Wildfire 9 events from 1992 to 2010 1-10% probability in any year Subarea of community <10% <=1% Minimal Likely confined to the upland forests. None or minimal Landslide/Debris Flow Small scale events along the Green River. Several small post-Irene slides 1-10% probability in any given year Subarea of community <10% <=1%, but traffic accidents possible Minimal depending on scale and ability to remove material Most likely streams and affecting properties adjacent or downstream. None or minimal Earthquake 2 events in Vermont between 1943 and 1962 <1% probability in any year Community to <10% <=1%, but larger in a significant earthquake Minimal Town wide None or minimal Hazardous Materials Spill Four events from 1997 to 2008 1-10% probability in any given year Site-specific with wider affects if spills affect water resources <=1% <=1% Minimal Water supplies and aquatic resources None or minimal Infectious Disease Outbreak Annual 1-10% probability in any given year Community to state-wide <=1% <=1% Minimal Varies with type of infectious disease None or minimal Invasive Species Ongoing 100% probability in any year Community to state-wide 1-10% <=1% Power outages from tree fall Forests, roadsides, water bodies and streams >12 hours
Table 26. Mitigation actions Hazard Type Actions Responsible Parties Time Funding Source(s) Priority All Hazards Education and Outreach Provide a “be prepared” section of the Town website with links to information for residents Town Select Board 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High All Hazards Local Planning and Regulations Encourage proper construction techniques and use of appropriate materials to address hazards, particularly flooding, winter storms, wind events, earthquakes, landslides and wildfire Town Planning Commission; Zoning Administrator 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High All Hazards Education and Awareness Identify and develop methods to communicate with populations vulnerable to potential hazards, particularly drought, extreme temperatures and infectious diseases, but also those in need of assistance for evacuation and/or sheltering Town Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2017 Town general fund High All Hazards Local Planning and Regulations Assess need for driveway standards to assure adequate emergency access particularly to assure adequate access in winter storms, floods and for wildfire protection Town Planning Commission 2015 to 2017 Town general fund High Floods and Flash Floods Education and Awareness Educate owners on importance of securing propane tanks and other items that could float or blow away in storms Town Zoning Administrator 2015 to 2017 Town general fund Medium Floods and Flash Floods Local Planning and Regulations Adopt and enforce updated flood hazard and fluvial erosion hazard zone bylaws Town Planning Commission; Zoning Administrator 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High Floods and Flash Floods Planning and Regulations Participate in the Community Rating System to help reduce insurance premiums Town Select Board 2016 to 2017 Town general fund High Floods and Flash Floods Local Planning and Regulations Encourage appropriate stormwater and erosion control measures in new developments Town Planning Commission 2015 to 2020 Town general fund High Floods and flash floods Local Planning and Regulations Prepared draft contract for company to provide services if debris pile up bridges and culverts to prevent blockages and resulting flooding. Town Select Board; Town Road Foreman 2015 to 2016 Town highway fund High Floods and floods Structure and Infrastructure Projects Road crew should regularly survey culverts for blockages including photographs and records of damages and costs Town Road Foreman 2016 to 2020 Town highway fund High
Floods and floods Structure and Infrastructure Projects Adopt the 2013 and updates to the Vermont Town Road and Bridge Standards Town Select Board 2015 to 2016 and as updated Town general fund High Floods and flash floods Structure and infrastructure projects Identify and replace culverts and bridges that do not meet current Vermont Town Road and Bridge Standards Town Road Foreman 2016 to 2020 Town highway fund State of Vermont AOT FEMA HMGP, PDM, FMA High Floods and flash floods Structure and infrastructure protection Encourage property owners in flood or fluvial erosion hazard zones to consider selling their properties (buy out) or implementing flood proofing including elevating structures Town Select 2016 to 2020 FEMA HMGP, PDM, FMA High Floods and floods Structure and infrastructure protection Implement corridor protection, buffer plantings, structure and berm removal and other projects listed in the 2007 Batten Kill corridor plan (Field 2007) Town Select Board; Batten Kill Watershed Alliance 2016 to 2020 FEMA HMGP, FMA, PDM Vermont Ecosystem Restoration Program, Vermont Watershed Grant Medium to High Floods and flash floods Natural Systems Protection Acquire lands or work with conservation organizations to acquire lands subject to frequent flooding or wetlands within or adjacent to flood prone areas to provide flood storage Town Select Batten Kill Watershed Alliance: Vermont Land Trust 2016 to 2020 State of Vermont Watershed Grants, Vermont Ecosystem Restoration Program, Nonprofit organizations Medium
Winter storms Education and Outreach Provide educational materials on sheltering in and preparation for winter storms, including long-term power outages Town Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High Winter storms Education and Awareness Provide materials for residents on methods to protect property from wind events Town Emergency Management Director; Zoning Administrator 2016 to 2017 Town general fund FEMA HMGP, PDM, FMA High Winter storms Local Planning and Regulations Develop agreements with adjacent towns for sharing of highway equipment Town Select Town Road Foreman 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High Winter storms Structure and Infrastructure Projects Place utilities underground for critical facilities Town Select Board 2015 to 2017 FEMA HMGP, PDM, FMA Medium High wind events Education and Outreach Provide educational materials on sheltering in and preparation for winter storms, including long-term power outages Town Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High High wind events Local Planning and Regulation Require boats, propane tanks and other items stored outdoors to be secured Town Planning Commission; Zoning Administrator 2015 to 2017 Town general fund High High wind events Local Planning and Regulation Encourage appropriate plantings to avoid future damage from downed trees Town Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2017 Town general fund Medium High wind events Local Planning and Regulation Encourage protection and planting of wind breaks in new developments Town Emergency Management Director; Zoning Administrator 2015 to 2017 Town general fund Medium High wind events Structure and Infrastructure Projects Retrofit existing buildings to withstand high winds including protection of power lines and other utilities Town Select Board Private Owners 2016 to 2017 FEMA HMGP, PDM Medium
High wind events Structure and Infrastructure Projects Place utilities underground for critical facilities Town Select Board; Private Owners 2016 to 2017 FEMA HMGP, PDM Medium Hail Structure and Infrastructure Projects Retrofit existing buildings to minimize hail damage Town Select Board; Private Owners 2017 to 2019 FEMA HMGP, PDM Low Temperature extremes Education and Awareness Identify vulnerable community members through a survey and outreach Town Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2017 Town general fund FEMA HMGP, PDM High Temperature extremes Local Planning and Regulation Develop cooperative agreement with all surrounding towns for the sheltering of vulnerable populations Town Select Board; Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High Drought Local Planning and Regulation Monitor drought conditions Town Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2020 Town general fund High Drought Education and Awareness Provide educational materials on dealing with drought Town Emergency Management Director 2016 to 2017 Town general fund FEMA HMGP, PDM Medium Drought Natural System Protection Develop improved assessment of groundwater sources and amend bylaws to assure their protection Vermont Geological Survey Town Planning Commission 2015 to 2018 FEMA HMGP, PDM State of VT Medium Drought Local Planning and Regulation Incorporate planning for droughts in the emergency management plan Town Emergency Management Director 2015 to 2017 Town general fund High Wildfire Education and Outreach Acquire materials from Firewise for homeowners and provide to Sandgate to make available for landowners BCRC 2015 to 2016 BCRC High Wildfire Education and Outreach Provide information on outdoor burning safety prior to the spring and fall fire seasons Fire wardens 2016 to 2020 Fire wardens High
Wildfire Education and Outreach Provide a review of properties where owners request assessment of their properties for wildfire safety and adequate defensible space BCRC, Arlington Fire Department 2016 to 2020 BCRC, Arlington FD Medium Wildfire Education and Outreach Encourage owners to maintain defensible space around structures and to mow fields along road edges to prevent wildfire Town Emergency Management Director; Arlington Fire Department 2016 to 2020 Town general fund High Wildfire Local Planning and Regulations Encourage defensible around structures Town Planning Commission 2016 to 2020 Town general fund High Wildfire Structure and Infrastructure Projects Assure adequate water supplies are available including areas identified as gaps in the 2013 Community Wildfire Protection Plan Town Select Board; Emergency Management Director, Arlington Fire Department 2016 to 2020 Town general fund /State of Vermont grants for dry hydrants/ Vermont Department of Parks, Forestry and Recreation High Wildfire Natural Systems Protection Implement fuel reduction, particularly in grass fields Arlington Fire Department/Green Mountain National Forest 2016 to 2020 Arlington FD/Green Mountain NF Medium Landslide and debris flow Planning and Regulations Map known landslides and identify potential landslide areas Town/BCRC/State of Vermont 2016 to 2017 FEMA HMGP, PDM High Landslide and debris flow Local Planning and Regulations Adopt fluvial erosion hazard bylaws Town Select Board; Town Planning Commission 2015 to 2016 Town general fund High Landslide and debris flow Structure and Infrastructure Projects Implement visual monitoring in potential landslide areas Town Emergency Management Director 2016 to 2017 Town general fund High
Landslide and debris flow Structure and Infrastructure Projects Stabilize and replant stream corridor areas subject to landslides Batten Kill Alliance 2016 to 2020 State of VT Watershed grants High Earthquake Education and Awareness Educate property owners on proper construction techniques to reduce potential damage from earthquakes Town Zoning Administrator 2016 to 2017 Town general fund Medium Hazardous materials Local Planning and Regulation Complete an assessment of hazardous materials and potential accident locations LEPC 7 24-48 months Town general fund Medium Hazardous materials Structure and Infrastructure Projects Work with VT AOT to identify and mitigate high accident intersections VT AOT 2016 to 2018 State AOT funds Medium Hazardous materials Natural Systems Protection Identify groundwater source areas and develop ordinances to protect those areas Vermont Geological Survey 2016 to 2018 VT Geological Survey Medium Infectious disease outbreak Local Planning and Regulations Monitor disease occurrences and potential outbreaks Town Health Officer 2016 to 2020 Town general fund High Infectious disease outbreak Education and Outreach Provide educational materials in printed form and on the town web site on potential infectious diseases Town Health Officer 2016 to 2018 Town general fund /State of Vermont Health Department High Invasive species Local Planning and Regulations Monitor extent of invasive species, particularly forest invasive species such as Emerald Ash Borer Town Select 2016 to 2020 Town general fund High Invasive species Local Planning and Regulations Complete surveys for ash trees vulnerable to Emerald Ash Borer BCRC; Bennington County Conservation District 2015 to 2017 FEMA HMGP, PDM VT Department of Forests, and Recreation Medium
Invasive species Local Planning and Regulations Survey for invasive species (e.g., Japanese knotweed)s along streams to identify potential erosion areas Batten Kill Watershed Alliance 2016 to 2017 of Vermont Department of Parks, Forestry and Recreation Medium Invasive species Local Planning and Regulations Encourage use of native species in plantings for commercial and residential development Town Planning Commission 2016 to 2020 Town general fund Medium Invasive species Education and Awareness Provide outreach materials for landowners on using native plants and controlling invasive species Bennington County Conservation District 2015 to 2016 Town general fund of Vermont Department of Parks, Forestry and Recreation High
E. Monitoring and Revising This Plan Annual Review Copies of this plan will be kept at the town office and made available via the town and BCRC website. The Select intends to involve the public in the implantation, review and update of this plan. This plan will be integrated into existing planning efforts including updates to the Town Plan as well as the annual Local Emergency Operations Plan. The Sandgate Town Plan is currently being updated, and information from this plan has been used in those updates. New data from a variety of studies completed by the Bennington County Regional Commission, the State of Vermont, the U.S. Forest Service and others will be used in updating the town plan, as they were used to develop this hazard mitigation plan. The process of updating the town plan will incorporate the public involvement, agency review and adjacent town review requirements of Vermont statutes. 2. Plan Evaluation and Update The Sandgate Select Board will be responsible for serving as or creating a planning team for evaluating and updating the plan. At least one year before the five year period covered by this plan, the planning team will initiate a review of the plan by: 1. Updating the descriptions and analyses of events using new information since completion of the 2015 draft. 2. Identification of any new buildings or infrastructure or changes in critical facilities. 3. Estimation of potential probability and extent of hazards based on any new information since completion of the 2015 plan and the updated Town Plan. 4. Review of completed hazard mitigation projects. 5. Identification of new projects the revised hazard evaluation. 6. Review of any changes in priorities since adoption of the 2015 plan. 7. Revision of the assessment of risks and vulnerability from identified hazards. 8. Development and use of criteria to assess the potential benefits and of identified actions for use in prioritizing those actions. 9. Integration of the updated plan into the Sandgate Town Plan and other plans and programs. The planning team will hold open meetings to solicit opinions and to identify issues and concerns from members of the public and stakeholders. The planning team and the Town of Sandgate Select Board will work with the Bennington County Regional Commission and the State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) to review and update their programs, initiatives and projects based on changing local needs and priorities. BCRC will assist in any necessary coordination and communication with neighboring towns to assure that mitigation actions address regional issues of concern. The revised plan will be submitted for review by the State