In response to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 2022 update of the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide, the Western Governors’ Association submitted comments outlining strategies to improve pre- and post-disaster challenges in the West. The letter of September 22, signed by WGA Executive Director Jim Ogsbury, addressed the need for flexibility and inclusivity of federal disaster-related programs, as well as issues related to risk-reduction, funding. and intergovernmental communications. “Western Governors strongly urge you to engage in meaningful, substantive, and ongoing consultation with states in advance of prospective decisions or related public processes,” the letter read. “Such consultation will result in more effective, efficient, and resilient federal policy benefiting the Western Governors’, and FEMA’s constituents.” Read, download the letter for more details.