Nine months after one of the largest and most destructive wildfires in New Mexico history, legislation has been introduced creating a fund for communities who may endure similar calamities in the future.
By any measure, the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, igniting during the first week of April 2022, was a record-breaker: burning across an estimated nearly 341,500 acres before it was finally contained in late August.
In between those two months, the Hermits Peak fire within the Santa Fe National Forest connected with a second fire in the region near the Calf Canyon Road.
Before firefighters were finally able to contain the combined wildfires, more than 900 structures were destroyed, including several hundred residences.
In her recent State of the State address, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham tasked state lawmakers with approving up to $100 million in funding to help rebuilding efforts.
Now Senator Elizabeth Stefanics has introduced legislation that will put in place a $1.1 million fund for the state’s Department of Health to tap into when other communities are impacted by natural disasters.
Senate Bill 5 will also appropriate an additional $5 million for the creation of a public health and climate resiliency fund to be disbursed to local and tribal governments during fiscal years 2024 and 2028 for climate change adaptability efforts.
According to an analysis compiled by the Legislative Education Study Committee, grants of up to $250,000 would be available for all state political subdivisions, including public school districts, to “prepare for and respond to public health emergencies related to extreme weather and other climate impacts.”
Stefanics’ legislation is now under review before the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee.
By Garry Boulard
