DRAFT Town of Clarksburg Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan Posted June 11, 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The development of this Clarksburg Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan has been made possible with financial support from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and administered by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). The Town would like to thank the unerring support and guidance provided by MEMA’s hazard mitigation staff throughout this planning process. The Town of Clarksburg would like to thank the members of the Clarksburg Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee, who served as the advisory committee for this planning effort. The Town would particularly like to thank the time and effort directed to this project by Town Administrator Rebecca Stone. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission provided technical assistance to the Town and the Planning Committee throughout the planning and approval processes. 1 Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………… 3 CHAPTER 2: PLANNING PROCESS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…........... 7 CHAPTER 3: RISK ASSESSMENT…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….. 11 CHAPTER 4: MITIGATION STRATEGY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......... 135 CHAPTER 5: PLAN ADOPTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………. 147 CHAPTER 6: PLAN MAINTENANCE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….. …148 REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………150 APPENDICES……………………………………………….…………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………….. 151 APPENDIX A: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION DOCUMENTATION 2 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Purpose The purpose of hazard mitigation planning is to reduce or eliminate the need to respond to hazardous conditions that threaten human life and property. Hazard mitigation can be an action, activity, process, or physical project designed to reduce or eliminate the long-term risks from hazards. The Town of Clarksburg Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (HMCAP) was prepared in order to meet the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 44 CFR § 201.6 pertaining to local hazard mitigation plans. Title 44 CFR § 201.6(a)(1) states that “a local government must have a mitigation plan approved pursuant to this section in order to receive hazard mitigation project grants. A local government must have a mitigation plan approved pursuant to this section in order to apply for and receive mitigation project grants under all other mitigation grant programs.” As the HMCAP will illustrate, the Town’s eligibility for FEMA’s hazard mitigation grants is crucial. The Town of Clarksburg established the following mission statement for their hazard mitigation and climate adaptation planning process: It is the Town of Clarksburg’s mission to protect the lives, health, safety, and property of residents and businesses of Clarksburg from the impacts of natural hazards and climate change. In accordance with Title 44 CFR § 201.6 the local mitigation plan is the representation of the Town’s commitment to reduce risks from natural hazards, serving as a guide for decision makers as they commit resources to reducing the effects of natural hazards. Additionally, the HMP is meant to serve as the basis for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide technical assistance and to prioritize project funding. Background Fig. 1.1. Location of Clarksburg within Massachusetts Location Massachusetts is located on the east coast, where coupled with its northerly latitude, exposes it to both the moderating and moistening influence of the Atlantic Ocean, and the effects of hot and cold air masses from the interior of the continent. The polar jet stream is often located near the state, giving it highly variable weather patterns, wide ranging daily and annual temperatures, and generally abundant precipitation throughout the year.1 The Town of Clarksburg is located in northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It is nestled on the northern border of Berkshire County adjacent to Stamford, VT and between the Massachusetts communities of Florida to the east, the City of North Adams to the south, and Williamstown to the west. Source: BRPC 2020. Community Setting The Town of Clarksburg is relatively small in size, covering an area of 12.8 square miles (8,187 acres). The town is bordered on two sides by mountains, with East Mountain and Bald Mountain to the west, located within the Clarksburg State Forest, and the Hoosac Range to the east. 1 https://statesummaries.ncics.org/chapter/ma/ 3 Between the two ranges, Hudson Brook and the North Branch Hoosic River flow through a relatively broad valley, merging just south of the Town line in North Adams. Tamarack Swamp is a tributary that flows into Hudson Brook. The general lay of the land of the eastern portion of Clarksburg, in which development is centered, is found in the following Figures 1.2 and 1.3 (provided courtesy of Jim Brandon, Clarksburg Conservation Commissioner and proprietor of GeoPinva LLC). In the northern part of the valley is Clarksburg State Park, operated by the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The park is home to Mauserts Pond and offers picnicking, hiking, and camping, as well as other recreational activities. On the Vermont side of the border lies the Green Mountain National Forest. The Appalachian Trail crosses north-south through the town, passing just west of the peak of East Mountain, the highest point in town, at 2,300 feet (700 m). The north-south Route 8 is the only state route through town, and is the main travel way between Clarksburg and neighboring communities. 4 Fig. 1.2. General topography of the eastern portion of Clarksburg where development is located Source: Jim Brandon, GeoPinda LLC, 2021 Fig. 1.3. Traverse demonstrating general terrain with locations of key features 5 Source: Jim Brandon, GeoPinda LLC, 2021 6 CHAPTER 2: PLANNING PROCESS 44 CFR § 201.6(b) & 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(1) Introduction The Town of Clarksburg was included in the 2015 Addendum (covering four towns) to the 2012 regional Berkshire County Hazard Mitigation Plan (covering 19 municipalities). This Clarksburg Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (HMCAP) is a single-jurisdiction plan that updates the 2015 Berkshire County Hazard Mitigation Plan Addendum. This chapter outlines the development of the Town of Clarksburg HMCAP. It identifies who was involved in the process, how they were involved, and the methods of public participation that were employed. An open public involvement process during the drafting stage was essential to the development of the HMCAP. A discussion of how the community will continue public participation in the plan maintenance process (44 CFR § 201.6(c)(4)(iii)) will be discussed in Chapter 4. The Town retained the services of Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) to aid them in developing the HMCA. The Clarksburg HMCAP is a compilation of data collected by BRPC, information gathered from the Clarksburg Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (the Planning Committee) during meetings, and interviews conducted with key stakeholders outside of working meetings. The Plan reflects comments provided by the Planning Committee, local officials and citizens, neighboring towns, and ultimately MEMA and FEMA. Planning Meetings and Participation THIS SECTION TO BE COMPLETED AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 44 CFR § 201.6(c)(1) During the planning process there was opportunity for public comment and the opportunity for neighboring communities, local and regional agencies or partners involved in hazard mitigation activities, and agencies that have the authority to regulate development, as well as businesses, academia and other private and non-profit interests to be involved in the planning process. Making the document available to the public for review meets requirements of 44 CFR § 201.6(b)(1), and solicitation of comment from neighboring towns meets requirements of 44 CFR § 201.6(b)(2), pertaining to involvement of regional partners in the planning process. See Appendices for documentation. A grant from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) made this comprehensive mitigation and climate change planning process feasible. Members of the Planning Committee include municipal department heads and representatives from the Clarksburg Council on Aging and Clarksburg Conservation Commission. The Planning Committee members are listed in Table 2.1. In May 2020 the Town of Clarksburg formed the Planning Committee to develop a HMCAP. The Planning Committee held a series of meetings to assemble data on the Town’s infrastructure, identify known hazards to residents and businesses, and review existing plans, procedures, bylaws and protections already in place. The Planning Committee met six times, with all meetings publicly posted according to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. 7 Table 2.1: Clarksburg Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Planning Committee Name Affiliation Michael Williams Clarksburg Chief of Police Rebecca Stone Clarksburg Town Administrator Lauren Norcross Clarksburg Council on Aging Kyle Hurlbut Clarksburg Highway Foreman Clebe Scott Clarksburg Conservation Commission, Briggsville Water Department Jim Brandon Clarksburg Conservation Commission Caroline