Fresno is next to spectacular Sierra wilderness, but few people of color can enjoy it
As environmental advocates, we are awed by the wonders of the Central Valley and southern Sierra Nevada mountains. We have worked in recent years to bring local residents, many from immigrant communities, out into nature to experience our public lands, sometimes for the first time.
Seeing a disconnect between public lands and local residents, we set out to learn more about our community’s access to and understanding of public lands. This year, we surveyed over 560 residents, and released our report “Public Lands Advocacy and Local Communities in the San Joaquin Valley.” There is a perception that working-class families, particularly immigrant and Latino communities, are uninterested in public lands. But our recent report indicates 92% of residents have visited public lands in the last year, and 95% have an ongoing interest in these places.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the universal need to get outside — parks and other public lands are essential to our health. However, investment in and access to our public lands has been stratified across racial and socioeconomic divides. Our research shows that lower-income families and communities of color are interested in public lands, but they don’t have access to or feel welcome in these spaces.
These are our lands, “nuestras tierras” — here for our shared enjoyment and protected by our shared responsibility. We cannot expect people to defend what they do not know and cannot visit. Because of this, we have committed our organizations to increasing access to public lands, especially for our immigrant neighbors and communities of color.
To make that happen, we must make public lands, including local parks and federal preserves, more accessible. We must ensure all people and cultures feel welcome in outdoor spaces, and support leaders protecting these places across levels of government.
Firstly, many residents aren’t able to experience the variety of our local public lands, or visit these places as often as they would like. Thirty-seven percent of our survey respondents cited transportation as a major hurdle to visiting public lands. It takes about an hour by car to reach Sierra National Forest from Fresno — a trip that’s not feasible without a vehicle. One of the ways we can connect people to nature is by offering better and more affordable transportation.
Secondly, some communities are unfamiliar with or feel unwanted on public lands. We need to meet people where they are and re-introduce these spaces of refuge and recreation in culturally welcoming ways. In our own outreach we often start by bringing people together through culture, holding cumbia dances or hosting weekend soccer games, often on public lands. Multilingual accessibility is also essential. Connection precedes advocacy.
Thirdly, we need strong community leaders pursuing change in cities, counties, in statewide government, and the federal government. Currently, local parks are inequitably distributed on socioeconomic and racial lines. In 2014, Fresno found that people who live in south Fresno have access to just one-fourth as much parkland as compared to the wealthier neighborhoods in north Fresno. We need advocates in government to achieve equity in park access.
We recognize congressman TJ Cox as one such leader. Rep. Cox has listened to local residents and advocates, and promoted more equitable access to parks and public lands. He has been a leading voice in reauthorizing and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This legislation recently became law as part of the Great American Outdoors Act with Cox’s strong backing and vocal leadership. Not only does LWCF support national landmarks like Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks at no cost to taxpayers, but it also has funded local parks including gems like Holmes and Roeding parks in Fresno.
Public lands are for everyone. Yet, as our report illustrates, these special places remain too distant physically, economically and culturally for the majority of Valley residents to fully enjoy. Until the day that all people know them as “our lands,” nuestras tierras, we must continue to fight for equitable access to public lands.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 12:08 PM.
