Published: 6/24/2010 3:00:26 PM
With assistance from the Clackamas County Emergency Management office, the city of Molalla has completed work on a plan designed to reduce risk from future natural disasters.
The natural hazards mitigation plan provides the community with a set of goals, action items and resources to reduce risks arising from earthquakes, floods, winter storms and wildfires.
The draft plan is posted on the city’s website at www.molallaplanning.com. Public comments are invited, and should be directed to the City of Molalla Planning Dept., P.O. Box 248, Molalla, OR 97068. Comments may also be e-mailed to planner@molalla.net.
Benefits of having a mitigation plan include reduced injuries and fatalities when disaster strikes, reduced property losses and economic hardship, continuation of essential services and critical facilities, reduced short-term and long-term recovery and reconstruction costs; increased cooperation and communication within the community through the planning process, and increased potential for state and federal funding for recovery and reconstruction projects.
In 2000, Congress approved the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 that listed requirements for communities to develop and adopt local natural hazard mitigation plans to become eligible for mitigation grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Clackamas County adopted its Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2002 and updated it in 2007. Each city within the county was encouraged to prepare an addendum to the county's plan. Clackamas County contracted with the Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience (OPDR) at the University of Oregon to hire staff to work with each participating city in developing an addendum to Clackamas County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan.
Molalla planning staff, the planning commission, and other volunteers worked with county staff to develop the draft plan.
Friday, June 25, 2010
OREGON SEISMIC GRANT FUNDING ROUND 2
NEWS RELEASE
June 25, 2010
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jennifer Bailey,
OEM Public Affairs Coordinator
503-750-8308
503-378-2911 Ext. 22294
Applications taken July 15 - Oct. 15
SALEM, Ore – Oregon Emergency Management (OEM) announced today that grants are again being made available for eligible applicants for seismic rehabilitation projects. Grant applications will be accepted effective July 15 through October 15, 2010. Information regarding eligibility and grant information can be located on OEM’s website: http://www.oregon.go/OMD/OEM/index.shtml.
In round 1, fourteen public education buildings and eleven emergency services facilities were awarded funds totaling $15 million dollars. The Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program (SRGP) provides reimbursement funds to strengthen public school and emergency service buildings to ensure the safety of students and staff in the event of an earthquake and allow emergency service facilities to remain functional.
Senate President Peter Courtney has been instrumental in sponsoring legislation to provide the means to begin these projects. Approximately $30 million included in the 2009-11 Governor’s Recommended Budget to fund this program received approval by the Legislative Assembly during the 2009 Legislative Session.
“This shows that we take our responsibility to keep Oregonians as safe as possible seriously”, Senator Peter Courtney said. “I am very happy to see this program moving forward.”
A 2007 report from Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries shows over 1,000 school and emergency services buildings at high or very high risk for collapse during an earthquake such as the predicted Cascadia Subduction Zone quake off the Oregon Coast. A quake that size would result in damage at approximately $12 billion in property damage and nearly 1,000 deaths in the region, which includes Yamhill, Marion, Polk, Benton, Linn, and Lane Counties.
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