Apalachee Regional Planning Council launches resiliency collaborative for regional planning

In a recent meeting held at Gulf County's city hall, the Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) presented an ambitious initiative aimed at enhancing regional resilience through collaboration. The geospatial planning manager and resilience officer introduced the Apalachee Regional Resilience Collaborative, also known as Apalachee Strong, which seeks to address the unique challenges faced by the nine counties in the region, including Gulf County.

The collaborative, established in November 2020, is a member-driven initiative that empowers local counties and municipalities to shape its priorities and projects. Its primary goal is to identify shared resilience needs, pursue funding opportunities collectively, and serve as a centralized forum for tackling resilience challenges. The council emphasized that resilience has become a key term in their work, integrated across various programs such as environmental planning, housing, transportation, and emergency planning.

Since its inception, the collaborative has made significant strides, including conducting a regional vulnerability assessment and developing local mitigation strategies. These efforts are designed to prepare the region for future funding opportunities aimed at implementing adaptation and mitigation projects, such as elevating infrastructure to withstand flooding and sea-level rise.

During the meeting, the ARPC announced a forthcoming event on May 22, inviting key county staff to participate in a relaunch of the resilience collaborative. This gathering aims to formalize the makeup of a resilience working group, which will focus on identifying and prioritizing regional resilience challenges and solutions. The council is encouraging participation from various stakeholders, including county administrators, planners, and emergency management directors, to foster a comprehensive approach to resilience planning.

As the Apalachee Strong initiative gains momentum, it represents a proactive step towards building a more resilient future for Gulf County and its neighboring regions, ensuring that local communities are better equipped to face the challenges posed by climate change and other environmental threats.