WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Alamosa County, Conejos County, Mineral County Rio Grande County, Saguache County, all municipalities within these counties and others are developing a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan to reduce the vulnerability of people and property to the impacts of natural hazards and disasters before they occur.
What
Is a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan?
Natural
hazard mitigation
is sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to human life
and property from natural hazards. Alamosa County has experienced disasters
in the past and our citizens, property, and infrastructure are vulnerable
to flooding, wildfire, severe winter storms, and other hazards.
The mitigation plan identifies potential hazards and vulnerabilities and outlines
long-term strategies to minimize the impacts of future disasters. An
approved mitigation plan also establishes eligibility for mitigation project
funding programs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Multi-Hazard Mitigation
Planning Team
Each county’s Hazard
Mitigation Planning Team, which is composed of participating jurisdictions and
stakeholders, will be developing a mission statement and defining goals and
potential actions over the next few months.
The
Hazard Mitigation Planning Team will consider mitigation actions to reduce the
impacts of future disasters on people and property in the County. Here are some
examples of the types of actions they may consider:
|
Prevention: Measures designed
to keep the problem from occurring or getting worse |
Property Protection: Measures used to
modify buildings to reduce damage from hazards |
|
Planning and zoning |
Acquisition/relocation
of flood-prone property |
|
Open space
preservation |
Floodproofing |
|
Floodplain
development regulations |
Firewise
construction |
|
Stormwater
management |
Defensible
space/fuels modification |
|
Natural Resource Protection: Measures to reduce hazard impacts by protecting natural
functions of ecosystems and open space |
Emergency Services: Measures to protect people during and after a hazard
event |
|
Erosion and sediment
control |
Warning and
evacuation |
|
Wetlands protection |
Protection of
critical facilities |
|
Open space
preservation |
Protection of
lifeline utilities |
|
Wildfire fuels
management |
Communications |
|
Structural Projects: Measures to reduce or prevent hazards from reaching
properties |
Public Information: Activities to advise citizens, property owners, and
visitors about hazards and mitigation measures |
|
Detention/retention
structures |
Hazard maps |
|
Sediment basins |
Outreach/education
programs |
|
Culvert resizing
replacement |
Real estate
disclosure |
|
Storm sewers |
Technical assistance |
We Need Your Input!
We need your input on this important plan, which must be approved by each participating jurisdiction, the State of Colorado, and FEMA. A questionnaire asking about your priorities for reducing risk to natural hazards in each county is here with instructions on how to return it.
For a sample resolution to allow your jurisdiction to be eligible to participate in FEMA's mitigation grant program, click here
The complete draft plan will be available for
public review and comment in early 2010. Information on accessing and
commenting on the plan will be posted on the County’s website in the future.
Contact Information: If you have questions about the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, contact
Pete Magee, Alamosa County Emergency Manager, at 719-587-0286 or
pete_magee@qwestoffice.net.