U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.7 Million to Support Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Resiliency in New Mexico

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is investing $3.7 million in the state of New Mexico to support emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency.

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Lincoln County will receive a $3.2 million grant to construct infrastructure at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds to support a fire training program and emergency preparedness facilities. The project will be matched with $800,000 in local funds.

• New Mexico Acequia Association, Santa Fe, will receive a $500,000 grant for technical assistance to strengthen disaster and climate resiliency for acequias in the state. The project will be matched with $125,000 in local funds.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is a commitment to ensuring communities in New Mexico and across the country have the infrastructure and support needed to grow strong, resilient regional economies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These EDA investments will enhance emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency, supporting economic growth in communities across the Land of Enchantment.”

“The Economic Development Administration works closely with local communities to support place-based economic growth,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “These investments in Lincoln County and Santa Fe will strengthen the regional economies making them more resilient if faced with future natural disasters.”

“New Mexico communities have long been on the front lines of climate change. As our weather becomes hotter and more extreme, we need to make sure our state is equipped with the best resources to combat wildfires, flooding, and other emergencies,” said Senator Martin Heinrich. “I’m proud to welcome this $3.7 million investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce to Lincoln County and the New Mexico Acequia Association to better prepare our communities for the next natural disaster, while also growing our local economies.”

“I am proud to welcome $3.7 million for emergency preparedness and disaster resilience in Lincoln County and Santa Fe from the Department of Commerce,” said Senator Ben Ray Luján. “This is a critical investment in enhancing wildfire response capabilities and improving community safety. By equipping our communities with the necessary tools and resources, we are ensuring they are better prepared to withstand and recover from future fires.”

“A robust and well-funded emergency preparedness infrastructure is critical to states like New Mexico as fighting the climate crisis becomes more urgent,” said Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). “Thanks to President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, this $3.7 million will go a long way to ensure the state is even more prepared to protect and support its citizens going forward.”

“Floods along the Rio Chama, fires, and drought threaten the resiliency of our cherished acequia systems. Thanks to legislation I helped pass to improve climate resilience, the New Mexico Acequia Association will receive $500,000 to strengthen the acequias that provide life-giving waters to Nuevo Mexicanos,” said Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03). “The Biden Harris administration knows climate change is real and that we can work to protect our rural areas from the changing weather patterns.”

This project is funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage for more information.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.