Defining and Building Capacity for Disaster Mitigation
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Counties and other local governments are at the frontlines of extreme climate-related events, leading the immediate disaster response and recovery, whatever the availability of internal infrastructure and resources. While disaster resilience is an intergovernmental responsibility, the capacity of local governments to prepare, respond and recover is critical to mitigating the loss and damage caused by disasters.
For National Preparedness Month, this webinar offered an engaging discussion of the key elements of capacity for disaster resilience. Speakers highlighted how to build and sustain local capacity to secure funds, staffing and partnerships, drawing on findings from an intergovernmental roundtable convened by NACo and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The webinar recording is now available on this page.
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Resource
2024 National Preparedness Month: County Participation Toolkit
Featured Initiative
Resilient Counties Initiative
NACo works to strengthen county resiliency by building leadership capacity to identify and manage risk, and allow counties to become more flexible and responsive.
U.S. House of Representatives passes SPEED Act and other permitting reform bills
On December 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SPEED Act (H.R. 4776). The SPEED Act would strengthen county involvement in decision-making and make needed commonsense reforms to the federal environmental review process.
House Natural Resources Committee advances the Endangered Species Act Amendments Act of 2025
On December 17, the House Natural Resources Committee advanced the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments Act of 2025 (H.R. 1897). The version passed by the committee adopted several changes from the initial bill and would address key county concerns by improving the implementation of the ESA. The legislation now awaits a floor vote before the whole U.S. House of Representatives.
Senators introduce bipartisan UPGRADE Act to support small and rural public water systems
On December 15, Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced the Unincorporated Partnerships for Grant Resources, Assistance, and Drinking Water Enhancements (UPGRADE) Act (S. 3465), a bipartisan bill that would strengthen federal support for small public water systems and helps unincorporated communities access clean and affordable water.
U.S. Department of Agriculture unveils $700 million for regenerative agriculture
On December 10, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the launch of a $700 million pilot program to support regenerative agriculture practices across the country.
County Countdown – Dec. 1, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Counties Celebrate Key Permitting Inclusions in SPEED Act
NACo issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act (H.R. 4776), which advanced out of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on November 20.
Speakers
Mathew Sanders
Hon. Archie Chaisson, III
Megan Houston
