Local Input Wanted

Newaygo County Seeking Public Comment on the 2025 Edition of the Hazard Management Plan
 
Newaygo County, MI. – Newaygo County is requesting assistance from the public with the updates to the Newaygo County Hazard Management Plan. Your participation will enable Newaygo County Emergency Services to collect and compile the most up-to-date community data and information. An updated draft Community Profile has been developed and posted to the County of Newaygo’s Website for review at:
https://www.newaygocountymi.gov/news/newaygo-county-hazard-management-plan/. 

In addition, a short survey has been created to gather additional information on different hazard events which have occurred in Newaygo County. Anyone can respond to the survey, which is also posted to the County’s Website at the same location as the Community Profile.  

The Newaygo County Hazard Management Plan is a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan that communities use to reduce the potential impacts of natural disasters, focusing on long-term solutions to prevent or minimize future damage and loss.  This plan has been in place since 2007 and is required to be updated every 5 years under criteria contained in 44CFR Part 201, as authorized by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000.  The current plan was adopted by the Newaygo County Board of Commissioners via Resolution 05-006-21 on May 26, 2021 and is set to expire in June 2026.

Hazard mitigation is an important part of being a disaster resilient community. Hazard mitigation is any action taken before, during, or after a disaster to permanently eliminate or reduce the long-term risk to human life and property from natural, technological, and man-made hazards.  Examples of hazard mitigation activities include voluntary acquisition or elevation of flood prone structures, creation of defensible spaces around wildland urban interface areas, protective measures for utility infrastructure, storm water management projects that reduce flood risk, etc. The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses. 

Maintaining a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation Plan has positive, local impacts within the County. In December 2016, Newaygo County was awarded $239,316.00 in grants to implement a new flood warning system for approximately 35 miles of the Muskegon River in Newaygo County utilizing the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Flood Inundation Mapper System. As a part of the project an additional two river gages, which were funded by the Fremont Area Community Foundation, were installed in Newaygo and Bridgeton. Newaygo County was eligible to apply for this Hazard Mitigation Grant because our community maintains a Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Throughout the course of the next year, various components of the plan will be posted to the County’s Website for review and public input. Community engagement throughout this process is important to ensure that the plan reflects your communities needs and priorities. For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the Newaygo County Emergency Services Department.

​Thank you for your time and contribution to this update of the Newaygo County Hazard Management Plan!
 

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