The Santa Cruz County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) Update is a FEMA-approved, countywide resilience strategy developed to reduce long-term risk from natural hazards while maintaining eligibility for federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance funding. Led by the Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience (OR3), the 2025 update represents the County’s first fully integrated multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, bringing together Santa Cruz County, three incorporated cities, and six special districts under a unified planning framework.
Dynamic Planning + Science partnered with Santa Cruz County to develop a comprehensive, data-driven plan that integrates advanced GIS risk assessments, climate adaptation, social vulnerability analysis, public engagement, and jurisdiction-specific mitigation strategies. The project evaluated ten natural hazards—including wildfire, flood, earthquake, coastal hazards, drought, extreme heat, and climate change—while producing countywide and jurisdiction-specific mitigation actions that strengthen resilience, improve coordination among agencies, and prioritize investments that reduce disaster risk across the region.
- Developed the County's first fully integrated Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan involving Santa Cruz County, three municipalities, and six special districts under a unified planning process.
- Spatial Risk Analysis: Used GIS to overlay hazard extents with asset and population data to prioritize mitigation by exposure
- Hazards Assessed: Wildfire, flood, geohazard, drought, severe weather, pandemic disease, and mining-related disasters
- Geospatial Tools: Implemented Hazus loss estimation and geospatial overlays to quantify “worst-case” exposure scenarios
- Vulnerability Summary: Developed visual comparisons of population, infrastructure, and parcels within high-risk zones
- Public Involvement: Launched an interactive website and hosted stakeholder meetings to engage residents and partners
- Updated Mitigation Strategies: Focused on actionable, locally implementable projects with and without grant dependencies
- Planning Partnership: Included towns of Montrose, Olathe, Nucla, and Naturita, plus all major fire districts
- FEMA-Compliant Update: Fulfilled all DMA 2000 and 44 CFR §201.6 requirements, enabling continued grant eligibility
- Interagency Coordination: Fostered cooperation between jurisdictions for shared funding and implementation pathways
