Heinrich Statement on Forest Service Cerro Pelado Report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Forest Service’s report confirming the cause of the Cerro Pelado Fire on the Santa Fe National Forest in spring of 2022.

“New Mexico suffered enormous loss during last year’s wildfire season. It is frustrating and deeply concerning to learn now that the Cerro Pelado Fire was also caused by an escaped prescribed fire.

“The warming climate is making our forests more vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. That’s a reality that our Forest Service can and must urgently respond to when deciding when and how to do prescribed burns. We cannot catch up to this reality if it takes nearly a year to even make the findings on the Cerro Pelado Fire public.

“As the Forest Service does the necessary work of updating its modeling and use of prescribed fires, it must also prioritize rebuilding the public’s trust. This will require more transparency and much more concerted and authentic engagement with New Mexicans than the Forest Service has shown up to this point.”

The U.S. Forest Service’s cause investigation report on the Cerro Pelado Fire can be found here.