Heinrich Joins Effort to Improve Wildfire, Disaster Response in New Mexico

WASHINGTON - As New Mexico continues to rebuild in the aftermath of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon, Cerro Pelado, McBride, and Black fires, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) cosponsored two bills aimed at improving the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) mitigation of disasters like flooding and wildfires.

"The wildfires we’ve seen in New Mexico have been unprecedented and historic, but they are becoming dangerously routine. We need to proactively work to mitigate the impacts of our climate crisis,” said Heinrich. “These two bills will ensure our federal government has the flexibility to help our communities prepare for and recover from disasters like wildfires and flooding.”

Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act

This bill would ensure state and local fire suppression assets that are pre-deployed are eligible for FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) once granted for an incident and allow flexibility for the federal cost share of such grants to be increased beyond 75 percent.

Unlike other FEMA programs that allow for flexibility for the Administration to grant a higher federal cost share in extreme times, the FMAG program currently only allows a 75 percent federal cost share, and the state pays the remaining 25 percent for actual costs, with no flexibility for consecutive FMAGs or extreme circumstances.

This bill would make FMAGs consistent with other FEMA disaster assistance by stating that the federal cost share of FMAGs shall be not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost of such assistance. This bill does not mandate any increase but simply allows for additional flexibility. FMAGs are granted on an incident-by-incident basis, and as we have seen across the West, fires often occur in the same area consecutively in the same year.

A one-pager of the bill is available here.

Hazard and Flooding Mitigation Funding Assurance Act

This bill would make FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) consistent with other FEMA disaster assistance programs by stating that the federal cost share of HMGP to mitigate disasters, prevent flooding and debris flows shall be not less than 75 percent of the eligible cost of such assistance.

This bill does not mandate any increase but simply allows for flexibility and increased federal assistance where necessary. As states and locals continue to respond and work to recover from more frequent and more dangerous disasters and extreme weather like wildfires and floods, it is imperative that the federal government has the flexibility to meet the current crisis.

HMGP provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments so they can develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in a way that reduces or mitigates future disaster losses in their communities. When requested by an authorized representative, this grant funding is available after a presidentially declared disaster.

A one-pager of the bill is available here.