Rep. Leger Fernández Helps Secure Expansion of Federal Assistance Eligibilities for Colfax, Mora, and San Miguel Counties
Washington, DC,
June 9, 2022
Tags:
Wildfires
Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández announced that President Joe Biden has approved a request to expand federal assistance eligibility for Colfax, Mora, and San Miguel Counties to address the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire damage. The State of New Mexico requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) immediately authorize federal funding for Category C-G damages in the Colfax, Mora, and San Miguel counties. The entire New Mexico Congressional delegation sent a letter to President Biden this week urging the administration to approve the request. “I welcome this much-needed expansion of federal funding that will provide resources to repair our infrastructure, including roads, bridges, acequias, and water facilities. We are, at heart, a rural state, and these funds are necessary to begin rebuilding our communities. Even so, these fires have caused irreparable damage to our economy, heritage, and culture. These wildfires have destroyed so many homes and properties and ravaged our forest and lands. I grew up playing in the Bosque of the Gallinas and I know that my great-grandchildren won’t enjoy the things I did; it will take decades for our forests to regrow. Both these fires were started by the federal government and the federal government must pick up the tab. That is why I continue to push President Biden to cover 100 percent of the disaster relief costs, and will also ask him to support my Hermits Peak Fire Assistance Act, to fully compensate people for the property and income they have lost to the ravaging blaze.” added Leger Fernández.” President Biden previously approved a Major Disaster Declaration that opened up access to Public Assistance and Individual Assistance funds from FEMA. This new approval will expand assistance to cover the following types of FEMA assistance:
We confirmed with FEMA that damage to acequias falls within Category D and repairs to the acequias can be claimed under that category. ### |