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First Congressional District of New Mexico
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ask.heather@mail.house.gov

In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax

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Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico


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Chairman to Help Fire Victims May 12, 2000
 
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson talked to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Bill Young (R-FL) and the Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations Chairman Ralph Regula (R-OH) earlier this afternoon and received their commitment to work with her to ensure the federal government accepts responsibility for the catastrophic fire. Due to the fact that the government started the blaze, Congresswoman Wilson believes the government ought to compensate the victims for the damages. Additionally, Wilson has been working with the House Resource Committee to schedule investigative hearings in both New Mexico and Washington in the near future.

“Although we do not know all of the details of this horrific fire, it is clear that the federal government bears the responsibility for its catastrophic damage,” said Wilson. “The government must accept their responsibility and move swiftly to assist those that have suffered such a tremendous loss. I am also working with members of the House Resources Committee to schedule hearings in Washington and in New Mexico to thoroughly investigate the actions of the various federal agencies involved in the fire to ensure this doesn’t happen again. In the mean time, preparations should be made to compensate the victims.”

Congressman Joe Skeen and Congressman Tom Udall joined Congresswoman Heather Wilson in calling for the House Appropriations Committee to provide compensation to the victims of the Cerro Grande fire. In a letter to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the three legislators asked the committee to “secure federal funds to make reparations to those who have lost their personal property as a result of a grave mistake by the federal government.”

The letter continued, “Because the fire was started by the National Park Service, the federal government bears the responsibility for the catastrophic loss of property that the people of New Mexico have experienced. In fact, the Park Service has accepted this responsibility. To fulfill their responsibilities, the federal government must compensate New Mexicans who have suffered and lost as a result of actions taken by the federal government.”

There is precedent for the federal government to compensate for property damage that resulted from a runaway “prescribed burn.” A prescribed fire set by the federal Bureau of Land Management in Northern California last July raged out of control and destroyed 23 homes, causing $1.7 million in damage. The damage to the people of northern New Mexico will surely be more significant.
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