San Juan County invites public input on hazard mitigation plan

San Juan County brought its hazard mitigation planning process into public view April 9, giving residents a chance to weigh in on the document that guides how the county prepares for future disasters, responds to them and cuts the risk of damage before they hit.

The public review meeting ran from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Fire Operations Center training room at 209 South Oliver Drive in Aztec. The county opened the session to plan stakeholders, Tribal members, nonprofit organizations, local schools and other interested residents, and said attendees could learn how the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed, review its contents, understand its benefits and offer input on local hazards and concerns.

That plan matters because it is not just paperwork. San Juan County Office of Emergency Management says maintaining the Emergency Operations Plan and Mitigation Plan is part of its mission to enhance public safety and reduce the loss of lives and property. FEMA says communities with current mitigation plans may qualify for certain non-emergency FEMA grants, making the county’s update relevant not only to emergency response but also to future funding for projects that reduce risk.

The county’s planning system, SanJuanReady.com, was developed with the cities of Bloomfield, Farmington and Aztec to support both the Emergency Operations Plan and the Hazard Mitigation Plan using FEMA-related guidance tied to the National Response Framework, the National Incident Management System and CPG 101. The survey for the current mitigation project names the participating jurisdictions as San Juan County, the City of Aztec, the City of Bloomfield, the City of Farmington and the Town of Kirtland.

The risks under review are familiar across the county. San Juan County’s 2013 multi-jurisdictional mitigation plan identified drought, flooding and hazardous material transport as hazards of immediate concern, and an Aztec adoption resolution tied to that plan also cited wildfire. Those threats do not land evenly. Flooding can hit one community differently than wind or fire, while hazardous material transport raises concerns along routes that cut through populated areas and school zones.

County officials said a draft version of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan would be posted on county and participating jurisdiction websites, and an online survey would gather more feedback. With those steps, residents still had a direct route to shape the final plan before it is adopted and before the next round of mitigation priorities is set.