6.5. Create an Action Plan for Implementation

A common failure of some mitigation plans is that they are never put into action. An action plan lays the groundwork for implementation by describing how the mitigation plan will be incorporated into existing planning mechanisms. The action plan also describes how each jurisdiction will prioritize, carry out and administer mitigation actions.

For local governments to reduce their risks in the long term, the information from the mitigation plan should be integrated across operations. “Integrate” means to include hazard mitigation principles, risk information and mitigation actions into other community plans. When activities are connected they create co-benefits, reduce risk and increase resilience. The planning process forms partnerships. Sustained action makes the community safer from disasters. Many other local plans, such as comprehensive, stormwater management, sustainability and economic development, present ways to address hazard mitigation through multiple community goals. Mitigation plans must describe how the community will integrate the data, analysis, mitigation goals and actions into other planning mechanisms.

First, the plan must identify planning mechanisms where hazard mitigation information and actions may be incorporated. In this context, planning mechanisms mean governance structures used to manage local land use development and community decision making. The review of community capabilities identifies this information. Multi-jurisdictional plans must describe how each participant will integrate the plan into their local planning mechanisms.

In some cases, a community may choose to integrate and align their hazard mitigation plan within the comprehensive planning process. “Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning” provides technical advice and examples of communities that have successfully integrated mitigation into their comprehensive and other planning processes. Some existing processes may not allow for integration due to timing, budgets or other constraints. For example, a community may determine that the goals and actions of the hazard mitigation plan will be considered in the next 5-year capital improvements planning process, which may be updated annually.

Here are a few ways to use the mitigation plan to support risk-informed community planning.

Local governments can include the overall goals for risk reduction and safety into the objectives and policies of other plans. Goals for disaster resiliency can also complement local sustainability programs. Mitigation actions can be incorporated into the capital improvement plan, local comprehensive plan or annual budget prioritization process. This can help mitigation projects get funding despite competing local priorities. The following policy examples can be added to a local comprehensive plan. They can be carried out through zoning and building codes, capital improvement programs, and permitting processes:

• Adopt the latest hazard-resistant building code. FEMA has a resource on Building Codes Strategy available online.
• Protect life and property in high-hazard areas by limiting new development.
• Limit the extension of public infrastructure in high-hazard areas.
• Reduce the vulnerability of future development in high-hazard areas by reviewing development regulations.

The risk assessment provides data, analysis and maps that can be integrated into other plans, including the THIRA, to inform policies and decision making. For instance, the risk assessment can support other community planning and economic development efforts. Incorporating hazard information and mapping into land use plans, zoning and subdivision codes, and the development review process can steer growth and redevelopment away from high-risk locations. This information can also be used to design and site future public facilities to areas with lower exposure to hazards.

Where possible, the local government should implement the identified mitigation actions through existing plans and policies that already have support from the community and policy makers. For instance, a Community Wildfire Protection Plan identifies a community’s priorities for wildfire fuel reduction projects. A capital improvements program outlines a jurisdiction’s spending plan for capital projects that support existing and future developments, such as roads, water and sewer systems. Include mitigation projects in the capital improvements plan, such as strengthening at-risk critical facilities or acquiring open space in known hazard areas. Other tools for carrying out mitigation actions could include staff work plans, permitting procedures, job descriptions and training.

Some communities have recovery or post-disaster redevelopment plans that identify the operations and strategies the community will take post-disaster. These plans help communities recover more effectively and become more resilient in future disasters. Mitigation actions to reduce long-term risk, such as effective building code adoption and enforcement, are applied in both pre-disaster mitigation planning and post-disaster recovery. Effective recovery planning builds on existing community goals and plans. It also incorporates the mitigation strategy into long- term recovery and reinvestment decisions.

FEMA has several resources that help local governments decide how and where to integrate the mitigation plan with other planning mechanisms. They include:

• Integrating Hazard Mitigation Into Local Planning: Case Studies and Tools for Community Officials
• Plan Integration: Linking Local Planning Efforts
• Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and Hazard Mitigation Plan Alignment Guide
• Mitigation Planning and the Community Rating System Key Topics Bulletin