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Directed To:
Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor
490 Old Santa Fe Trail, Room 400
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Senator Martin Heinrich
400 Gold Avenue SW, Ste. 1080
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Senator Ben Ray Lujan
120 Federal Place, Ste. 302
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Congresswoman Theresa Leger Fernandez
120 Federal Place, Ste. 110B
Santa Fe, NM 87501
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We, the undersigned, the residents and concerned citizens affected by the devastating Hermits Peak Calf Canyon fire, join forces and demand immediate action in securing fair and timely compensation for our losses.
The current FEMA claims office is not up to the task of administering the compensation program. FEMA has a mandated deadline to issue offers within 180 days. To date, FEMA has regularly missed that deadline. Now, 20 months after the fire, FEMA is barely trying to get appropriate experts and staffing.
In light of the significant delays experienced with FEMA, we advocate for the establishment of a dedicated New Mexico claims administrator that understands that this is not a recovery program, but instead a compensation program for our losses. We are asking that you seek the appointment of one of these New Mexico Judges as the Director of the Claims Office under section 104(a)(3) of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act; (1) Judith Nakamura; (2) Richard Bosson, (3) Alan Mallott; (4) Michael Aragon; (5) Linda Vanzi; or (6) Tim Garcia. All except Judge Aragon are retired. All know and understand New Mexico law and our unique issues.
FEMA is regularly losing documents and attempting to manage this program via email. In conjunction with a New Mexico judge, FEMA needs to hire a claims management company with the skills to move claims quickly. We the claimants are asking for a company such as BrownGreer who handled the claims for the more than 70,000 claimants in the Pacific Gas & Electric bankruptcy Fire Victims Trust to facilitate movement of our claims.
The complexities of dealing with FEMA's delays have only intensified the hardships faced by us, the victims, necessitating a more streamlined and effective solution.
By signing this petition, we unite in solidarity to push for a comprehensive and expedited claims process, providing the much-needed relief and support to the individuals and communities affected by this tragic event.
