Creating Resilient Rural Communities March 8, 2017 Res/Con

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1 Creating Resilient Rural Communities March 8, 2017 Res/Con

2 Panelists Nathan Cataline, Project Manager, GCR Kevin Bush, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Louise Bedsworth, Deputy Director, State of California s Office of Planning and Research Brenna Minor, Vice President, GrantWorks

3 Resilient Rural Communities National Disaster Resilience Competition & Available Federal Resources. Resilience at the State Level, State & Local Partnership Implementing NDRC at Local Level. Incorporating Resilience Through Planning with Local Government. 3

4 Defining Resilience in Rural Areas Ability to prepare for disruptions, to recover from shocks and stresses, and adapt and grow from disruptions. The Ability to recover quickly, withstand or avoid a shock all together (EDA). Communications framework: Ground Resilience Around Community Values (State of CO). Self-Reliance, Reduce Government Dependence, Increase Public Safety 4

5 Adapting the Rockefeller City Resilience Framework to Rural Areas Leadership & Strategy Health & Wellbeing Economy & Society Infrastructure & Environment 5

6 Challenges Unmet Needs vs. Resilience Building Trust Rural/Urban Reliance on Single or Few Industries Access to Services Lack of Financial Resources Source: GCR 6

7 Opportunities Robust Social Networks Build Social Capital Engaged and Passionate Residents Community Leadership Traditional/Untraditional Asset-based Economic Opportunities Collaborate and Work Regionally Source: GCR 7

8 The Community and Watershed Resilience Program: A Pilot Program for Rural Resilience Louise Bedsworth, PhD Deputy Director, Office of Planning and Research Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown ResCon, New Orleans, LA March 8, 2017

9 Tuolumne County Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Population: ~55,000 Land area: ~2200 mi 2 Labor Force: Healthcare Leisure and hospitality, Retail Government

10 The 2013 Rim Fire 3 rd largest wildfire in California history Burned for over 2 months Destroyed over 250,000 acres Over $100,000,000 damage to ecosystem services $127 million to fight the fire

11 Large, Destructive Wildfires are an Issue of Statewide Concern Fire is a natural part of the forest ecosystem Environmental impacts Water supply Carbon storage Air quality Economic impacts Response costs Recovery

12 Fire Impacts are Felt at Multiple Scales Local Property damage Public health Economic disruption Infrastructure damage Ecosystem services Statewide Water Infrastructure Ecosystem services Public health Economic

13 Desired Outcomes Diverse and resilient local economy Engaged, healthy, and safe community Healthy forests Healthy watershed Replicable model Local job creation New business development Restoration of existing business opportunities Property protection Emergency response Social cohesion Access to jobs, training, and services Reduced risk of large, destructive wildfire Resilient carbon storage Habitat and species Clean and secure local water supply Water supply for downstream users Economic viability Governance and institutional arrangements Environmental sustainability

14 Challenges to Resilience Rural area Large land area Small population size Rural economics Governance and economics Patchwork land ownership pattern Urban-rural disconnect US Forest Service budget limitations Traditional cost-effectiveness

15 Federal-State-Local Partnership

16 Community and Watershed Resilience Program Forest and Watershed Health Biomass and Wood Products Community Resilience Centers Biomass removal and thinning, restoration and reforestation in burn area, strategic fuel breaks, and rangeland restoration Phased development of a bioenergy and wood product campus to provide marketable use for biomass removed, provide economic development, and local energy Multipurpose community resilience centers that provide services during an emergency, but also serve the community year round

17 Community and Watershed Resilience Program Program elements work together Tracking local and statewide program benefits Goals: Link environmental goals and economic development Overcome economic barriers Replicable model

18 Brenna Minor, AICP Vice President RURAL RESILIENCE H A Z A R D M I T I G A T I O N I N R U R A L T E X A S

19 WORK IN RURAL TEXAS Working mainly with cities with fewer than 5,000 people and rural counties Resilience is not a common term in rural Texas Constraints: budget, capacity, time and resources Lack of state and local funding Mitigation vs. Resilience FEMA HMGP Mitigation actions are inherently designed to build resilience

20 FEMA HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAMS Plans & Studies identify potential threats and how to mitigate them; necessary to apply for 404 funds Warning sirens one life saved is $5.8-7 million in FEMA terms Generators keeping infrastructure running in a disaster prevents massive failure and can keep critical facilities in operation Community Safe Rooms protection for residents in tornado and hurricane events Drainage improvements

21 PLANNING FOR RURAL RESILIENCE Resilience issues and barriers: Small and/or shrinking population Geographic and economic differences Ensuring equitable benefits from mitigation actions Unwillingness to participate Resilience assets: Social cohesion and local connections Locals know how to reach particularly vulnerable populations

22 PLANNING FOR RURAL RESILIENCE Benefits of informing rural citizens about mitigation: Residents increase their individual resilience Low-cost mitigation actions can reach the entire community Rural jurisdictions can target more expensive actions to improve resilience for residents and infrastructure with disproportionate vulnerability to hazard events Plans can include jurisdictions that don t always participate such as school districts, drainage districts, and community colleges.

23 BEE COUNTY HAZARD MITIGATION The County is eligible to apply for grants because they participate in a Hazard Mitigation Plan $20.5 million drainage project, 25% must come from the County Not possible for a rural community without grant funding

24 RESILIENCE ACTIONS Forming a Levee Improvement District Making a Hurricane Evacuation route safer Preventing loss of life due to severe road and neighborhood flooding during hurricanes