U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement celebrating Latino Conservation Week:

“This week marks Latino Conservation Week, a week dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of conservation in the Latino community. The Latino community and other historically marginalized communities face a greater risk of being impacted by pollution and climate change. Many of these communities are based near industrial zones contaminated by toxins, power plants that release harmful gases and particles, and areas vulnerable to the damaging impact of weather. Human-caused climate change continues to alter our climate, heat our atmosphere, scorch our wildlands, and threaten our water supply with drought.

“With ever-pressing environmental and health threats, we must ensure that all communities have access to knowledge about climate change and the vital role conservation plays in combatting these negative effects. I am proud to celebrate Latino Conservation Week by cosponsoring a resolution recognizing this special week. I pledge my unwavering commitment to continue working with our partners in Nevada to fight for the stewardship of our environment, from our neighborhood parks in Las Vegas and Reno to our national monuments, such as Gold Butte and Basin and Range National Monuments.”