THE INSIDER a Publication for Members

THE INSIDER A Publication for Members The Association of State Floodplain Managers November 2003 2809 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI 53713 Website:www.floods.org Phone: 608-274-0123 Fax:608-274-0696 Email: [email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS - Click on any link below, or simply scroll down for the entire newsletter.

Executive Director's Report ASFPM Member and Partner Renewals ASFPM 28th Annual Conference, May 16-21, 2004 NFIP Marketing and Advertising Campaign Statement in Support of International Day for Disaster Reduction News in Brief Done any Retrofitting? National Dam Safety Association Presents Annual Awards A Riddle CFM Corner Washington Legislative Report Calendar Job Corner

Executive Director's Report - Larry Larson, CFM

Wildfires raging in California, Floods in the Northwest and elsewhere---Nature’s reminders that natural disasters are always with us. All to often we live at risk in this nation, sometimes unknowingly, sometimes in spite of knowing the risk. Most of you reading this spend your professional live trying to reduce risk of those who want to develop property. While we all get frustrated from time to time, you do and have made a difference in reducing flood losses in this nation.

I had the opportunity in October to attend the fall conferences of two of our Chapters---Arkansas and New Mex- ico. These meetings provide time for me to talk with many of you who are at the ground level, working to reduce flood losses and guide development. Many of you are being innovative in your approaches, moving be- yond minimum to broader approaches that are tailored to your community. Each of these are important actions, moving us step by step to a nation where annual flood losses will turn downward. As I talk about No Adverse Impact approaches, more and more of you tell me of some of the approaches you are doing, and getting excited about how you can incorporate NAI.

A key document to assist all of you in your efforts to incorporate NAI is the NAI Toolkit, which will be up on our web site this month some time. You will be able to download all or parts of it for your use. We plan to place one large order for those who want copies in bulk for your community, or for a state or Chapter to provide to its communities. You will get more information on this when the Toolkit is placed on the web.

We appreciate the terrific response from members on the CFM survey and the survey getting ideas for future direction of the Association. We rely on this input from our members to help guide our activities and direction. If you have not responded, you can still send those in to us. The Board of Directors of your Association is meeting in Madison Nov 14-15, and will be using that information while planning for the future.

Let me also thank all of you who have volunteered for work groups, task forces, review groups, etc. We are continually asked to provide members for various groups, because our members have that on-the-ground practi- cal experience trying to make national policy and programs work at the ground level. Agencies and others know that input from our membership help them shape their policy and programs to be more effective. We appreciate their confidence and believe this partnership approach is what will turn good ideas into effective opera- tional programs.

FEMA is one agency working hard on the partnership approach. The FY 04 CAP guidance just was sent to the Regions, so states should be getting that from your Region very soon. As federal agencies move to more mea- surable programs, and FEMA is incorporated into the larger Dept. of Homeland Security, that partnership be- comes more and more essential. FEMA and the states need to work together to assist, monitor and train communities.

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ASFPM Member and Partner Renewals

We are mailing 2004 MEMBERSHIP and PARTNERSHIP RENEWALS November 15. Please email asfp- [email protected] or call 608-274-0123 if you have not received yours by Thanksgiving. Thank you.

ASFPM 28th Annual Conference, May 16-21, 2004

The Call for Abstracts has been answered with resounding success! Program Chair Steve McMaster is valiantly sorting through over 220 abstracts as you read this, a daunting task since the program accommodates ~145. We also had a record number of exceptional workshop proposals, and will fit in as many as we can in the space available.

The circa 1848 Biloxi lighthouse, pictured on the Call, is located right next door to the conference hotel -- it is the inspiration for our 2004 theme, "Lighting the Way to Floodplain Management". The countless professional training opportunities that are offered throughout the conference are geared to help participants become the guiding light for flood victims. This increasingly international, weeklong event also presents service providers with the ideal opportunity to network with those responsible for flood hazard management decision- making. We encourage these companies to visit our website at www.floods.org/gulfcoast to get information and forms for sponsorship and exhibits. Both filled up fast at our 2003 conference in St. Louis and options are limited in 2004, so it is advisable to lock in early! You will also find the conference at a glance as well as information about the hotel and registration fees on that web page. The brochure containing the detailed program and registration forms will be issued in January.

Make your plans to come to the Gulf Coast next May with us and experience Mississippi's incomparable histo- ry, hospitality, cuisine and Southern charm!

2 NFIP Marketing and Advertising Campaign From: Anthony S. Lowe Director, Mitigation Division Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate

I am pleased to announce that FEMA has concluded its search for a marketing and advertising firm to assist you in promoting and selling flood insurance.

J. Walter Thompson, the country’s largest advertising agency, in partnership with Ogilvy PR and MindShare (a media planning and buying company) submitted an excellent proposal that is directly focused on driving leads to the WYO companies and agents.

Their recommended approach combines a hard-hitting creative campaign designed to create leads for insurance agents using direct response television and direct mail to acquire, retain and win back lapsed customers. These efforts are combined with a new consumer-centric website to educate consumers about their risk of flooding and local and national public relations campaigns to work in conjunction with map modernization and other activities.

I expect big things from this campaign, which is set to launch in the spring of 2004. Monthly newsletter updates will go to the WYO companies and FIPNC to keep you informed of progress, and to collaborate with you as partners in the goal of 5%

Statement in Support of International Day for Disaster Reduction Executive Office of the President

Throughout the United States, natural and technological disasters claim lives and damage our economy. Hurri- cane Isabel in the mid-Atlantic region and the power outages in the Northeast are two recent and vivid examples of the impact such events can have. Escalating population growth along coastlines, fault zones, and other haz- ardous areas means increasing numbers of Americans live and work – often unknowingly – in harm’s way. The number of people affected by natural and technological disasters highlights the need for new tools and technologies for disaster management that reduce the loss of property and life. Whether facing natural or technological hazards, communities must be equipped with the hazard mitigation, preparedness, and response and recovery technologies required for a disaster resistant America.

The International Day for Disaster Reduction, October 8th, simultaneously recognizes the world’s vulnerability and strength in the face of disasters. A vital source of our strength is our progress in science and technology, and the application of both to disaster reduction. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to developing and implementing the tools and technologies required to create a disaster resistant world.

News in Brief

Done any Retrofitting?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has tasked French & Associates to research locally funded flood-proofing projects. We will be updating the Corps publication, Local Flood Proofing Programs. Do you know of any state or locally funded elevation, floodproofing, sewer backup, small barrier or other retrofitting projects? If so, please contact French or Mary Lu at [email protected] or 708/747-5273.

3 National Dam Safety Association Presents Annual Awards

At each annual conference, the Association of State Dam Safety Officials recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of dam safety. This year’s award winners were recognized on Sep- tember 9th, at the 2003 ASDSO Awards Banquet in Minneapolis. Please visit http://www.damsafety.org/ to view the details.

A Riddle Question: When does floodproofing NOT help? Answer:

A home in the historic district was damaged by one of the many trees fallen by Hurricane Isabel (city not dis- closed). Photo by Mark Wolfe, posted on FEMA For Kids website.

November CFM ® Corner

Correct Use of CFM In 2002 ASFPM was issued a registered trademark on CFM®. Unlike a P.E. where periods are used after the letters, CFM is written without periods. Please check your business cards & email signature block to make sure you are using CFM correctly. Thank you.

Thanks A big Thank You to all you CFMs that responded to the recent survey on the certification program. This information will be very helpful for ASFPM Certification Board of Regents and FEMA to use as they plan future training topics & delivery methods for CFMs.

RedVector.com ASFPM has added more pre-approved courses for CECs! Go to our website at www.floods.org and, under the certification menu, click Online Training-RedVector.com. Here you will find the listing of the courses pre- ap- proved for CECs by ASFPM. Click on a course to get directly to Redvector.com to read more about it or sign up to take it. Use ‘ASFPM’ for the referral coupon when you sign up for a course and you’ll enjoy a 10% dis- count off the listed course price!

4 Success Story; Rod Renkenberger, CFM “All it took was a big flood for my CFM certification to be recognized” declares Rod Renkenberger, Executive Director with the Maumee River Basin Commission in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This past summer, after a rainfall of 4” in 2 ½ hours Rod found his CFM designation getting a lot of attention. He was actually referred to as the local flood expert. “Nothing like it for job security!”

And from Management perspective . . . "In this world of performance based measures, certification is a true measure of the results of training." says Todd Davison, Division Director, FEMA Region IV. "R4 has included CFMs as a performance measure in our Regional Management Plan. We have a goal of 100 per year (region-wide) and to increase the % of our own staff who achieve CFM. We also use CFM as a selective placement factor in hiring FPM staff." Great approach, Todd! Back to Table of Contents

Washington Legislative Report Meredith R. Inderfurth, Washington Liaison Rebecca Quinn, Legislative Officer

Congressional Session Not Wrapping Up Neatly

The Congressional session is coming to a close, but adjournment keeps getting pushed ahead another week and then another week. Speculation at the moment centers on November 21st. The current Continuing Resolution, continuing appropriations for all those regular appropriations bills not yet completed, expires on November 7th. This is a period when Committees are trying to take action on bills or complete action so that measures can come to the Floor before the session ends. When the Congress reconvenes in January, it will be the 2 nd Session of the 108th Congress. Legislation not completed in the first session can be continued into the 2nd session without the need to reintroduce it.

There are two bills of importance to floodplain managers that are caught up in this end of session turmoil. They are H.R. 253, the bill dealing with repetitive losses in the NFIP and H.R. 318l, the bill re-authorizing the Disaster Mitigation Act 2000 and restoring the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to 15%.

Repetitive Loss

There has been a delay in bringing the bill to the House Floor because of concerns being expressed by Rep. Bil- ly Tauzin (R-LA). Rep. Tauzin has declared in the press and on Capitol Hill that this bill would kick people out of their houses and off their land. Rep. Tauzin, as Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Com- merce, is influential. He and the entire Louisiana Congressional Delegation in the House sent a letter to the leadership asking that the bill not be brought up under Suspension of the Rules, a procedure for considering bills considered non-controversial. Chairman Mike Oxley (R-OH) of the House Financial Services Committee wants to bring the bill to the Floor and to bring it up under Suspension of the Rules. It has been tentatively scheduled several times and then pulled, the latest time being the week of November 3rd.

It should be noted that the bill includes a 5-year reauthorization of the NFIP, which does expire on December 31st. The Senate Banking Committee has indicated that it prefers to take up the bill in the spring when hearings can be held to examine the issues. Senator Shelby (R-AL), Chairman of the Banking Committee, introduced a bill to extend the authorization for the NFIP for one year. That bill passed the Senate on October 27th.

The reauthorization issue bears watching given the consternation caused last year when the program was al-

5 lowed to expire.

DMA 2000 and HMGP

This bill, too, has been delayed in being brought to the House Floor. In this case the bill was marked up by the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Committee was interested in asserting its authorizing ju- risdiction over the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program since the form of the program is largely at the direction of the Office of Management and Budget. Additionally, the Committee wanted to restate its authority over HMGP since the appropriations bill the previous year had actually amended the Stafford Act to change the formula from 15% to 7.5%. There was a delay in filing the Committee Report and reporting the bill out of Committee so that it could be brought to the Floor. It appears likely, however, that this will take place before the end of the session.

It had been hoped that the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works would also take up the bill and pass it before the end of the session, especially since DMA 2000 expires on December 31st. The Senate Com- mittee has indicated an intent to study the matter before acting on the bill and has also indicated that with other pressing business before the Committee, it will not be possible to consider the bill this session.

Fiscal year '04 funds have already been appropriated for both programs (pre and post disaster mitigation) so implementation plans are continuing. Because of the delay in the availability of FY '03 funds, FEMA is still in the final phases of making the FY '03 grant decisions under the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program.

Appropriations

Five weeks into the new fiscal year, only 3 of the 13 regular appropriations bills have been passed by the Con- gress and signed into law by the President. Among those is the first Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which includes funds for FEMA.

This Congress had been off to an impressive start on getting appropriations bills done. All but 2 had been passed by the House by the end of July. As of November 1st, the Senate had passed all but 3. But 10 regular appropriations bills have not been completed via House-Senate Conference and sent to the President. The expec- tation is that these will be rolled into a big omnibus appropriations bill and passed before adjournment. In- volved in this situation are funds for the Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, USGS, National Park Service, NRCS, NOAA and others of importance to floodplain managers.

Calendar

See www.floods.org/calendar.htm for latest updates or to post your meeting or event

November 11 -15: Managing Floodplain Development through the National Flood Insurance Program Class

There is still space available for attending the Managing Floodplain Development through the National Flood Insurance Program class, offered at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute during the week of November 11 - 15, 2003. The course is an excellent opportunity to learn about implementing the floodplain management

6 elements of the NFIP at the community level. It covers mapping, floodplain management regulation, insurance issues and most importantly it affords an opportunity for floodplain managers to learn from each other about "what works" in their community. It should be considered a "must - attend" for local officials with floodplain management responsibilities for the NFIP.

For more information contact your NFIP State Coordinator or visit the links below. (The first link below is the Emergency Management Institute catalog. Page 25 discusses the class. The second page is the application.) There are no prerequisites for attending. Lodging is provided. Travel expenses are reimbursable. Students must pay for meals. http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/downloads/EMI03CatPartI.pdf http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/StudentInfor/application.asp

November 16 - 19: 2nd Southwest Training Workshop and Symposium: Resorting Streams, Riparian Ar- eas, Floodplains: Tailoring Restoration to Community Needs and Scientific Contexts

This workshop and symposium will be designed primarily for a technical audience including federal, state, trib- al, and local agency staff (stream, wetland, riparian area, land management, and watershed management), environmental not for profit organization staff, and academic staff and students. But, landowners and others will also be welcome. We would expect 250 to 300 attendees. Please see the ASWM website to view the invite and the agenda.

December 2- 3, 2003: Legal workshop on Floodplain/Wetlands Issues

The Association of State Wetland Managers invites you or any of your colleagues to attend a Wetlands and Floodplains State/Federal Legal Workshop: Filling the Gaps in State and Federal Programs Through State and Local Actions; Avoiding Takings and Other Problems which will be held at the Lowes L’Enfant Plaza in Wash- ington, D.C. on December 2-3, 2003. See the draft agenda (click here). This workshop is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Wetlands and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Ser- vice. (Click here to download the full invitee letter.)

We believe this workshop would be of great interest to you and to your agency attorneys or others. Feel free to distribute the workshop information, as you find useful. Your Chair Chad Berginnis, Executive Director Larry Larson and attorney Jon Kusler are involved in the workshop and encourage your participation.

December 5, 2003: New Approaches to "Smart Growth" and Rural Land Planning

This symposium is being organized by Florida's Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC) and Rural Lands Stewardship Council (RLSC). The agenda and details on how you can register can be found at http://www.tcrpc.org/.

Everyone interested in "smart growth" and rural planning ... county commissioners and supervisors, local decision-makers, planners, builders, private landowners, and key stakeholders in the future of our rural lands ... will find this symposium of value

The symposium will be held at the Schreiber Center on the Indian River Community College/Florida Atlantic University (IRCC/FAU) campus in Port, St. Luicie, Florida.

March 3 - 4, 2004: Annual Conference of the Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Manage- ment

7 The 2004 IAFSM Annual Conference will offer the year’s best program on floodplain and stormwater management in Illinois. The conference will provide an excellent training forum for Professional Engineers to earn required professional development hours (2 PDH for original presentations and one for each hour of contact). The conference is tremendous opportunity to meet and talk with other floodplain and stormwater professionals. Over 300 floodplain managers, engineers, and community officials are expected. Informative product, service, agency, and organization exhibits will be on display Wednesday, March 3. Click here to see the call for speak- ers and exhibitors. Questions? Conference Chair: Sally McConkey, Illinois State Water Survey, (phone 217/333-5482, email sally @uiuc.edu)

For a listing of ASFPM Chapter Meetings and scheduled dates for the CFM Exam, see the ASFPM website above.

Job Corner POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Regional Planner II The Regional Planner provides floodplain management technical information and assistance to community officials concerning the National Flood Insurance Program through review of regulations and bylaws, on-site review of floodplain construction, and providing floodplain management information through meetings and work- shops.

Knowledge of floodplain management and community planning principles and practices required. A Bachelor’s Degree in planning, engineering or environmental science is preferred. Applicants must have at least three years of experience in related field.

Salary: $39,139.36 to $55,101.28 per annum.

Hazard Mitigation Project Manager The Project Manager conducts technical reviews of proposed projects intended to prevent or reduce damages re- sulting from natural hazard events, including engineering, environmental, and economic feasibility of projects; inspects projects during implementation and at completion; and maintains database system and analyzes data for report development.

Knowledge of floodplain management and natural hazard mitigation planning principles and engineering practices required. A Bachelor’s Degree in planning, engineering or environmental science is preferred. Applicants must have at least three years of experience in related field.

Salary: $25.64 to 26.91 per hour/contract position – wage includes payment in lieu of benefits.

Application Deadline for both positions: October 30, 2003

Additional information is available at http://ceo.hrd.state.ma.us posting ID #29614 and #29753.

Send resumes to: Human Resources Director, Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, 251 Causeway St., Boston

8 MA 02114. Applications must be completed prior to an interview. Equal opportunity employer.

See www.floods.org/jobs.htm for links to other current listings. Email [email protected] to post your job open- ings in The Insider.