A draft multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan for Island County is now complete and officials are seeking public input.

The 2015 draft plan can be reviewed online at www.islandcountydem.org. Submit comments to Eric Brooks, Island County emergency manager, at dem@co.island.wa.us or by phone at 360-679-7370.

Responding to federal mandates in the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, a coalition of Island County cities, towns and special purpose districts was formed last year and embarked on a planning process to prepare for disaster impacts. The organization pooled resources to create a uniform hazard mitigation strategy that can be consistently applied.

The planning process was led by Island County Office of Emergency Management, and the project funded by a planning grant from FEMA. It took approximately 10 months to complete, according to a recent news release.

During this process, citizens were asked to contribute by sharing local knowledge of the region’s vulnerability to hazards based on past occurrences, as well as identify initiatives which could help reduce the level of impact of those hazards. Public involvement was solicited via a multimedia campaign.

The comment period began March 11 and runs for 30 days.