Oct. 21, 2020
Liz Writes Life
Shockingly, the federal agency FEMA changed its mind after
denying aid for fire-stricken Happy Camp residents.
Dogged-persistence by Siskiyou County officials, working with
the right people, saved the day. And the unusual flip by FEMA also shows the concern
President Donald Trump has for rural Americans out West. He heard Siskiyou’s
cry for help!
Last week, (actually the past five weeks) has been a
roller-coaster ride for Siskiyou County Supervisors and county administration
officials as they worked overtime to secure FEMA funding to aid residents that
were burned-out by the Sept. 8, 2020 Slater Fire.
Depression hit late Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, when word was
received that FEMA had denied the funding for Siskiyou and six other fire-stricken
counties.
Happy Camp lost nearly 200 houses and many residents are
still unable to return to live in their homes that survived the Slater Fire.
Complaints and frustration has been mounting. The town of Happy Camp is in
Siskiyou Co. Supervisor Ray Haupt’s district. He knew without FEMA support the residents’
situation was dire indeed.
Since the Slater Fire started, Ray, along with Siskiyou Co.
CAO Angela Davis and Siskiyou Co. Director of Emergency Services, Jason Vela,
has been hustling to contact various agencies and fill out applications and
forms to facilitate any kind of funding through the state and to obtain FEMA’s
support. Ray told me that FEMA mandates and high mathematical thresholds are
tough to meet. Utilizing the available state monies would not meet the needs of
Happy Camp.
“We have been addressing funding as best we could with the
known funding at the time,” Ray told me, knowing it was far from sufficient.
After FEMA’s denial, last week, the seven counties knew there
was an appeal process that the state Office of Emergency Services could
utilize, but it would take at least 30 days. Urgency was the key to beat the
upcoming bureaucratic paper chase regarding an appeal, Ray explained.
So, on Friday morning, Ray, CAO Davis, EOS Director Vela, and
Siskiyou Co. Supervisor Dist. 2, Ed Valenzuela, joined a phone call with
officials from the six other counties. Their goal was to quickly address any
short comings in the original application submitted to FEMA -- for
re-submission.
Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump needed to declare a
State of Disaster in California. Trump had declared States of Emergency in
California, but not a specific disaster declaration for these fire-damaging
events in the seven counties.
Because of his frustration and desperation, Ray also wrote a
one page letter to his recent contacts of the agencies in the White House. It
needed to be easily read and quickly understood. Ray explained the magnitude of
the fire disaster in the realm of a small community with a population of 750
and the displacement of 525 residents, including the death of two people.
Without federal help the town could become extinct. He copied the emailed
letter to Congressman Doug LaMalfa, Siskiyou County officials and the Regional
FEMA Director – not knowing if any eyeballs would read it, grasp it and do something
productive.
Congressman LaMalfa did. He immediately contacted his
counterpart, Tom McClintock, who is Congressman for the 4th CA. District. His
wildfire-hit Fresno County was included in this FEMA application. McClintock
quickly contacted U.S. House Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has
Pres. Trump’s private cell phone number. Realizing the seven CA. counties were
desperate for FEMA support, McCarthy contacted Trump to plead their case.
FEMA denial reversed
So, it was with a shout of joy, when later Friday morning Ray
and county officials heard from Congressman LaMalfa’s office. Pres. Trump was
going to reverse FEMA’s denial and it would be official as soon as FEMA got the
paper work in front of Trump. An hour later he signed it. Late Friday
afternoon, all seven counties received the official FEMA approval.
This included the president’s approval of a Major Disaster Declaration
for the State of California regarding the devastating wildfires beginning
on September 4, 2020 and continuing. The President's declaration makes
available additional federal resources for eligible counties of Fresno, Los
Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Siskiyou and
individuals; and supplements ongoing State, Tribal, and local recovery efforts.
“Everybody was working their tail off finding every channel
they had to affect a change in FEMA’s decision before it had to go through the
(long) appeal process,” Ray told me. “This has been such a long hard fight. We
have been working on getting this in place since the second day of the Slater
Fire. It was a ‘thank God’ moment!”
The first thing Ray did was to write a letter of gratitude to
the White House agencies and to the FEMA Regional Director for adequately re-considering
and approving the aid for a very small rural town in the West.
Congressman LaMalfa released a statement thanking President
Trump and his administration for listening to the North State’s calls for
additional disaster assistance.
“Working with our contacts at the White House and with House
Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, we were able to impress on the President and
his team to take another look at the FEMA denial,” LaMalfa said. “A Major
Disaster Declaration will help address the high cost of recovery. My office
will continue to assist with the federal and state response to wildfires across
the North State.”
CA. Governor Gavin Newsom also sent a “grateful for his
response” to Pres. Trump.
Problem dead trees
Other immediate good news for Happy Camp, according to Ray,
is that the residents in The Meadows have been able to return to their homes
and the four homes that survived up Indian Creek Road. Also, Siskiyou Co.
Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue has been letting residents in to check-out their homes
as evacuation orders for some areas are still in place.
Ray told me the only thing keeping residents out, at this
point, is the removal of the many dangerous and dead trees along the Indian
Creek Road. Loggers have begun work through a cooperative project between the
USFS Klamath National Forest and Siskiyou County to remove the blackened trees,
but the enormity is mind-boggling. The State of CA. will do much of the hazardous
material clean-up from the burned homes, but that work cannot start until the
threat from the dead trees is gone.
So, here is feel good story that beat the bureaucratic odds.
For sure, I am voting Trump for president and LaMalfa for congress. They have
shown their empathy for rural Americans in little ol’ Siskiyou County. Thank
you!
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in
newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near
Callahan. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com.
Call her at 530-467-3515.
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