March 24, 2014--Wilbraham residents are invited to provide comments on a draft hazard mitigation plan Thursday, March 27, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, 240 Springfield Street. The draft plan was produced by the Town, along with Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. All members of the public are welcome to attend the event.

The meeting will include an introduction to the planning process, a summary of existing mitigation initiatives, and an outline of recommended strategies for addressing natural hazards in Wilbraham. Municipal officials and PVPC staff will be available to answer questions and listen to comments on the draft plan, which is posted at http://pvpc.org/resources/landuse/2014/2014%20wil-hazard-mit-plan-dratf.pdf.

This planning effort is being undertaken to help the Town of Wilbraham assess the risks faced from natural hazards, identify action steps that can be taken to prevent damage to property and loss of life, and prioritize funding for mitigation efforts. A mitigation action is any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards.

The hazard mitigation plan was developed with funding provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and assistance from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

For more information, please contact PVPC’s Josiah Neiderbach at jneiderbach@pvpc.org or (413) 781-6045.