Government: County Seeks Emergency Management Input, City Offers Tour of its Watershed, Napack Hosts Public Q&A

Weigh in on Emergency Management: Benton County is seeking feedback from the public on its Emergency Management Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP). In a release from the county, community leaders in Benton County are working with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development to update the county’s NHMP.  

“Natural Hazard Mitigation plans detail community risk for disasters and natural hazards and potential actions to lower risk to people, property, and the local economy before the next disaster or natural hazard event happens,” said the release.  

The current NHMP was adopted by a resolution of the Benton County Board of Commissioners in July 2016.  

The county has issued a survey for residents to fill out, and it will not be connected to any personal information. Responses and data from the survey will be used to inform the disaster and natural hazards planning process.  

Communities in Benton County can use information from this survey to support their own action items and ideas for implementation, and to better inform disaster and natural hazards outreach strategies, mitigation, response and recovery, according to the release.  

Click here to take the survey or review the County’s current NHMP. 

Tour the City’s Watershed: The City of Corvallis welcomes community members to a guided tour of the Corvallis Forest, located on the lower slopes of Mary’s Peak. The city announced it would be hosting a community-based tour of the watershed area.  

“On June 14, the community is invited for a rare opportunity that only comes along once a year,” said the release. This 2,400-acre area provides up 30 percent of the city’s drinking water via the Rock Creek Water Treatment Plant. 

This year’s tour will be focused on forest management, with visits to several different sites in the forest and answering questions regarding the city’s management activities of the area. The Corvallis Forest is located nine miles southwest of Corvallis, on the east side of Marys Peak, adjacent to the Siuslaw National Forest. 

The tour will depart at 4:30 p.m. on June 14 from Corvallis City Hall and is expected to last about three hours, including travel time. The city will provide round-trip transportation. The tour is free, but space is limited, and advance registration is required.  

You can contact the Corvallis Public Works Department at 541-766-6916 or email publicworks@corvallisoregon.govto register. 

Napack Q&A Session: Another member of the Corvallis City Council will be hosting a Government Comment Corner. Ward 1 Councilor Jan Napack will host Government Comment Corner in the lobby of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm., on June 3.  

These are open for anyone in the public to stop by and ask your questions about local government for the City of Corvallis.  

By Jennifer Warner 

Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com