Federal Government Must Help New Mexico Rebuild

BY BEN RAY LUJAN
U. S. Senator

In early Might, my brother Jerome and I mentioned the seasonal chores we would have liked to do on our household farm in Nambé. He wished to do a managed burn of our acequia – a regular follow in early summer season to clear acequias of particles.

Higher protected than sorry, Jerome made a rapid name to the Pojoaque Valley Fireplace Division to verify the circumstances had been proper for a protected burn. The reply he obtained was easy: No. It’s a crimson flag day.

That very same week, the Hermits Peak hearth – which has devastated greater than 318,000 acres – broke out simply north of Las Vegas. This hearth resulted from a prescribed burn, which went forward primarily based on a decrease assessed danger than the one decided by my native hearth station.

Clearly, the Pojoaque Valley Fireplace Division made a greater resolution on that day, and the federal authorities bears full legal responsibility for this hearth, having underestimated the distinctive danger. With houses and lives on the road, we can’t danger an analogous lapse sooner or later.

That’s why I’ve pursued each out there choice – each at residence and in Washington – because the onset of those historic fires to help a swift restoration and to determine and handle future dangers.

I’ve met with evacuees, neighborhood leaders and first responders from Las Vegas to Mora to Los Alamos, listening to their tales and reviewing my work to assist of us rebuild. I’ve ensured that strains of communication with officers on the bottom stay open as they work to comprise these fires.

My workers – a few of them affected by the fires themselves – have run a strong casework operation, securing emergency sources, supporting evacuation efforts and directing households to shelters. I encourage those that want help to succeed in out to my workplace in order that my workers, for whom I’m very grateful, may help.

Legislatively, my work has centered on responding to the pressing challenges New Mexicans face right this moment and decreasing dangers from wildfires sooner or later.

I launched the Hermits Peak Fireplace Help Act, which is modeled after the help invoice enacted shortly after the 2000 Cerro Grande Fireplace and would require the Federal Emergency Administration Company, or FEMA, to extra absolutely compensate those that suffered damage, harm to property, or enterprise losses because of the Hermits Peak Fireplace.

I additionally led the Nationwide Wildland Fireplace Danger Discount Program Act to put money into analysis and improvement to enhance our nation’s preparedness, resilience and response to wildfires. The invoice additionally improves coordination between federal companies and encourages enter from the state, native, and tribal officers who know their communities and the right way to finest shield them.

For weeks, our courageous first responders and volunteers have run into the flames so households can safely evacuate and homes could possibly be saved. That’s why I’ve strongly supported laws, such because the Wildland Firefighter Honest Pay Act, to make sure compensation for first responders working extra time hours to regulate these wildfires, which don’t burn on a 9-to-5 schedule.

I view all of those restoration and danger discount efforts as merely taking part in my half – the pure response I discovered from my household throughout powerful instances in our lives.

As New Mexico welcomes President Biden right this moment, he’ll survey the harm and grieve with New Mexicans over misplaced houses and injured family members. And I sit up for discussing with him how the federal authorities may help New Mexicans absolutely rebuild, given its function in igniting the biggest hearth in state historical past.

Whereas the president will see our communities battle within the wake of those historic fires, he’ll additionally witness New Mexicans’ resilience and grit. Simply as when COVID-19 hit our state laborious, neighbors are serving to neighbors and buddies are lending fingers to buddies.

As proven by the President’s Main Catastrophe Declaration – which I helped safe – and his go to to Northern New Mexico, President Biden doesn’t simply be a part of New Mexicans in grief, but in addition in dedication to restoration. His journey affirms ongoing federal help, following the lead of so many New Mexicans who – when catastrophe struck – dropped all the pieces and requested, “How can I assist?”

We should keep united and robust as we handle the restoration course of within the days and months forward. I stand with my fellow New Mexicans and can proceed to do all the pieces in my energy as your senator to make sure New Mexico households get again on their ft.