Land Use Planning & Zoning
Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Planning
Natural Hazards Mitigation Planning Plans for and attempts to prevent catastrophic consequences from natural evants such as flooding.
Project Overview
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) define Hazard Mitigation as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards such as flooding, snow and ice storms, high winds, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, etc. Pre-disaster planning emphasizes actions that can be taken before a natural disaster occurs. Future property damage and loss of life can be reduced or prevented by a mitigation program that addresses the unique geography, demography, economy, and land use of a community within the context of each of the specific potential natural hazards that may threaten a community. Preparing a Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan before a disaster occurs can save the community money and will facilitate post-disaster funding. Costly repairs or replacement of buildings and infrastructure, as well as the high cost of providing emergency services and rescue/recovery operations, can be avoided or significantly lessened if a community implements the mitigation measures detailed in their plan. FEMA requires that a community adopt a pre-disaster mitigation plan as a condition for mitigation grant funding. For example, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMA), and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program are programs with this requirement. A Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is developed through the collaboration of local Police, Fire, Emergency Management, and Public Works officials, Boards of Health, Planning Boards, Conservation Commissions, and Boards of Selectmen. The Plan includes a ranking of natural disasters in the town, an assessment of the town’s vulnerability to the top-ranked hazard, a review of the town’s policies, and recommendations for minimizing the loss of life and property due to flooding, ice and snowstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, microbursts, and wildfires. The Select Board approves the plan, which is then implemented over a 5-year period by the town’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee.
Current Activities
Since 2002, MEMA has awarded two grants to FRCOG to develop a Franklin County Regional Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan and Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plans for twenty-three communities. FRCOG staff have worked with local officials and interested citizens in the development of Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plans for the following towns: Sunderland, Whately, Greenfield, Deerfield, Montague, Gill, Erving, Northfield, Bernardston, Orange, Wendell, New Salem, Leverett, Charlemont, Colrain, Buckland, Shelburne, Conway, Ashfield, Rowe, Hawley, Heath, and Monroe.
Future Plans
In 2008, FRCOG will be working with the towns to identify funding sources to conduct implementation activities identified by the plans.
This page was last updated on 03/03/2008 .