Boulder County Releases 2018 Hazard Mitigation Update Report

BOULDER, Colorado, Dec. 5 -- Boulder County issued the following news release:

The Boulder Office of Emergency Management has received approval from the Board of County Commissioners to release and publicize the 2018 Hazard Mitigation Update Report (https://assets.bouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-hazard-mitigation-update-report.pdf).

The 2018 Hazard Mitigation Update Report updates the existing 5-year Boulder Hazard Mitigation Plan and satisfies FEMA's requirement for the county to conduct a yearly assessment of changes needed to keep the plan current and qualify for applicable FEMA funding. The report also highlights progress made in the past year towards achieving goals outlined in the plan.

The report was presented by Mike Chard, Director of the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, to the Boulder County Commissioners at a public business meeting on Nov. 29, 2018. The report is available for public review on the Boulder OEM website (http://www.boulderoem.com/about-oem/plans/mitigation-plan/).

The county's hazard mitigation plan is a 5-year plan that follows a model adopted by FEMA. It serves the purpose of verifying that whole community planning has gone into the creation of a hazard mitigation plan that addresses hazards identified in the plan. Mitigation is defined as any action to reduce or eliminate long term risk to life and property from hazard events.

"Having a 5-year Hazard Mitigation Plan in place that meets FEMA standards insures that Boulder County is now qualified to access pre- and post-disaster mitigation grants," said Chard. "We take this role seriously and have worked hard to ensure that Boulder County is in the best possible position for mitigating hazards and complying with federal requirements for disaster planning and funding."

The current hazard mitigation plan expires in 2021, and starting in 2019, the Boulder Office of Emergency Management will begin initiating work on the succeeding 5-year plan.

Visit www.BoulderOEM.com or call 303-441-3390 for more information about the Boulder Office of Emergency Management or the Boulder Hazard Mitigation plan (http://www.boulderoem.com/about-oem/plans/mitigation-plan/).

2018 Hazard Mitigation Update Report

For credit under the Community Rating System, this report must be distributed to the media and be made available to the public. Notification of the availability of the report will be sent to the media that cover Boulder County via a press release. Copies of this report and the 2016 Plan Update are available for review at the Boulder Office of Emergency Management or on the website (BoulderOEM.com).

The original Hazard Mitigation Planning process was managed by the Boulder Office of Emergency Management and included representatives from communities throughout Boulder County, non-profit agencies, Boulder County departments, members from the State Department of Homeland Security and Office of Emergency Management Mitigation Division and FEMA Region 8. The plan was adopted officially on April 4, 2016 and covers the following communities; Boulder County; the Cities of Longmont and Louisville; the Towns of Erie, Gold Hill, Jamestown, Lyons, Nederland, and Superior; and the Fire Protection Districts of Fourmile and Sunshine. The plan will expire in 2021 and the update process is scheduled to begin in January of 2020.

Mitigation Plan Goals

Goal 1: Reduce the loss of life and personal injuries from hazard events

* Continue to manage development in hazard-prone areas, including property acquisitions to remove development from hazardous locations, pursuing relocation/elevation actions for flood-impacted properties, and providing enforcement measures following disasters to insure that all redevelopment and recovery activities are in compliance with existing development codes

* Continue programs to further identify hazards including but not limited to, flood, erosion, wildfire, debris flows, rock fall, etc. and assess risk associated.

* Provide timely notification and direction to the public of imminent and potential hazards, including installing rain gauges, soil saturation sensors and stream monitoring systems for early warning identification of pending flooding situations and debris flows.

Goal 2: Reduce impacts of hazard events on property, critical facilities/infrastructure, and the environment

* Continue to manage development and placement of structures in hazard-prone areas, , including applying land use regulations to minimize exposure to potential hazards and expanding current wildfire mitigation and defensible space programs (prescriptive, negotiated - e.g. Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs), Transfer of Development Credits (TDCs), conservation easements, purchase of development rights - and educational) on both public and private lands

* Protect existing property to the extent possible through regulations, codes, education, cooperative agreements, hazard reduction projects, and other means

* Protect critical facilities and infrastructure to minimize loss of critical services following a hazard event including installation of back-up generators and other vital infrastructure at critical county facilities

* Create incentives for the public to mitigate hazards on their own property through education, cooperative land acquisitions, Elevation and relocation programs, Community Wildfire Protection Plans, TDRs and TDCs, and other means as they become available or are created.

* Continue to reduce flood losses through compliance with National Flood Insurance Program requirements; continue to comply with Community Rating System requirements, where applicable (i.e., Boulder County, Longmont, and Louisville).

Goal 3: Strengthen intergovernmental coordination, communication, and capabilities in regard to mitigating hazard impacts

* Promote planning efforts that foster cooperation and coordination among jurisdictions, agencies, and organizations involved in hazard mitigation. Further integrate land use planning and mitigation planning efforts.

* Maximize the use of shared resources between jurisdictions and special districts for mitigation purposes.

* Maintain and strengthen the Boulder County Multi-Agency Coordination System.

* Establish and maintain processes and resources to incorporate mitigation into recovery efforts following a hazard event.

Goal 4: Improve public awareness regarding hazard vulnerability and mitigation

Enhance public education efforts regarding hazards and risk in Boulder County and the role of the public in mitigation. Continue involving the public in hazard mitigation planning and implementation.

Combine mitigation education efforts with existing governmental and nongovernmental outreach programs.

The following table describes the hazard mitigation projects of the plan and the actions taken to date. If there is more information needed or future presentations specific to a project or hazard mitigation activities please contact the following personnel responsible for the project area.

* Varda Blum-Flood Plain Management

* Dale Case-Land Use

* Mike Chard-Emergency Management

* Theresa Glowacki-Parks and Open Space

* Julie McKay-Transportation

* James Webster-Wildfire Partners

Click here to view the table: (https://assets.bouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-hazard-mitigation-update-report.pdf).