Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior is releasing $1.198 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help reduce the risk of wildfires on New Mexico public lands.

“This funding provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help prevent catastrophic wildfires on our state’s public lands, while also creating jobs for many in New Mexico,” Bingaman said.

“With these resources, New Mexico can put more of its citizens to work keeping the public safe from catastrophic wildfires,” said Udall.  “Projects like this—both necessary to our safety and good for our economy—are one of the main reasons I supported the Recovery Act earlier this year.”

Funding will be shared between five hazardous fuels reduction projects in the state.  Those projects are: Mescalero West Morgan on the Mescalero Apache Reservation; Ramah Cerro Alto Lobo in Ramah Navajo; Pinos Altos Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Hazardous Fuel Reduction in Las Cruces; Top of the World Pie Town WUI Hazardous Fuel Reduction in Socorro; and Wolf Wells WUI Hazardous Fuel Reduction also in Socorro.

Fuel reduction and restoration projects remove or modify wildland fuels to reduce the potential for intense wildland fire behavior, lessen post-fire damage, limit the development and spread of invasive species and diseases, and restore and maintain healthy, diverse ecosystems.