County seeks approval for multi-jurisdictional hazard-mitigation plan updated with climate and wildfire focus

Clallam County staff and consultants presented an updated, multi-jurisdictional hazard-mitigation plan to the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 22 and asked the Board to approve Volume 1 of the submission.

Staff said the plan update, begun in August 2023, involved county departments (sheriff, planning/DCD, HHS, public works), tribal partners and service districts and used a combination of FEMA grant funds and Washington state's Climate Commitment Act funds to engage consultants (Cascadia Consulting, Michael Baker) and a technical adviser. The update also included significant public outreach: steering committee meetings, public surveys, county-fair outreach and a targeted wildfire-risk public event.

The plan adds mitigation projects and — in line with revised FEMA requirements — includes at least one mitigation project for every identified natural hazard. Staff said they carried forward 15 projects from the 2019 plan and added 21 new projects and that plan Volume 1 (county-wide) spans approximately 1,950 pages, with Volume 2 containing participating jurisdictions' individual plans.

Commissioners and staff discussed project prioritization and coordination. Staff recommended a standing subcommittee of the plan steering committee to meet quarterly to coordinate grant seeking and avoid duplicate applications. Staff said many mitigation projects will require substantial grant funding and coordination among local entities and recommended regular partnership meetings to pursue competitive grants.

The Board praised staff and consultants for the work and indicated next steps include Board approval of the county volume and annual review steps to keep the plan FEMA-approved, which is required for grant eligibility. Commissioners asked that the county work to align project prioritization across city, tribal and special-district partners.