Draft mitigation plan available for review, comment

Those who would like to learn more about what Hot Springs, Park, Washakie and Big Horn counties are doing to minimize impacts of floods, dam failure, wildfires, hazardous materials and other incidents are welcome to check out the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan being made available for public review and comment.

The plan assesses risks posed by natural and man-made hazards, identifies ways to reduce those risks and allows each county to be eligible for mitigation grant funding from FEMA. County planning teams, including representatives from all municipalities, developed the plan over the past six months with assistance from consultant Amec Foster Wheeler.

The plan identifies hazard mitigation goals and mitigation projects for the counties, with the intent of reducing losses from hazard events before they occur again. A series of public workshops were held during the planning process to solicit input on the hazards and ideas for mitigation projects. The counties in the Region are now soliciting public comment the plan before it is finalized and submitted for FEMA review and approval.

The comment period will be Aug. 30-Sept. 7, and the plan draft is available online at http://www.hscounty.com. A hard copy is also available upon request. For more information, contact Bill Gordon at 864-4649 or bgordon@hscounty.com