Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Sheep Mountain Alliance

Here at Sheep Mountain Alliance, respect for life is at the core of what we do. We strive to sustain thriving watersheds, ecosystems, and communities. We deeply condemn the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many others. Black Lives Matter. When people in our country cannot safely recreate outdoors, birdwatch, jog, or even spend time in their own homes because of the color of their skin; when they are dying at unprecedented rates in a pandemic because their communities are exposed to higher rates of pollution, or they are limited in access to basic resources like drinking water; we know that there is a fundamental problem in our society.

We believe the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to access nature are fundamental human rights. These manifestations of violence and environmental injustice are only outgrowths of the centuries of systemic racism in our country which have stunted the progress of all of us toward a healthy and resilient future. Sheep Mountain Alliance stands with marginalized communities fighting oppression, and is dedicated to the principles of equity, inclusivity, and environmental justice.

That brings us to what we are doing to support this important movement. We know that as a primarily White-led organization based in a rural part of Colorado, primarily on the traditional lands of the Ute people, we have a long way to go in achieving our goals of racial equity. Our first tiny step took place almost two years ago when we launched our Latinx Outdoor Engagement Initiative. Despite the fact that our public lands are open to everyone, their usership was not representative of the community in which we live. Since then, we have had ten events to facilitate hikes, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, and downhill skiing for well over 100 Latinx community members. We know that this is just the beginning, as we actively work to educate ourselves, decolonize our conservation institutions, and commit to create real and lasting change in the spaces in which we work.

The Why:

Some of you might be wondering why a conservation organization is talking about racial justice. The basic reason is the following: racism, social injustice, environmental degradation, pollution, and climate change are all existential threats that are inextricably linked. In order to fix any of them, we have to address all of them.

Many other people, ranging from Elizabeth Yeampierre to Bill McKibben have drawn this connection far more eloquently than we can, but the links below will allow you to get familiar with the facts:

African-Americans and Latinx were found by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication to be more consistently concerned about Climate Change than whites. Communities of color around the world are frontline communities who face the impacts of climate change first, often without the resources that they need to deal with them.
The legacy of the conservation movement has been a mixed one- national parks were created as spaces that excluded both indigenous populations who had long lived there, and non-white visitors. Elitism and racism have both been features that complicate our reverence for some of our most well-known conservationists. Learning from and acknowledging both this history and our present reality is critical to moving forward.
Safety and the right to the outdoors are fundamental. Many marginalized communities, even if they have the ability to access nature, may not feel safe or welcome in the outdoors whether because of past history or present experiences. Barriers to access, historical trauma, and myriad other factors can exacerbate mental and physical health problems that disproportionately affect marginalized populations.
Rollbacks of environmental rules that protect clean air and water are part of an EPA agenda that increases the health burden on low income communities and communities of color.
The violence of environmental injustice, the disparate impacts of climate change, the pollution that chokes communities of color, predisposing them to far higher rates of death in the face of this pandemic, are all linked directly to economic inequality, the disenfranchisement of thousands of Americans who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), a deeply flawed criminal justice and policing system, institutional racism at every level, and a system that values profit over people's lives.
Just transition to a cleaner energy economy means taking into account the needs of the most vulnerable communities, whether that is supporting job creation in former coal mining communities, or protecting water sources in the Atacama desert critical for indigenous communities from lithium mining for batteries.
Conservationists have long been critiqued for caring about trees and animals, and not enough about people. The truth is, though, that this is a false dichotomy. In the long view what is good for the planet is good for its people, because we are all essential parts of the same environment. However, we know very well that Maslow's hierarchy of needs matters: if people are concerned about their basic survival--their personal safety, and their ability to take care of their family--they cannot worry about problems that are beyond these immediate needs, though environmental degradation could have drastic effects on their lives. The many environmental leaders within BIPOC communities demonstrate how human rights can be aligned with environmental end goals.

Our Values

Integrate principles of justice, inclusion, equity, and intersectionality into our strategic planning and ensure that these values are borne out in our programming, hiring, board recruitment, organizational decision-making, language, and media.
Highlight environmental voices from Black, Indigenous, and communities of color; promote social media that uplifts environmental leaders from these communities; and follow their lead where the needs of their communities are concerned.
Offer opportunities for community learning and taking action on environmental justice and inclusivity issues, and double down on our equitable access initiatives.
Form connections with local Indigenous groups to express solidarity on common causes and help hold federal and local agencies accountable for incorporating their input in land planning processes.
Host diverstiy, equity, and inclusion and anti-racism training for our board and staff.
Assess our programming through anti-racist and equity lenses and change our practices where we find problems.
Maintain a sustained effort to keep learning, become meaningful allies, and engage as accomplices in the common goals of environmental and social justice.

We expect we will make many mistakes on this journey, but are motivated to learn from these mistakes and are grateful for our community's guidance on this path. We are keenly aware of our privilege, and we are dedicated to listening, learning, and using our power to create a more just, equitable, and resilient world.

Resources We’ve Found Helpful:

In addition to the many resources available across the web for educating ourselves about how we got here, we offer a small selection of articles and links to organizations that you might want to support. This is by no means exhaustive and we invite you to share resources with us as you come across them.

8 Black Environmentalists you should know about.
Brown Environmentalist: a platform amplifying the stories and leadership of people of color in the environment.
Discussion of indigenous rights and public lands.
An article about the original tree huggers in the Chipko Movement.
Suggestions on how to make the outdoors more inclusive.
GirlTrek is a national health movement that activates thousands of Black women to be change makers in their lives and communities through walking.
Greening Youth Foundation provides culturally-based environmental education and engages under-represented youth and young adults, while connecting them to the outdoors and careers in conservation.
Outdoor Afro has become the nation's leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature.
Black Outside, Inc reconnects Black/ African-American youth to the outdoors through culturally relevant outdoor experiences.
And finally, a poem by Ross Gay
A Small Needful Fact
Is that Eric Garner worked
for some time for the Parks and Rec.
Horticultural Department, which means,
perhaps, that with his very large hands,
perhaps, in all likelihood,
he put gently into the earth
some plants which, most likely,
some of them, in all likelihood,
continue to grow, continue
to do what such plants do, like house
and feed small and necessary creatures,
like being pleasant to touch and smell,
like converting sunlight
into food, like making it easier
for us to breathe