HAHarvey Walden
2 hours agoMulti-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Information
Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Information
Building a Safer and More Resilient Interior Alaska
The Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB), together with the City of Fairbanks and the City of North Pole, maintains a FEMA-approved Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJ-HMP) to reduce long-term risks from natural hazards. This plan identifies the disasters most likely to affect the Borough, evaluates community vulnerabilities, and outlines mitigation actions that help protect lives, property, infrastructure, and essential services.
The MJ‑HMP is updated every five years, as required by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, to ensure the Borough and participating jurisdictions remain eligible for federal mitigation grants and disaster assistance funding. These resources help communities complete projects such as drainage improvements, wildfire mitigation, seismic retrofits, flood protection, and other long-term risk‑reduction efforts.
Why Hazard Mitigation Matters
Hazard mitigation is any sustained action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards. Examples include:
Strengthening buildings and infrastructure
Reducing wildfire fuels near homes
Upgrading drainage and flood protection
Improving warning systems and communication
Stabilizing permafrost-affected or ground-failure-prone areas
The MJ‑HMP helps the Borough prioritize these actions and invest in projects that provide the greatest community benefit. By reducing hazard impacts before disasters occur, we can lessen damage, protect essential services, shorten recovery times, and improve overall community resilience.
What the Plan Covers
The MJ‑HMP assesses risks from six primary natural hazards that affect Interior Alaska:
Cryosphere / Permafrost-related hazards
Earthquakes
Flooding
Ground Failure (erosion, landslides, subsidence)
Severe Weather
Wildland Fire
For each hazard, the plan identifies historical impacts, areas of vulnerability, and future risk, and outlines mitigation strategies to reduce losses across the Borough and its communities.
A Collaborative, Community-Driven Plan
The MJ‑HMP is developed through a collaborative process involving:
Borough departments and local government partners
Local fire departments, utilities, and critical infrastructure owners
Health, social service, and resource management organizations
Subject‑matter experts in climate, wildfire, geology, and hydrology
Members of the public across the Borough’s communities and service areas
Public involvement—including outreach events, community surveys, and review opportunities—is a key requirement of FEMA’s mitigation planning process, ensuring the plan reflects local knowledge, lived experience, and community priorities.
How the MJ‑HMP Benefits You
Updating and maintaining the MJ‑HMP helps:
Reduce loss of life and property
Strengthen community preparedness
Protect vital infrastructure and essential services
Support economic stability and long-term recovery
Increase access to federal and state mitigation funding
Guide future projects and investments that lower risk
The plan also supports the Borough’s goal of building a more resilient community in the face of changing climate conditions, severe weather, and evolving hazard patterns.
Get Involved
Community feedback is central to the hazard mitigation planning process. When the Borough begins its next MJ‑HMP update cycle, we will invite residents, businesses, and partner organizations to participate through surveys, public meetings, and plan review opportunities.
Your input helps shape future projects and ensures the Borough’s mitigation strategy protects what matters most to you and your community.
