave a narrative of the diverse and complex history of the Nation; Whereas Latinos are the largest minority group in America, with over 62.5 million people making up 19 percent of the Nation’s population and are projected to become nearly one-third of the population by 2050; Whereas 4.4 million Latinos participate in fishing, averaging more outings per year than the general fishing population; Whereas all communities should have equitable access to nearby green space, the ability to reach it, and features that honor and welcome diverse languages, inclusive histories, and uses of parkland; and Whereas the third week of July is an appropriate week to designate as Latino Conservation Week: Now, therefore be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the Latino community’s commitment to conservation and the importance of getting outdoors; (2) recognizes the future of public lands depends on engaging and welcoming our diverse youth and Latino communities that already deeply care about our environment and feel a moral obligation to take care of it; and (3) supports the designation of Latino Conservation Week .