Kern Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan

2019-20 Update

Executive Summary

Kern County, along with 62 other participating jurisdictions, will develop an update to the 2012-14 Kern Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan to reduce losses resulting from natural disasters.  Hazard mitigation is the use of sustained, long-term actions to reduce the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage that can result from a disaster.  Benefits of mitigation planning include:

• Identifying actions for risk reduction through collaboration with stakeholders and the public,
• Focusing resources on the greatest risks and vulnerabilities,
• Building partnerships by involving citizens, organizations, and businesses,
• Increasing education and awareness of threats and hazards, as well as their risks,
• Communicating priorities to State and Federal officials, and
• Aligning risk reduction with other community objectives.

Planning efforts could include capital projects and other pragmatic activities that can mitigate the impacts of hazards.  The 2019-20 MJHMP Update will cover each of the major natural hazards that pose risks to County infrastructure and residents.  Recognizing that successful mitigation planning efforts must be communicated and understood by the public, the County approach will include stakeholder participation and input with the use of cutting edge GIS technology to map and update the hazard information for each hazard profiled in the 2019-20 MJHMP.

Participating Jurisdictions

The 2019-20 MJHMP update will include, at a minimum, the jurisdictions listed below.  It is understood that the County also encompasses areas of land controlled by Federal and State land management agencies, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation.  While other levels of government have jurisdiction in these parts of the County, the Hazard Mitigation Plan could also be used to document and coordinate mitigation efforts among Federal, State, and local jurisdictions.  In addition, it will be important to invite organizations such as public and private utility companies to be stakeholders during the update process.

The following jurisdictions will meet FEMA guidelines and requirements as a formal participating agency:

Municipalities

• City of Arvin
• City of Bakersfield
• City of California City
• City of Delano
• City of Maricopa
• City of Ridgecrest
• City of Shafter
• City of Taft
• City of Tehachapi
• City of Wasco

Additional Participating Jurisdictions

School Districts

• Bakersfield City School District
• Buttonwillow Union School District
• Delano Joint Union High School District
• Edison School District
• Elk Hills School District
• Fairfax School District
• Kern Community College District
• Kern High School District
• Kernville Union School District
• Lost Hills Union School District
• Mojave Unified School District
• Panama-Buena Vista Union School District
• Pond Union School District
• Richland School District
• Sierra Sands Unified School District
• Taft City School District
• Tehachapi Unified School District
• Vineland School District

Airport Districts

• Mojave Air and Space Port

Community Service Districts

• Arvin CSD
• Bear Valley CSD
• East Niles CSD
• Golden Hills CSD
• Rosamond CSD
• Stallion Springs CSD

Mosquito Abatement Districts

• South Fork MAD

Water Districts

• Arvin-Edison Water Storage District
• Berrenda Mesa Water District
• Buena Vista Water Storage District
• Buttonwillow County Water District
• Cawelo Water District
• Greenfield County Water District
• Kern County Water Agency
• Kern Delta Water District
• Kern-Tulare Water District
• Lost Hills Water District
• North of the River Municipal Water District
• Semitropic Water Storage District
• Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District
• West Kern Water District
• Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District

Recreation and Park Districts

• Buttonwillow RPD
• North of the River RPD
• Shafter RPD
• Tehachapi Valley RPD
• West Side RPD

Sanitation Districts

• Ford City-Taft Heights Sanitation District
• Kern Sanitation Authority
• North of the River Sanitary District

Participating Jurisdictions Map

Turn the County layer on or off by clicking the “County” button. Switch between Jurisdiction views using the menu bar below “County.” Hover over jurisdictions to highlight the geometry and click to view the jurisdiction name.

Update Requirements and DMA 2000

A current and approved hazard mitigation plan is a prerequisite for jurisdictions wishing to pursue funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) if a Federal disaster should occur.  The Stafford Act constitutes the statutory authority for most Federal disaster response and recovery activities, especially as they pertain to FEMA and FEMA programs.

On October 30, 2000, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act was amended by Public Law 106-390 and is referred to as the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000).  As a DMA 2000 requirement, the Kern MJHMP must be updated every five (5) years to remain in compliance with regulations and Federal mitigation grant conditions.  Federal regulations require hazard mitigation plans to include a plan for monitoring, evaluating, and updating the hazard mitigation plan.  A current and approved hazard mitigation plan is a prerequisite for jurisdictions wishing to pursue funding under the Stafford Act.

Project Funding Information

The County of Kern is using an award from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to complete the MJHMP update.  The County has contracted with Dynamic Planning + Science (DP+S) to update the current Kern Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan.  DP+S will provide on-site process facilitation, stakeholder outreach, data collection and analysis, plan writing, and strategy development.