Public Comment Period is Open for Capitol Region Council of Government’s (CRCOG) Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaption Plan (HMCAP)

CAPITOL REGION COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (CRCOG)
241 Main Street, 4th Floor, Hartford, CT 06106-5310
Phone: (860) 522-2217/Fax: (860) 724-1274/ E-mail: mgoulet@crcog.org

January 29th, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

In recent weeks, the Capitol Region in Connecticut has grappled with the aftermath of storms, experiencing snow, flooding, and power outages that underscore the risks posed by natural hazards. For two decades, the region's communities have actively participated in the development and adoption of a natural hazard mitigation plan, with updates implemented every five years. Collaborating once again with the Capitol Region Council of Government (CRCOG), the communities have spent the last eight months updating the plan to address the evolving challenges associated with climate change directly. This initiative will result in the creation of a "Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (HMCAP)," outlining actionable measures to minimize property and life losses during events such as floods, severe wind events, winter storms, wildfires, droughts, extreme heat events, and earthquakes. Your active involvement in shaping this plan is crucial for fostering a resilient and adaptive Capitol Region.

The hazard mitigation and climate adaptation planning effort is being led by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), which is located at UConn’s Avery Point Campus. CIRCA is also leveraging this update to expand its “Resilient Connecticut” program from a narrow pilot region to the entire state, with a strong focus in the Hartford region.

The Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan for CRCOG will continue to make the region’s communities eligible for seeking hazard mitigation assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Connecticut. The plan will also help align the region with new State funding programs that become available in the future.

Public meetings to gather resident input were held in October 2023 and used to inform the draft of the plan. As part of our commitment to community engagement, we are also holding a public comment period, which began on January 22nd and will end on February 16th. The comprehensive HMCAP draft and a recording of the public meeting to present the draft plan can be found on the CRCOG Natural Hazard Mitigation Planning webpage at: https://crcog.org/natural-hazards-mitigation-planning/. All edits and input can be sent to Nicole Govert at CIRCA at nicole.govert@uconn.edu by February 16th, 2024.

Your engagement is instrumental in ensuring a safer and more sustainable future for the CRCOG region.