After seven months of meetings, the Pierce County Multi-Jurisdictional Mitigation Draft Plan is ready for the public review and comments. The Pierce County Mitigation Plan Committee identified two goals and 41 projects designed to reduce or eliminate loss of life and damages to property from disasters. Twenty-one projects are under the first goal encourage communication, education and outreach to limit the loss of life and property from 13 hazards that the committee identified that pose risks in the county. Twenty projects under the second goal minimize the risks from these hazards by encouraging the addition of items such as generators for backup power, sirens for warning people and land management tools for development in areas prone to hazards.

The draft plan can be viewed at the Pierce County Courthouse, Rugby City Hall, and with the mayors of the cities of Wolford and Balta. Public comment on the plan is encouraged. Written comments can be sent to the Pierce County Courthouse, 240 2nd St SE, Rugby, ND 58368-1830.

A public meeting will also be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 4 at the Otter Tail Power Company meeting room in Rugby. Public comments will be also accepted at this meeting.

The N.D. Department of Emergency Services encourages counties and cities to do multi-hazard mitigation planning. Not only does a Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved mitigation plan identify ways to protect people, it also is a tool to access federal disaster aid. Without a plan, federal aid is limited in scope when an area is impacted by a disaster.

The draft Pierce County plan includes 10 sections including a profile of the county and the cities in the county, the planning process; a risk assessment of thirteen hazards from summer and winter storms to rural fires and hazardous materials release; mitigation strategies, maps and forms to assist in the implementation of the plan.

Members of the committee included Pierce County Emergency Manager Kelsey Siegler, Pierce County Commissioners, representatives of the cities of Balta, Rugby, and Wolford, fire departments, regional entities, and the public.