FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts: Pamela Rivera, 407-310-0630/ privera@nrdc.org

Patricia San Pedro, 305-588-9088 / Pat@SanPedroProductions.com

The President's Coal Leasing Moratorium is Applauded by Latino Organizations Focused on Climate Change and Public Lands

Washington (Jan. 15, 2016) -- The following are statements by Jose Gonzalez, Founder Latino Outdoors and Adrianna Quintero, Director of Voces Verdes:

Jose Gonzalez, Founder Latino Outdoors said:

"As a community that enjoys the recreational opportunities the outdoors afford us, we always support a balanced approach to energy development on our public lands. Ensuring that our public lands are available not just to all communities but also for wide recreational enjoyment is important. "The common resource that is our public lands needs to be managed not solely for resource and energy extraction-- it needs to be available as a healthy ecosystem for healthy people, and as a space that provides for clean air, water, and healthy wildlife. I support this announcement because it will provide for that."

Adrianna Quintero, Director of Voces Verdes said:

“President Obama is demonstrating bold leadership by taking another important step toward a clean energy future and fighting climate change. The moratorium on new coal leases on public lands recognizes the need to overhaul an outdated program that benefits polluters at the expense of our health and our wallets. Taxpayers should not be subsidizing dirty fuels that harm our communities and the planet.”

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