It’s official. Glacier County, Montana received word last week that FEMA has approved its updated Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan prepared by BOLDplanning. Agency acceptance of the plan makes Glacier County, including the City of Cut Bank, eligible to receive federal funding through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for the next five years. And, these precious dollars can go a long way toward helping Glacier County mitigate against certain anticipated hazards like flooding, severe storms, wildland and brush fires, and winter storms, as identified in the plan.
Per FEMA, hazard mitigation measures are any sustainable action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from future disasters. For Glacier County, these proactive measures include, but are certainly not limited to: continued education and awareness; the burying of power lines; the resizing of culverts to minimize flood impacts; and continued efforts to become NWS StormReady®. Numerous other mitigation projects for infrastructure, development and construction, as well as capital improvement and economic development are also listed in the new plan.
On behalf of everyone at BOLDplanning, congratulations to Glacier County on having an updated, FEMA-approved Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan. It was a real pleasure to work with you—and for you—in its development and adoption. We wish you the very best of luck as you move forward with your mitigation projects, and welcome the opportunity to partner with you again in the future.
