Gov. Hickenlooper Submits National Disaster Resilience Competition Phase 2 Application; Crro Publishes Two-year Flood Report

Statement

Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Resiliency and Recovery Office (CRRO) today submitted Colorado's Phase 2 application for the National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC).

The NDRC is a billion dollar federal competition for communities that have been struck by natural disasters in recent years that was announced in July 2014 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"Working collaboratively with several local communities and numerous other key stakeholders, we have put our best foot forward in developing and submitting a strong, strategic application," said Hickenlooper. "Our proposal effectively illustrates our long-term vision and strategy toward a stronger, more resilient Colorado."

The NDRC makes available $1 billion in funds, with a maximum award of $500 million to any one applicant. Applicants must successfully develop innovative resilience projects that both address unmet needs from federally-declared disasters in 2011, 2012 or 2013, and that make their residents, communities and infrastructure more resilient by applying science-based and forward-looking risk analysis that addresses recovery, revitalization and resilience initiatives.

Colorado is one of 40 eligible applicants that were successfully moved on to Phase 2 in the competition, partnering with communities in Boulder, Larimer and El Paso Counties who met the NDRC's strict impact, distress and unmet need thresholds. HUD plans on awarding NDRC funds by January 2016.

The process for this application has been guided by the content and principles of the Colorado Resiliency Framework that has provided a collaborative forum for communities to develop an integrated, broad range of strategies to build and enhance local resilience.

"In Colorado, we have a vision and commitment to long-term resiliency that empowers our people, our communities, our resources and our State as a whole -- all of which is outlined in the Colorado Resiliency Framework," said CRRO executive director Molly Urbina. "Our NDRC application is a result of countless hours and invaluable input provided from individuals and groups from throughout our disaster-impacted communities. It effectively addresses the State's present and future health and well-being in an innovative, holistic manner."

In conjunction with the filing of the NDRC application, Urbina also announced that CRRO has published its Two-Year Report that highlights many of the activities, accomplishments and milestones from the past year, while outlining the State's ongoing plans aimed at further strengthening Colorado's communities.

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