#LatinosMarinos: Pedro Nava’s Journey from California’s Inland Empire to Being A Champion for the Coast
Pedro Nava, the former 35th District California State Assemblyman, representing the Ventura and Santa Barbara areas, and currently the Chairman of the Little Hoover Commission, revealed a glimpse his childhood when he spoke to Azul recently. Growing up in the Inland Empire, his parents sought summertime relief and recreation at Corona del Mar, a state beach in Orange County that is nearly 60 miles from where he and his family lived. Those family trips to that particular beach will always be treasured memories. When he began his life in public service, Pedro made it his goal to not only protect that memory, but to make opportunities to enjoy the beaches possible for other citizens of California.
Pedro’s commitment to the livelihood and public access to California state beaches in their natural habitat remains an ongoing passion. His continued belief that their preservation is vital to humanity’s continued existence is one of the factors that drives his public service. He was a Commissioner on the California Coastal Commission, and he represented the Assembly on the Ocean Protection Council.
While serving in the California State Assembly, Pedro distinguished himself in proposing significant legislation on environmental protections and in reinforcing California’s emergency preparedness systems. In 2009, Pedro led a coalition of California legislators and over 100 environmental groups to oppose the efforts of then-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to allow oil platform drilling inside of California Sanctuary Act state waters. His establishment of a comprehensive oil spill prevention program is indicative of his adamant concern for protecting the natural habitat, our beautiful coastline, and his staunch opposition to offshore oil drilling anywhere near our beloved beaches.
During the massive BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, Democracy Now specifically sought Pedro’s opinion concerning the after effects of this environmental disaster and what California was doing to prevent a similar catastrophe. His public efforts have been honored by the environmental organizations working to protect the State of California from the predatory and disastrous behavior of the fossil fuel lobby.
Pedro’s goal of securing California’s state beaches for the public remains a concern, even though his day to day work isn’t as focused on conservation as it had previously been. With Latinx communities no longer barricaded along railroad tracks inside of strictly industrial areas of California, the need for access to state beaches is now paramount.
“If we’re going to bus Latino activists to clean up the state beaches and parks,” expressed Pedro. “We’re going to have to provide them recreational access to these same state beaches and parks.”
For Pedro, accessibility is important because he knows what it is like to make the journey to the ocean. Recent research shows that 62 percent of California voters say that access to the coastal areas is a problem, and for people who live in the Central Valley, 39 percent visit less than once per year.
Azul is proud to honor Pedro as a steward of the environment and for his exemplary leadership in our community.