Luján Statement on New Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office Director

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), author of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act, issued the following statement on the announcement that Jay Mitchell will serve as the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office Director:

“After three months, I am glad that FEMA has announced new leadership to steer the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office and expedite relief to New Mexicans. The new Claims Office Director must prioritize working with local communities to build trust, communicate effectively to address misinformation, and get money out the door as soon as possible. It’s also critical that that Claims Office is fully staffed and trained to best serve New Mexicans and cut the red tape.

“Earlier this week, I met with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and made it clear that the Claims Office must be laser-focused on clearing the backlog of claims and delivering relief without delay. The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire caused millions of dollars in damages and cost New Mexicans their livelihoods. Time is of the essence to help these communities recover. I urge all stakeholders to put the needs of victims first as we work to provide fair and just compensation to the people of Northern New Mexico.

“I passed the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act into law to help New Mexicans recover and rebuild from the fires. The Claims Office must be a resource to make it easier for New Mexicans to get relief. I will continue pushing FEMA and the new Director to make this happen.”   

Additional Resources for New Mexicans:

Senator Luján’s office is helping with casework on Hermit’s Peak Claims. Constituents can email hermitspeak@lujan.senate.gov to open casework and get an update on your claim, or to provide any feedback on the process. The Senator’s office continues to help people in the impacted communities.

To contact the Claims Offices open in Mora, Las Vegas, and Santa Fe, and for more information, click here and here. 

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