Latino visitors enjoy the beachfront at Sandy Point State Park in Maryland. (Michael Bowman/Chesapeake Bay Gateway Network)
As Maryland’s 2022 General Assembly session kicks off, a coalition of environmentally conscious lawmakers are expected to propose legislation that would protect 30% of the state’s land and water by 2030 — in line with a nationwide movement known as 30 by 30. As our representatives consider this bill, they should be aware that one of the fastest growing constituencies in our state is strongly in favor of nature conservation and climate action: Latinos.
Over the past decade, the Latino segment of Maryland’s population has grown from 8% to 12%, according to the US Census Bureau. Latinos or Spanish speakers are enthusiastic visitors to Maryland state parks, and at some sites make up a significant proportion or majority of park users. This makes Latinos a valuable and increasingly important constituency for parks and environmental issues. This growing and vibrant community shares cross-party values and supports the protection of our clean air and water sources, a stable climate, and outdoor recreation.
A poll last summer highlighted the prominence of conservation issues among Latino voters in the Chesapeake region. The poll, conducted by David Binder Research and commissioned by the Hispanic Access Foundation and Chesapeake Conservancy, polled 750 registered voters in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C., about environmental issues facing the region, including attitudes and political preferences regarding climate change, the health of the Chesapeake Bay, access to parks and more. The poll showed that, among Latino voters who took the survey, 75% are concerned about climate change, 76% are concerned about climate impacts on the ocean and bays, 71% are concerned about pollution of water and 70% are concerned about extreme heat. Additionally, nearly eight in 10 respondents, including Latinos, considered the health of the Chesapeake Bay to be important to them on a personal level.
Likewise, Latino voters who participated in the survey overwhelmingly supported policies that protect and improve the environment. The poll found that nine in 10 Latino voters, and voters in general, want to invest in protecting their state’s lands, waters and wildlife, even amid economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The poll found that 89% of Latino voters support the 30-by-30 land conservation goal, and 83% support the gradual transition to 100% of the country’s energy generated from clean, renewable sources such as solar and wind energy. Additionally, 89% of Latino voters polled support the creation of new marine sanctuaries to protect ocean waters and wildlife. The same percentage also supports the creation of national parks, national monuments and national wildlife refuges to protect historic sites or outdoor recreation areas.
Additionally, when asked to choose between protecting the environment and drilling for oil and gas, most Latino respondents want to ensure that public lands and waters are protected and safe. Sixty-seven percent want their representatives in Congress to prioritize environmental protection over energy production, compared to 52 percent of all voters. Additionally, 74% of Latinos surveyed said we should strictly limit onshore and offshore oil and gas development or stop it altogether.
Asked about their knowledge of the bay and its current environmental conditions, 62% of Latino voters said they thought the bay
environmental conditions are fair or poor. After the pollster shared some of the ways threats to the Chesapeake Bay can harm communities across the region — such as pollution, the loss of wildlife essential to commercial fishing, severe flooding and limited access to nature – 87% of Latino voters said they support the creation of a Chesapeake National Recreation Area. Additionally, 84% of Latinos and 86% of all voters surveyed said it should be a priority for their state to work to restore the bay.
Despite the challenges Latinos often face accessing nature — largely because people of color are three times more likely than whites to live in “nature-deprived” places — Latino families frequently use public lands. Sixty-four percent of Latino voters say they have visited national parks or other public lands in the past year, with 39% having visited three or more times. On environmental justice and the lack of parks, nature and green spaces in communities of color, strong majorities of Latinos and non-Latinos called for equitable access to protected lands and air and pure water. Nine in 10 Latinos support allocating funds to ensure adequate access to parks for low-income people and communities of color who have disproportionately lacked them, as well as allocating funds to address environmental pollution. air and water in low-income areas.
Latino voters pledge to preserve the environment, including fighting pollution, creating access to parks, switching to clean energy and protecting our precious lands, waters and the Chesapeake.
Upcoming legislation to retain 30% of the state must keep this important constituency in mind and actively engage Latinos in conservation efforts, ensuring that equity and environmental justice are advanced even as we protect nature and the climate. We call for a 30 by 30 initiative that responds to the climate emergency, protects our precious lands and oceans, and prioritizes clean water and healthy air, especially for vulnerable communities like ours.
Shanna Edberg is director of curatorial programs at the Hispanic Access Foundation.
Opinions expressed by opinion columnists are not necessarily those of the Bay Journal.
