This mission essential project is for restoring approximately 200 miles of roads to preserve human health and safety of high critical roadways, infrastructure and power-lines on state and private…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 3 (Southwestern Region), awarded $5.0 million to the New Mexico Energy Minerals & Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program (CFDA 10.664) on July 22, 2025. This project grant, authorized under the American Relief Act (Public Law 118-158), funds the restoration of approximately 200 miles of roads across state and private lands in San Miguel, Mora, and Taos Counties in northern New Mexico that were impacted by the 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire disaster. The work will be completed by June 30, 2030, and is designed to preserve human health and safety on critical roadways, infrastructure, and power lines adjacent to the Santa Fe National Forest.

The funded activities support disaster recovery and wildfire risk reduction by restoring non-federal roads and infrastructure necessary for federal wildland firefighting access, hazardous fuels reduction, and public access to safe recreational opportunities and emergency ingress/egress. Through this award, EMNRD will leverage additional state funding to minimize future fire and flooding events while reducing wildfire risk to neighboring communities. The project aligns with the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program's focus on forest health management and landscape restoration on non-federal lands, supporting rural community resilience through collaborative federal-state partnerships.

This mission essential project is for restoring approximately 200 miles of roads to preserve human health and safety of high critical roadways, infrastructure and power-lines on state and private lands that were impacted by the 2022 hermits peak-calf canyon fire disaster footprint (SAN miguel, mora, and taos counties in northern new mexico) that are adjacent to the santa FE national forest. This work is authorized under the american relief act (public law 118-158) that supports disaster response. This agreement and associated federal funding indirectly leverages state funding for disaster recovery and wildfire risk reduction work on federal and state lands. The non-federal roads and other infrastructure work under this agreement are necessary for federal access for wildland firefighting, hazardous fuels reduction (minimizing wildfire risk to neighboring communities), and public access to safe recreational opportunities or ingress/egress for emergency situations, and disaster recovery that minimizes future fire and flooding events. Wildfire response, recreation and safety are priorities of the agency.