Statement of HECHO on the Hermit’s Peak Fire Assistance Act

HECHO (Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors) applauds the bipartisan passage of the Hermit’s Peak Fire Assistance Act today as a part of the interim funding bill that includes the necessary relief for the people of New Mexico affected by the Hermit’s Peak/ Calf Canyon Fire.

Precisely this week, Hispanic local leaders from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah came to Washington, D.C. for the first time together as HECHO’s Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC) to advocate for solutions to critical issues affecting their communities, including the urgent need for aid in northern New Mexico, where the population, approximately 80% Hispanic, has been impacted by devastating floods in the aftermath of the largest wildfire in the state’s history. 

"HECHO has been working closely with our HCLC members to advocate for the people of New Mexico, and we are pleased with the news that the community will receive help and compensation for the destruction caused by the fire, which began as a prescribed burn by the U.S. Forest Service and got out of control after erratic winds caused the fire to ignite and continue to spread far beyond the project area," says Camilla Simon, Executive Director of HECHO.

The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire is the largest fire in New Mexico in recorded history. It consumed 341,735 acres over four months, causing people vast damage of homes, properties and businesses. The flash floods in the burn scar left fatalities and caused the contamination of the drinking water that could be felt for years and generations to come for these communities. 

“I am glad that the Hermit’s Peak Fire Assistance Act was passed by Congress. I hope that the appropriation brings adequate funding to those affected by the fire and the post-fire flooding,” says Max Trujillo, a Las Vegas resident, San Miguel County Commissioner, and HECHO Senior Field Coordinator