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MULTI-OBJECTIVE PLANNING FOR NATURAL HAZARD MITIGATION The key to successful hazard mitigatiol/ planl/ing is to develop a widely applicable process that Cill/ clarify the issues, enhal/ce commOlJalities, set priorities, build capability, al/d change policy. With the Vermillion Basil/ example of lIlulti- objective plal/nil/g, we have tl/kel/ the cOl/cept of the II/teragency Hazard Mitigatiol/ TCtlI/1.< ill/o the I/ext cell/llry. Sherryl Zalll1 Hazard Mitigation Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region VTII ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE USED for a variety of pur- poses, multi-objective planning is well suited to planning for the mitigation of natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, coastal and riverine erosion, landslides, and others. The goal of mitigation is reducing the future im- pacts of the hazard, including the property damage it causes, the disruption to local and regional economies, and the amount of public and private funds spent in helping the stricken area recover. But all localities have other needs and goals, too. Using the multi-objective planning process for natural hazard mitigation helps a locality find the specific mitigation measures that will yield benefits across the widest range of other goals. Through multi-objective planning, all the potential goals, problems, and issues related to the hazard are examined in a central context, so that their interrelation- ships are made evident and can be used to good advantage. For instance, in looking for ways to mitigate the impacts of flooding, a community using the multi-objective plan- ning process could see that preserving existing river-edge plants and trees can help reach several goals. Riparian veg- etation can slm\-' overland drainage to a waterway (thus minimizing flooding), trap sediment flowing into a stream (thus reducing erosion), capture and absorb fertilizer run- ning off a farm field (thus minimizing water pollution), and provide habitat for deer, upland game, and song birds (thus increasing recreational opportunities and preserving aesthetic resources). Another advantage of using the multi-objective plan- ning approach to mitigating natural hazards is that it opens up more opportunities for obtaining funding and other assistance. Hazard mitigation is a low priority in most local budgets, but when the mitigation activity is combined with creating a greenway or preserving a historic district, for example, assistance from the state, federal, and private enti- ties that support those projects suddenly becomes poten- tially available. By the same token, some funds that are available only after disasters can be obtained and applied to other purposes if the other purpose is related to hazard mitigation and the two are packaged into one project. .