The Pacific Northwest is steeped in natural beauty, but its geographic location places it directly in Mother Nature’s cross hairs.

Island County Department of Emergency Management, in coordination with other county departments and separate county jurisdictions, is well into the process of piecing together a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan.

Emergency Planner Mike Simmons helped draft a plan in 2004, performing the bulk of the legwork. After submitting the document to the state, however, it came back with revisions, specifically a recommendation to solicit more public input.

“The document from 2004 had 80 percent of the nuts and bolts done, as well as the research. It has picked up speed and will soon be ready for public comment, jurisdiction adoption, and state and FEMA review and approval,” Simmons said. “A coordinated mitigation strategy and plan is a long-standing need in the county, as it is in other counties and cities.”

The planning effort took on a new significance in 2000 with the passage of the Federal Disaster Mitigation Plan. The act stipulated that after 2004, a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan was required to qualify for federal grant funding, dollars vital to Island County.

“In effect, an approved plan became the ‘first step’ in qualifying for federal mitigation grants,” Simmons said.

Deputy Director David Hollett and Simmons reinitiated the mitigation plan process in July, taking advantage of a provision in the act that allows for several local jurisdictions to pool their planning and mitigation initiatives into a single, comprehensive plan.

“This saves a significant amount of research, coordination, and just plain duplicate work each organization would have to take on if they planned separately,” the emergency planner said. “Aside from providing input to the plan, as required by the act, each participating jurisdiction will formally adopt the plan processes.”

The participating jurisdictions represent the various taxing districts, including cities, towns, fire and hospital districts, ports, and private non-profit organizations that perform government-like services. Island County Transit falls under the umbrella.

“So far we have 11 participating jurisdictions, including the county, who have submitted input,” Simmons said.

Each jurisdictional submission must include a mitigation initiative – a request to address a specific hazard. Mitigation is not prevention, the emergency planner added. Mitigation actions are taken to eliminate or reduce long-term risk to people and property in the event of a natural disaster.

“In Island County, we’re talking about natural hazards like windstorms or severe storms, or tidal flooding,” Simmons said. Although the area has seen no tsunamis in recorded history, the risk does exist. “It’s not out of the picture.” And, of course, there is always the risk of an earthquake.

The initiatives submitted by the different jurisdictions are concise and include requests ranging from seismic refitting for buildings and seismic studies, to public education funding for hazards and preparedness, to funding for emergency generators.

“Again, having a separate plan or joining an approved plan is not the end of the process,” Simmons said. “Each participating jurisdiction will still have to apply for grant funding for their initiatives. But this is the first required step.”

County Emergency Services has thus far held three meetings with the different jurisdictions.

“They have been very responsive,” Simmons said. “Now it’s time to get the plan finalized.”

That will require significant public involvement in the form of a series of meetings held to give county residents an opportunity to review and comment on the Draft Island County Hazard Mitigation Plan.

“It’s a chance for them to look at the plan and if they’re curious about the mitigation process, for us to explain to them what we have and what we’re doing,” Simmons said.