WGA urges House committee to focus on risk reduction strategies

The Western Governors’ Association shared its policy resolution, Disaster Preparedness and Response, with the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management in advance of its Oct. 26, 2021, hearing, ‘Are FEMA’s Assistance Programs Adequately Designed to Assist Communities Before, During, and After Wildfire?’ The resolution highlights the need for more robust and flexible risk reduction strategies to mitigate the effects of major disasters, emergencies and extreme weather events that are devastating the region. The Oct. 25 letter, signed by WGA Executive Director Jim Ogsbury, noted that every dollar spent on hazard mitigation saves an average of six dollars in future response and recovery costs. “At a time when state budgets are struggling to keep up with more frequent and costly disasters,” the letter read, “investing in hazard mitigation could have a profoundly positive effect on state and local budgets.” Read, download the letter. 


sign up for our newsletters