Larimer County Resilience Framework
The Takeaways
Get the right people involved in creating the Framework.
Don’t let the framework sit on the shelf.
Decide who is going to take ownership of the framework and its implementation.
The Case Study
While natural disasters are nothing new to Colorado, Larimer County communities experienced significant fire and flood events in a short period of time between 2012 and 2013. Disasters like fires and floods will occur again. Knowing this, Larimer County communities developed the Larimer Community Resiliency Framework, a regional resiliency framework to build local resilience to future shocks and stresses. The process was part of a program piloted in partnership with the State in conjunction with its application for HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC) and was completed during an intensive 6-month period from August 2015-February 2016. Modeled after the State’s Resiliency Framework, the Larimer County framework established a collective vision and goals for the county, participating municipalities, and community-based organizations, examined existing conditions across six resiliency sectors, and developed actionable strategies and priority projects to address vulnerabilities.
The framework is not a standalone plan, but rather was built on the momentum of existing planning efforts within Larimer County, including:
2016 Larimer County Hazard Mitigation Plan Updated (December 2015)
Larimer County Strategic Plan Update (2013-2018)
Larimer County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (2015)
Unmet Needs and Community Fragility Study (December 2015)
The framework is meant to complement existing efforts, finding ways to build resilience into ongoing activities to reduce vulnerabilities to shocks and stresses. It is not an exhaustive list of actions that will burden the county. Rather it is a Framework that complements existing initiatives, collaborates with community projects, and works to build upon and enhance the community’s vision for a more resilient Larimer County. The resiliency framework is a living document that will be updated as projects are completed and adjusted as needed to meet the changing needs of the community and region.