In response to the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, and in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov), The American Planning Association (www.planning.org) has developed a one-day training seminar for hazard mitigation planning on how to incorporate hazard mitigation into community planning, including coverage of the planning requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA) 

The purpose of the course is to educate planners on how to incorporate hazard mitigation into the language and processes of community planning, as well as to put mitigation on the table with other key community quality of life issues. The project leader at APA, Mr. Jim Schwab, in cooperation with the Florida American Planning Association (FAPA) Chapter held the first pilot training seminar last week at the FAPA annual conference. The one-day seminar is an interactive, facilitated training session that is designed to provide planners with information and a process on how to develop a hazard mitigation plan.

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and authorized under Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (refer to for a copy of the DMA) provides grants to States and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration. The overall goal of the program is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.
 
This course is intended to address the need for high-quality mitigation plans, and more importantly, facilitate a planning profession "culture" that views hazard mitigation as being as essential an element as housing, transportation, economic development, and other components of the community. The need to educate planners to understand the importance of fully integrating hazard mitigation planning into ongoing community planning, land use decisions, capital improvement planning and budgeting, and economic development planning has never been greater. Planners who are trained in issues related to hazard reduction can be valuable partners with emergency management professionals. FEMA has consistently been working to involve the planning profession in mitigation planning, and has partnered with APA several times in the past.

Additional resources:
American Planning Association: http://www.planning.org/conferences/disaster.htm 
122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 312-431-9100
Fax: 312-431-9985
FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/fima/planning.shtm 
DMA: http://www.senate.gov/~agriculture/Legislation/Agricultural%20Law/cropins/disaster.pdf
HMGP Interim Rule: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2002_register&docid=02-4321-filed.pdf