The proposed project will develop three (3) Regional Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans (MHMP) for the State of Montana Department of Military Affairs, Disaster and Emergency Services (MT DES). The three (3) regional plans (West District, Central District, and East District) will be developed over a multi-year period with a phased approach. Plan development for the Central District will occur first, followed by the West District second, and East District last. Each regional plan will include two (2) sub-districts incorporating communities and tribes assisted by the six (6) MT DES District Field Officers in their respective geographies. Each regional plan must meet the requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA) of 2000, 44 CFR Part 201.6 and tribal 201.7 and the most current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "how-to" planning guidance. Each regional plan will also meet the most current FEMA Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool and Tribal Mitigation Plan Review requirements. In addition, the plans will be aligned with the 2018 State of Montana Hazard Mitigation Plan, and follow and integrate the five steps (i.e., Engage, Assess, Act, Fund, Measure) of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regional Resilience Toolkit, to create a set of actionable steps that each region (Central, West, East) can take to further resilience to natural disasters in their region.

The State of Montana has a diverse geography, climate, and mix of rural and urban communities. As a result, there is a wide range of natural hazard risks (see 2018 State of Montana Hazard Mitigation Plan). The State of Montana currently has fifty-six (56) counties and seven (7) tribes. Twenty-seven (27) of those counties and five (5) tribes currently have expired hazard mitigation plans. Another eight (8) counties and one (1) additional tribe will have plans expiring in the next 12 months. In addition, the State has several recently completed cross-cutting planning initiatives sharing priorities, policies, and actions important to local and tribal communities. The vendor will need to be familiar with those initiatives, and integrate applicable information and actions in an effort to achieve greater statewide multi-plan implementation.

Regional plans are new for the State of Montana and will build off existing local hazard mitigation plans, which will be evaluated as part of the regional plan development process. Many of the components included in the local plans will be incorporated into the new regional plans, and areas of weakness will be improved upon as part of this process. The goal of this regional plan approach is to ensure that by the end of 2023 all counties and tribes in the State of Montana will be covered by an approved FEMA Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.