Hazard Mitigation Plan to Action Workshop and Consultation — August 8-11, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS | August 11, 2023

From August 8 through August 11, 2023, local stakeholders participated in a “Plan to Action” (P2A) Workshop and Consultation to support improved hazard mitigation planning and project implementation in the CNMI. The August 8-10 Workshop was an inaugural event that focuses on the application and eligibility for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants that preceded the CNMI/FEMA Annual Consultation on August 11th that aimed to address the challenges and opportunities specific to the CNMI's Hazard Mitigation Grants Program with local officials.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan to Action Workshop and Consultation is facilitated by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) under the Office of the Governor, with support from the Office of Planning and Development (OPD). In attendance are representatives from all CNMI's Mayor's offices, several government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. CNMI's State Hazard Mitigation Officer, Acting OPD Director, and Capital Improvement Program Administrator Elizabeth Balajadia remarked that “this Plan to Action workshop provided opportunities to learn together and discuss how to bridge the gap between hazard mitigation planning and developing applications to improve sustainability outcomes.”

Topics covered during this event include an overview of FEMA grants and grant management and support, further information on FEMA's requirements for a Standard State Mitigation Plan, and updates from the CNMI on its recent successes and challenges in its various hazard mitigation-related projects.

This event provided attendees with an opportunity to have an open dialogue with FEMA about their existing and upcoming hazard mitigation-related grant funding opportunities and about how FEMA can best assist the CNMI with its hazard mitigation projects and initiatives. Additional information to support planning and application development will be forthcoming from the HMGP Office.