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During a visit to New Mexico last weekend, President Biden said the federal government will pay for 100% of the recovery effort for the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire that was accidentally started by a prescribed burn conducted by the U.S. Forest Service.
“We have a responsibility as a government to deal with the communities who are put in jeopardy,” Biden said in remarks at the emergency operations center in Santa Fe. “And today I’m announcing the federal government is covering 100 percent of the cost of debris removal and emergency protective measures for the next critical months.”
The White House released a follow-up statement clarifying the 100% cost coverage applies to "the first 90 days of the incident period," an increase from the 75% federal coverage under the New Mexico Disaster Declaration issued in May. “This additional support will help ensure that New Mexico has no financial limitations related to immediate lifesaving and life sustaining operations related to the ongoing wildfires, including urgent debris removal,” the White House said of Biden’s order. The clock is already ticking for post-fire restoration efforts to begin in previously burned areas in order to protect waterways from sediment runoff and erosion.
The U.S. Forest Service acknowledged it was responsible for the two fires that merged last month to form the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire as a result of escaped federal pile burns. The fire has become the largest in the state's history, burning more than 300,000 acres to date.
Sec. Haaland announces Indian Youth Service Corps
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland joined tribal leaders, community partners, and Indigenous youth to celebrate the launch of the Indian Youth Service Corps, a new partnership-based program that will provide meaningful education, employment, and training opportunities to Indigenous youth through conservation projects on public and Indian lands, and Hawaiian homelands. “In addition to completing much-needed conservation projects that will enhance landscapes and ecosystems on tribal and public lands, the Indian Youth Service Corps will have considerable focus on vocational skills training, economic empowerment and career development for Indigenous youth,” said Secretary Haaland. The Indian Youth Service Corps will work on publicly managed and tribal lands with help from $1 million in funding from the National Park Foundation and up to $5 million more from the U.S. Forest Service.
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Our ancestors have stewarded this land and passed on traditions that teach us how to respect and care for not only the land, but for one another. That’s why I’m inviting Indigenous youth like myself to become involved with public lands that are also the traditional homeland of our people."
