LAS VEGAS, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico has approved $46.9 million in loans to Mora and San Miguel counties to help recover from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fires.
The funds come from a law passed earlier this year that aims to loan cash from the state government to the counties in order to repair infrastructure. The counties will have to pay the funds back to the state but won’t have to pay interest.
“While our communities continue the daily struggle to recover and rebuild after the devastating Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak Fire, the aid from Senate Bill 6 is proving to be an essential funding source as we await federal reimbursement,” Sen. Pete Campos (D-Colfax, Guadalupe, Harding, Mora, Quay, San Miguel & Taos) said in a press release. “We are resilient but also recognize that this is going to be a long and difficult journey. It is critical that we maintain hope and a positive momentum in the wake of this disaster and the myriad aftereffects still emerging on a daily basis. I applaud Gov. Lujan Grisham and her administration for the expedient work in helping to make our communities whole again.”
So far, only Mora and San Miguel counties have taken advantage of the program. The funds should help fill the gap as the communities wait for federal funding, according to the governor’s office.
