Sec. 2. Findings
301 words·~1 min read·
/bill/117/s/4729/is/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds that— on April 6, 2022, the Forest Service initiated the Las Dispensas-Gallinas prescribed burn on Federal land in the Santa Fe National Forest in San Miguel County, New Mexico, when erratic winds were prevalent in the area, which was also suffering from severe drought after many years of insufficient precipitation; on April 6, 2022, the prescribed burn, which became known as the Hermit’s Peak Fire , exceeded the containment capabilities of the Forest Service, was declared a wildfire, and spread to other Federal and non-Federal land; on April 19, 2022, the Calf Canyon Fire, also in San Miguel County, New Mexico, began burning on Federal land and was later identified as the result of a pile burn in January 2022 that remained dormant under the surface before reemerging; on April 27, 2022, the Hermit’s Peak Fire and the Calf Canyon Fire merged, and both fires were reported as the Hermit’s Peak Fire or the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire ; by May 2, 2022, the fire had grown in size and caused evacuations in multiple villages and communities in San Miguel County and Mora County, including at the San Miguel county jail, the State’s psychiatric hospital, the United World College, and New Mexico Highlands University; on May 4, 2022, the President issued a major disaster declaration for the counties of Colfax, Mora, and San Miguel, New Mexico; on May 20, 2022, Chief of the Forest Service Randy Moore ordered a 90-day review of prescribed burn policies to reduce the risk of wildfires and ensure the safety of the communities involved; the Forest Service has assumed responsibility for the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire; the fire resulted in the loss of Federal, State, local, Tribal, and private property; and the United States should compensate the victims of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.