At a meeting of the Land Grants Interim Committee in Las Vegas, Eddie Quintana, president of the Los Vigilas Land Grant, told legislators the grant has received a large federal award and is planning several recovery projects after the Hermit's Peak–Calf Canyon fire. "Los Vigilas was directly impacted by the Hermit's Peak Calf Canyon Fire, which destroyed pretty much 90% of our land grant," Quintana said.

Quintana said the land grant has received a partial FEMA determination that ultimately yielded roughly $26,300,000 after legal fees. The money is being held in an interest-bearing money-market account: "we have it in a money market account right now, interest bearing account," he said, and estimated the grant is earning about $10,000 to $12,000 in interest per month.

The grant used multiple funding sources to begin work. Quintana said the land grant received $1,030,000 in state capital-outlay to buy heavy equipment and complete infrastructure projects on the mountain, and entered a memorandum of agreement with the New Mexico State Forestry Division on a hazardous-tree-removal project covering about 75 acres. He told the committee a contractor "reported back to the land grant that there was a total of 3,586 trees that were cut" and that the timber totaled about "1,000,184 board feet." The project included cutting, mastication and stockpiling material for beneficial use by members.

Planned and proposed projects include installation of culverts to protect eroded access roads, repairs to the main canyon access route, and additional mastication to turn leftover timber into wood chips and soil nutrients. Quintana said the land grant is in talks to buy seedlings for reforestation: a contact identified as Arnut de Villegas is reportedly growing about 45,000 ponderosa pine seedlings that Quintana said the land grant is considering purchasing, but "No commitments yet, but we're in the, in the beginning stages of that conversation."

Quintana also said the land grant has assessed an old community schoolhouse and contracted a structural engineer who deemed the building unsafe; the land grant plans demolition and to design a new community center. On land acquisition, Quintana said Los Vigilas is negotiating to buy approximately 163 acres from United World College; the college would reserve an easement for student access and recreation. "They have agreed to sell it back to the land grant at the appropriate time," Quintana said.

Quintana told the committee easement disputes remain a major, recurring problem. He described a prior case in 2012–2013 when an outside owner landlocked the grant and the land grant had to litigate to regain access. "We were forced to go to court and battle that out," he said, noting the land grant won in district and appellate court. Representative Garcia and other legislators urged staff to consider drafting legislation on easement rights; Garcia asked the interim committee to explore a proposal during the interim.

Committee members and Quintana all emphasized that while the grant has the FEMA award, its spending priorities are not finalized. Quintana said the grant has not yet spent the FEMA money and that plans for using it will follow further planning and procurement. Quintana said the grant purchased heavy equipment so it can do some road and drainage work in-house rather than relying solely on private contractors.

Quintana also described logistics for the committee's planned site visit to the burn scar after the meeting.

Ending: Quintana and committee members asked legislators and staff to consider legal fixes on easement rights while planning recovery and said further project details, procurement schedules and environmental reviews will determine how and when the FEMA funds are used.