New Mexico AG Sent Letter Urging DHS to Provide Better Wildfire Relief Assistance

DECEMBER 6, 2022

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas sent a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist people in New Mexico that were affected by Hermit’s Peak and Calf Canyon wildfires who have been unable to access federal recovery funding. In the letter, AG Balderas explained that many who suffered damages could not access funding because they were “simply without the resources even to meet the burdens of the regulatory process.” For example, in order to properly report losses, many individuals and businesses had to hire experts to assess and quantify the damages. AG Balderas urged DHS to consider how post-disaster recovery funding and efforts could be more flexible and localized.