Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico and FEMA Region 6 to Sign Disaster Assistance Agreement

ANTA FE– The formal signing of an agreement between the Santa Clara Pueblo and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will mark a first for both the Pueblo and FEMA Region 6.

The Santa Clara Pueblo is the first federally recognized tribe in Region 6, which includes New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, to go directly through Region 6 to request and receive a federal declaration following the amendment of the Stafford Act earlier this year. The amendment gives tribal governments the option of requesting a major disaster declaration without going through a state government.

It’s beneficial to all parties when we can achieve government-to-government working relationships like this,” said Lt. Governor John Shije. “The tribe is very much in need of this assistance. We are grateful for the support of the President and our partners at FEMA Region 6.”

The Pueblo recently received not one, but two federal declarations. President Obama approved declarations on Sept. 27 for flooding in mid-July and on Oct. 24 for flooding in mid-September.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides supplemental funding to state, tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to help them recover from disasters.  It reimburses eligible applicants for extraordinary costs incurred while responding to a disaster and costs related to restore damaged infrastructure. FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funds to supplement those of eligible applicants to undertake projects that build resilience and eliminate or reduce damage in future hazardous events.

FEMA’s Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP) program integrates the protection and enhancement of environmental, historic, and cultural resources into FEMA’s mission, programs and activities; ensures that FEMA’s activities and programs related to disaster response and recovery, hazard mitigation, and emergency preparedness comply with federal environmental and historic preservation laws and executive orders; and provides environmental and historic preservation technical assistance to FEMA staff, local, State and Federal partners, and grantees and subgrantees.

“Our team of FEMA public assistance, EHP and mitigation specialists is actively engaged with our Santa Clara Pueblo partners,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Nancy Casper. “Our collaborative goal is to document all eligible costs and damages and to make funds available to assist with repairs and improvements as quickly as possible.”
 
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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