Index

Introduction
Plan Purpose
Plan Mission and Goals
Plan Structure and Development
Partners for Disaster Resistance & Resilience: Oregon Showcase State Initiative
The Partnership and Oregon’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Program
Development Process
Integration with Other Planning Efforts

Introduction

In February 2002, the Federal Emergency Management Agency published Interim Final Rule 44 CFR Part 201, which requires all states and local governments to develop natural hazard mitigation plans by November 2003 in order to be eligible for certain hazard mitigation grant programs, and in the case of the states, to be eligible for certain categories of disaster assistance. (The deadline of November 2003 was subsequently extended to November 2004 for certain categories of post-disaster assistance.) These planning and hazard mitigation requirements for states and local governments are most effectively accomplished through coordinated and integrated planning initiatives. Oregon’s approach leverages human, technical, and financial resources at all levels of government to facilitate the development of the state and local mitigation plans. Funding from FEMA’s Project Impact initiative and availability of funding from the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program (beginning in 2003) provided significant contributions to the development of this plan and local mitigation plans state-wide.

Oregon has a solid foundation in natural hazard mitigation, including the state's land use planning laws, building code regulations, emergency preparedness planning, risk assessments, other policies and programs, and state natural hazard mitigation plans going back to 1992.  However, despite the growing recognition of the need for long-term planning strategies to reduce risk from natural disasters, many communities continue to experience difficulty developing and implementing natural hazard risk reduction activities. Communities regularly suffer from a lack of technical and funding assistance, as well as insufficient coordination among public, private, and nonprofit sectors at the local, regional, and statewide levels.

To address these challenges, Partners for Disaster Resistance & Resilience: Oregon Showcase State Initiative was begun in 2000 in order to build upon Oregon’s solid foundation and to strengthen the State's natural hazards risk and loss reduction efforts. Partners for Disaster Resistance is an integrated, cost-effective and systematic approach for all levels of government and the private sector to bring together resources - both human and financial - to prepare for and minimize natural disaster impacts.

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Plan Purpose

Hazard planning is an integral element of Oregon’s statewide land use planning program. All Oregon cities and counties have comprehensive plans and implementing ordinances that are required to comply with the statewide planning goals. The continuing challenge faced by local officials and state government is to keep this network of coordinated local plans effective in responding to the changing conditions and needs of Oregon communities.  To do so requires timely and accurate information; the aim of the state Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is to compile the necessary information and make it accessible to local governments and others interested in risk reduction in Oregon.

This plan acknowledges and addresses Oregon’s vulnerability to natural hazards by identifying resources, information, and strategies for risk reduction; the plan also guides and coordinates mitigation activities throughout the state, documenting a process designed to arrive at an understanding of the Oregon hazards context along with a set of actions designed to reduce risk. Hence, this plan is designed to foster the development and implementation of local hazard mitigation plans and projects.

This plan satisfies several needs within the State of Oregon.  In addition to meeting FEMA requirements pursuant to 44 CFR, Parts 201.4 and 201.5, the plan represents a compendium of the most current Oregon resources that support natural hazard mitigation planning. Further information about the Stafford Act and related portions of the Code of Federal Regulations can be obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s web site: http://www.fema.gov

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 repealed Section 409 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5176, which required mitigation plans and the use of minimum codes and standards. The law now distinguishes planning from the codes and standards in separate sections. The new planning regulations are found in 44 CFR Part 201, and reflect the broader relevance of planning to all FEMA mitigation programs, while the minimum standards remain in Part 206, Federal Disaster Assistance, Subpart M.
Plan Mission and Goals

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The mission of this plan is:

To create a disaster resistant state by reducing the threat of natural hazards to life, property, emergency response capabilities, economic stability, and infrastructure while encouraging the protection and restoration of natural resources and the environment.

The plan goals help to guide the direction of future activities aimed at reducing risk and preventing loss from natural hazards.

Meetings with the State Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team, previous hazard event reports, and the previous state Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan served as methods to obtain input and to identify priorities in developing goals for reducing risk and preventing loss from natural hazards in Oregon.  The State Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team’s focus is to understand losses arising from natural and technological hazards, and coordinate recommended strategies to mitigate loss of life, property and natural resources by facilitating the development of the state Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan.

The goals listed here include and reinforce the state’s natural hazards mitigation goals and serve as checkpoints for the various state agencies and organizations as they implement mitigation action items. The State Interagency Hazard Mitigation team has defined this plan’s goals as:
 
GOAL 1
Describe and evaluate Oregon’s vulnerability to natural hazards.
 
GOAL 2
Motivate the public, private sector, and government agencies to mitigate against the effects of natural hazards through information and education.
 
GOAL 3
Coordinate and establish priorities for natural hazard mitigation programs and activities at all levels in the State of Oregon.
 
GOAL 4   
Document and evaluate Oregon’s progress in achieving hazard mitigation.

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Plan Structure and Development



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Partners for Disaster Resistance & Resilience: Oregon Showcase State Initiative:

In investigating ways to reduce risk to natural hazards, local Oregon communities have indicated the need for long-term planning strategies, yet they continue to experience difficulties in developing and implementing hazard risk reduction policies. Communities often lack technical and funding assistance, as well as have insufficient coordination among public, private, and non-profit sectors at the local, regional, and statewide levels. The Partners for Disaster Resistance & Resilience: Oregon Showcase State Initiative (The Partnership) serves as the coordinating body to bridge these gaps and leverage diverse human and financial resources available for risk reduction throughout Oregon. 

Disasters occur as a predictable interaction among three broad systems: natural systems (rivers and continental plates), the built environment (cities and roads), and social systems (community organization infrastructure that includes demographics, business climate, service provision, etc.). Oregon has a strong public policy framework in place to address natural hazards, including: land use planning laws, building code requirements, emergency preparedness planning, hazard assessments, and other policies and programs. While significant research has been dedicated to all three of these areas, local mitigation and preparation efforts continue to focus on the more easily definable natural and built systems. The Partnership offers the ‘next step’ for the state and builds upon this foundation to strengthen the State’s natural hazards risk and loss reduction efforts. Since Governor John Kitzhaber’s Executive Order in December 2000 formalizing Oregon as a “ Showcase State for Natural Disaster Resistance and Resilience,” the Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup (ONHW), a program within the University of Oregon ’s Community Service Center , has been coordinating The Partnership. This partnership utilizes an integrated, cost-effective, systematic, and sustainable approach to prepare for and minimize natural disaster impacts by bringing together human and financial resources for all levels of government as well as the private sector.

Oregon ’s collaborative partnership approach to natural hazard mitigation planning, through The Partnership, aims to build local capacity to develop and implement risk reduction activities. This is accomplished by providing technical assistance, training sessions, partnership development, and resource sharing. This strategy relies on partnerships among agencies, communities, and organizations to determine needs, identify issues and resources, and develop strategies for risk reduction. The activities are organized at three levels: statewide, regional, and local. Each level of activity builds off of the other (e.g. – regional activities are based on those activities at the local level) and leads to a more coordinated and seamless approach to statewide mitigation programs.

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Development of the Partnership

In 1996-1997 Oregon was hit by devastating floods and landslides caused by heavy rainstorms and snowfall, which caused several fatalities and property damage. Following this series of events, Governor John Kitzhaber looked to state agencies to find ways to reduce the state’s vulnerability to natural hazards. Kitzhaber specifically called on the state’s Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to review the Statewide Land Use Planning Goal 7—Areas Subject to Natural Disasters and Hazards.

Goal 7 requires Oregon ’s incorporated cities and counties to inventory natural hazards and adopt “appropriate safeguards” to mitigate development in hazardous areas. The University of Oregon ’s Community Planning Workshop (CPW) evaluated the status of  Goal 7 and natural hazards planning in Oregon. The investigation showed that many communities experience difficulties in evaluating development proposals and implementing hazard risk reduction policies. Specifically, CPW concluded the following:

• Most communities have not considered cumulative impacts of development in hazardous areas.
• Many communities, particularly rural communities, suffer from a lack of technical resources. CPW identified a need for better technical assistance to local governments, business, and the general public.
• Oregon could benefit enormously from increased coordination among small businesses, government, community-based organizations, and citizens involved in natural hazards inventorying, as well as from development of effective statewide hazard mitigation policies.

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Response to Evaluation – Establishment of the Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup

In response to these findings, CPW began to establish partnership with government agencies and organizations to develop tools to strengthen the state’s risk and loss reduction efforts. The University of Oregon ’s Community Service Center (CSC) established the Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup (ONHW) in 2000.

For the past 25 years the CSC, an interdisciplinary organization at the University of Oregon, has provided planning and technical assistance to help solve local and regional issues, improve the quality of life in Oregon, and help make Oregon communities more self sufficient, while providing the highest quality of graduate-level education and professional training. The role of the ONHW is to link the skills, expertise, and innovation of higher education with the natural hazard risk reduction needs of communities and regions in Oregon , thereby providing service to the state and learning opportunities for the students. Through the CSC service-learning model, student participants gain important service and professional experience by helping solve community and regional natural hazards issues.

In 2000, CPW and ONHW developed Planning for Natural Hazards: Oregon Technical Resource Guide for the Department of Land Conservation and Development (funded, in part, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazards Mitigation Grant Program). This guide provides tools that Oregon communities can use to plan for, and limit the effects of, threats posed by natural hazards. Development of this guide was a first step in addressing risk reduction and providing education to planners and policy makers in Oregon communities.

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How the Partnership Started

Building upon statewide risk reduction momentum, a group of partners, including Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), Oregon Emergency Management (OEM), SAFECO Insurance Companies and ONHW, expressed interest in becoming the second Showcase State for Natural Disaster Resistance & Resilience in the nation, based on a model developed by Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and tested in Rhode Island. This interest in the Showcase State emerged from both the public and private sectors following the Rhode Island Showcase State designation by Governor’s Executive Order in late 1998.

On December 12, 2000 , the Governor signed an Executive Order making Oregon a Showcase State. Oregon partners have developed the motto Disaster Resistant by Design, reflecting the importance of planning to reach the goal of disaster resistance and resilience.

DOGAMI and OEM continue to be the lead state agencies (as part of the State Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team (State IHMT)), a natural for them as their missions include identification of hazards and reduction of public safety risks. Private sector activities include involvement from insurance industry partners and businesses in minimizing property damage and economic losses and expediting economic recovery after a disaster. The partnership was bolstered by the ongoing work of ONHW at the University of Oregon ’s Community Service Center .

A key goal of The Partnership is to establish disaster safety as a public value among a diverse group of partners. The next flood, earthquake, or wildfire cannot be avoided. However, Oregon is making a comprehensive and concentrated effort to reduce the effects of these natural forces on its economic, social, and environmental stability and sustainability. The Partnership is an important step towards statewide disaster resistance and resilience. The mission of the Partnership is to prevent injuries and deaths, protect public and private property, and create a disaster-ready statewide economy through public and private partnerships.

The Partners for Disaster Resistance & Resilience can coordinate limited resources to generate activity that could not be accomplished by any one group or organization working alone.

The Partnership is organized around 14 interdependent elements outlined by IBHS’ Showcase State Model. These elements are measurable activities that serve to institutionalize disaster protection into long-range policies, procedures, programs, designs, and plans, and to take immediate action to begin to reduce the costs associated with disasters. The Partnership provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate how state and local governments, the private sector, and higher education can work together to promote awareness of natural hazard risks and associated risk reduction strategies.

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The Partnership and Oregon’s Hazard Mitigation Planning Program

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Interim Final Rule 44 CFR Part 201, published in February 2002, requires states and communities to develop natural hazard mitigation plans in order to apply for FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation project funding and other hazard mitigation grant programs. In Oregon, these planning requirements are being accomplished – in part – through a coordinated and integrated hazard mitigation planning effort.  Since 2000, the Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup (ONHW) at the University of Oregon has been working  with The Partnership, Oregon Emergency Management (OEM), Oregon Emergency Management Association (OEMA), Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), FEMA Region Ten, and local governments statewide to coordinate The Partnership’s activities in a manner consistent with the hazard mitigation planning program to assist communities and the state in meeting the new requirements (Figure 2).

Figure 2: PDR-PDM Program Partnership



The communities currently involved in developing a regional or local mitigation plan make up this group and are supported by The Partnership. This has become a priority over the past year because each of the Working Group activities are, in essence, funneled through the communities involved in this process. The partnership between Oregon’s hazard mitigation planning program and Partnership activities will help achieve the broad goals of both programs, while assisting communities to address the requirements of the Federal Rule.

To accomplish each program’s goals, OEM, ONHW and The Partnership promote a coordinated and collaborative approach to mitigation planning. This includes a range of activities that encourages inter-governmental coordination, fosters public-private partnerships, and builds local capacity in developing risk reduction strategies and activities. The partnering of the Oregon’s hazard mitigation planning program and The Partnership will ultimately lead to an integrated, cost-effective, and systematic approach for all levels of government and the private sector by bringing together resources – both human and financial – to prepare for and minimize natural disaster impacts.

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Development Process

While individuals and organizations can mitigate losses from natural hazards, most projects depend on the involvement of multiple organizations at several levels of government, often with private sector involvement.  These partnerships are key to effective hazard mitigation.

The State Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team (State IHMT) took the lead in preparing this state plan. The State IHMT is an important state mechanism for interagency coordination.  Prior to the spring of 1996, the state agencies, which now comprise the State IHMT, were convened only following Presidentially-declared major disasters. These meetings included federal agencies, and were called for the purpose of developing Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team Reports or Hazard Mitigation Survey Team Reports.  Then Governor Kitzhaber convened a smaller, hazard mitigation policy task group following the February 1996 floods.  It met several times during the spring of 1996.

The current membership of the State IHMT grew out of the disastrous winter of 1996/1997, initially with emphasis on mitigating fast-moving debris flows like those that led to the loss of eight lives in Douglas County .  On March 4, 1997 , Governor Kitzhaber directed OEM to “make the Governor’s Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team a permanent body.  Direct the team to establish regular meeting dates.”  The State IHMT first met in its pre-disaster mode in the spring of 1997, and has met on average every other month since then and now meets on a quarterly schedule. OEM has a leadership role in convening and chairing the State IHMT meetings as well as providing overall staff support though routine communication with the membership, agenda development and meeting logistics. The State Hazard Mitigation Officer facilitates the discussion on action items with specific emphasis on action item (project) implementation at the local level. Success stories are of particular interest to the State IHMT and are reported by the SHMO to the membership following disaster (declared or not) events. Success stories validate local and state level plan action items and provide the impetus to continue project implementation where there is a continuing need to do so. Mitigation activities that reduce repetitive losses are a priority of the State IHMT and are identified in early implementation mitigation strategies.

One of  the State IHMT’s most important roles is to provide a forum for resolving issues regarding hazard mitigation goals, policies, and programs. The purpose of the team is to “to understand losses arising from natural and technological hazards, and coordinate recommended strategies to mitigate loss of life, property, and natural resources.” The working relationship amongst the State IHMT membership encourages discussion on hazard issues that can oftentimes result in direct technical assistance to local governments on mitigation strategies and resource opportunities to implement high priority mitigation measures. Part IV, Appendix 3 summarizes State IHMT agencies’ hazard mitigation roles and responsibilities, and authorities.

State IHMT meetings are open to the public, and liaison representatives from non-State IHMT agencies and organizations can be added as needed. The State IHMT consists of representatives of the following agencies:

• Department of Administrative Services, Risk Management Division
• Oregon Department of Agriculture
• DCBS - Building Codes Division
• DCBS - Insurance Division
• Oregon Economic and Community Development Department
• Department of Environmental Quality
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Oregon Department of Forestry
• Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
• Department of Land Conservation and Development
• Department of State Lands
• Office of Homeland Security, Oregon Emergency Management
• Office of Homeland Security, Office of State Fire Marshal
• OSU, Oregon Climate Service
• Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
• Public Utility Commission
• Oregon Department of Transportation
• Univ. of Oregon, Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup
• Water Resources Department

The creation of the state Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan was a collective effort of State IHMT partner agencies. The current version of this plan was developed between 1998 and 2004.  The State IHMT and various subcommittees of it served as planning teams for the development of the plan. Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup, housed at the University of Oregon, took the lead in creating the plan framework and creating the web version of the plan.  Development of each hazard chapter of Part III of this plan was led by a representative of one of the eighteen agencies that comprise the State IHMT, working with a small team of state agency officials with an interest in each particular hazard, most often comprised of other State IHMT member agency representatives.

Progress on implementing actions is reported to the State Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team by the membership during the regularly scheduled quarterly meetings and during the routine updating of the hazard specific chapters of this plan. Action items are tracked from initial development to completion and, where appropriate, documented as success stories. This group will continue to meet regularly and monitor progress on action items.

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Integration with Other Planning Efforts

This Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan is a document within Volume I, Preparedness and Mitigation, of the state Emergency Management Plan, administered by Oregon Emergency Management. The other volumes of the Emergency Management Plan are: Volume II, Emergency Operations Plan, and Volume III, Relief and Recovery. The figure below illustrates these organizational relationships.



For more information about how natural hazard planning is integrated with other planning efforts within the state please see Part II, Section B – Mitigation Strategies.

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Last Updated March 2006