Colorado Releases New Resiliency Guide for Local Governments

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Division of Local Government released a new Planning for Hazards: Land Use Solutions for Colorado guide and website designed to help Colorado counties and municipalities prepare for natural disasters and reduce risks through the integration of resilience and hazard mitigation.

The guide and website provide a unique compilation of comprehensive materials, disaster recovery strategies, and lessons learned assembled over the years since the state’s devastating fires and floods in 2012/13. The guide includes information about creating a planning framework, hazard identification, and risk assessments to help communities implement resiliency strategies. The website provides users a variety of options to obtain specific information on targeted topics that will be supplemented over time with additional videos and links to new resources. The University of Colorado Denver, who participated in development, will manage and maintain the website.

In support of the state’s disaster recovery efforts, DOLA provided funding for the guide and website, and collaborated with an advisory committee comprised of state and federal agencies, local governments, and subject-matter experts in hazard mitigation and land use planning to create the final products.