Marin Seeks Public Input For Update To ​Hazard Mitigation Plan

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin County announced this week the updating of its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, a document that helps to prepare for natural disasters that are most likely to strike the county, such as earthquakes, wildfires, floods, debris flows, wind damage, and tsunamis.

The most recent update of this document was in 2018, when the plan was broadened to include local towns, cities, and special districts as planning partners.

The county has additionally launched an online platform, the Marin County Multi-jurisdictional LHMP Virtual Engagement System Session 2021, to provide community members with information on potential vulnerability to natural disasters and strategies to cope with such hazards. A related survey for residents to fill out can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MCM_LHMP_VES_2021.

The county is also organizing a series of public meetings to collect feedback on its mitigation plans.

The first meetings will be held on Feb. 2 via Zoom, and will focus on the county's Community Wildfire Protection Plan and its new partnership called the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority.

Guest speakers from the Marin County Multi-jurisdictional team and Marin County Fire Department staff are expected at the meetings. People can RSVP to attend at https://mailchi.mp/fb9a101ccb62/lhmp2021.

Staff from the Marin County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services, the Marin County Fire Department, the Marin County Community Development Agency and the Marin County Department of Public Works are beginning their work on the next plan, which is expected to be adopted in 2023.

The updates to the protection and mitigation plans keep the county eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency funding both before and after emergencies.

"There have been a lot of advances in science and changes to environmental conditions in recent years, and that's why these plans are continually updated every five years as required by law," said Community Development Agency planner Heather Dennis. "For instance, we keep applying lessons learned from every wildfire, and we have additional mapping of risks that weren't available for our last LHMP update."

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