Updating Chester's Hazard Mitigation Plan: Updated 8.4.2022

The Chester Fire Chief / Emergency Management Director and other Town Employees and Elected Officials have been meeting with June Garneau of Mapping and Planning Solutions to work on the required five-year update to the 2016 Chester Hazard Mitigation Plan.  The Town and Mapping and Planning Solutions are conducting a series of Hazard Mitigation meetings to develop the plan over the next few months.

Through these public meetings, the planning team will address natural hazards such as flooding, hurricanes, drought, landslides, and wildfires, and determine efforts the Town can undertake to mitigate the effects of not only natural hazards but also technological and human-caused.  The team will also review shelter sites and the need for generators at those sites. 

By examining critical infrastructure and key resources, along with past hazards, the team will establish priorities for future mitigation projects and steps that can be taken to increase public awareness of hazards in general.

As mandated by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, all municipalities are required to complete a local Hazard Mitigation Plan to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Administration funding should a natural disaster occur.  The planning processes are made possible by grants from FEMA.

Chester citizens and any interested stakeholders are invited to participate.  The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20th, 2022, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM via “Zoom”.  The public is encouraged to attend all meetings.  All interested parties should contact Elizabeth Lufkin, Town Clerk & Deputy EMD, by email at elufkin@chesternh.org to be included in the process; interested parties will be added to the Zoom meeting invitation list.  Future meetings are planned for May 18th, June 22nd, and July 20th, 2022.  Two additional meetings are tentatively scheduled for August 24th and September 28th, 2022; the project should be complete by then.

More information on the hazard mitigation planning process is available from June Garneau at Mapping and Planning Solutions, jgarneau@mappingandplanning.com .