Executive Summary
La Plata County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2023
La Plata County is in the process of drafting a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan to reduce losses resulting from natural disasters. This plan strives to identify and reduce vulnerability of the County’s residents, visitors, and infrastructure to future hazard events.
La Plata County is in the process of Updating the 2018 Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan to reduce losses resulting from natural disasters. These plans must be updated every 5 years. 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.
Planning efforts could include capital projects and other pragmatic activities that can mitigate the impacts of hazards. The 2023 HMP Update will cover each of the major natural hazards that pose risks to County and Municipal 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 GIS technology to map and update the hazard information for each hazard profiled in the 2023 HMP.
The process will incorporate input from the public, from Federal and State land management agencies, and from neighboring and regional agencies. The following State agencies will be consulted throughout the planning process and/or serve directly on the HMP Planning Committee:
- Colorado Geological Survey
- Colorado Water Conservation Board
- Colorado Department of Transportation
- Colorado State Forest Service
- Colorado Office of Dam Safety
- Colorado Climate Center
- Colorado Resiliency Office
The Hazard Mitigation Plan could also be used to document and coordinate mitigation efforts among Federal, State, and local jurisdictions.
Mitigation Planning Benefits
Update Requirements & 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 HMP 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
La Plata County is using internal sources of funding to complete this MJHMP update. The County has contracted with Dynamic Planning + Science to update the current Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The consultant will provide process facilitation, stakeholder outreach, data collection and analysis, plan writing, and strategy development.