Notice2021-23440
Request for Information on the National Flood Insurance Program Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management and Use, and an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and Endangered Species and Their Habitats; Public Meetings
Primary source
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Published
October 28, 2021
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentFederal Emergency Management Agency
Abstract
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold two public meetings remotely via web conference to solicit feedback on the agency's request for information on the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management and Use, and an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and Endangered Species and Their Habitat, published October 12, 2021. The request for information seeks input from the public on the floodplain management standards that communities should adopt to result in safer, stronger, and more resilient communities. Additionally, the request for information seeks input on how the NFIP can better promote protection of and minimize any adverse impact to threatened and endangered species, and their habitats.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 206 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 206 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59745-59746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23440]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID FEMA-2021-0024]
Request for Information on the National Flood Insurance Program
Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management and Use, and an
Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and Endangered Species
and Their Habitats; Public Meetings
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: Announcement of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold two
public meetings remotely via web conference to solicit feedback on the
agency's request for information on the National Flood Insurance
Program's (NFIP) Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management
and Use, and an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and
Endangered Species and Their Habitat, published October 12, 2021. The
request for information seeks input from the public on the floodplain
management standards that communities should adopt to result in safer,
stronger, and more resilient communities. Additionally, the request for
information seeks input on how the NFIP can better promote protection
of and minimize any adverse impact to threatened and endangered
species, and their habitats.
DATES: Written comments on the request for information published at 86
FR 56713 (October 12, 2021) may be submitted until 11:59 p.m. Eastern
Time (ET) on December 13, 2021.
FEMA will hold meetings on Thursday, November 4, 2021, from 2:30 to
4:00 p.m. ET, and Monday, November 15, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. ET.
Depending on the number of speakers, the meetings may end before the
time indicated, following the last call for comments.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held via web conference. Members
of the public may register to attend a meeting online at the following
link: <a href="https://www.fema.gov/event/public-comment-period-national-flood-insurance-programs-minimum-floodplain-management">https://www.fema.gov/event/public-comment-period-national-flood-insurance-programs-minimum-floodplain-management</a>.
If you would like to speak at a meeting, please indicate that on
the registration form. If there is time remaining in a meeting after
all registered speakers have finished, FEMA will invite comments from
others in attendance.
Reasonable accommodations are available for people with
disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below as soon as
possible. Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible
to fulfill.
Written comments on the request for information must be submitted
via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Search for FEMA-2021-0024-0001 and follow the instructions for
submitting comments.
All written comments received, including any personal information
provided, may be posted without alteration at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. All comments on the request for information made
during the meetings will be posted to the rulemaking docket on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
For access to the docket and to read comments received by FEMA, go
to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and search for Docket ID FEMA-2021-0024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Sears, Supervisory Emergency
Management Specialist, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration,
Federal Emergency Management Agency, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3a5c5f575b17485f5d4f565b4e535554497a5c5f575b145e5249145d554c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2f494a424e025d4a485a434e5b4640415c6f494a424e014b475c01484059">[email protected]</span></a>,
202-646-4105.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 12, 2021, FEMA published a
Request for Information (RFI) on the National Flood Insurance Program's
(NFIP) Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management and Use, and
an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and Endangered
Species and Their Habitats.\1\ This RFI asks for public input on the
floodplain management standards that communities should adopt to result
in safer, stronger, and more resilient communities. It also seeks input
on how the NFIP can better promote protection of and minimize any
adverse impact to threatened and endangered species, and their
habitats.
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\1\ 86 FR 56713.
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In support of FEMA's role in setting the NFIP floodplain management
standards for land management and use and the agency's desire to
strengthen the NFIP's protection of threatened and endangered species
and their habitat, the agency is seeking input from the public on the
floodplain management standards that communities should
[[Page 59746]]
adopt to result in safer, stronger, and more resilient communities and
also to promote protection of listed species and their critical
habitats. Specifically, FEMA is seeking input through a series of
questions in the RFI on opportunities for the agency to improve the
minimum floodplain management standards for land management and use
which better align the NFIP with the current understanding of flood
risk and flood risk reduction approaches. Current FEMA floodplain
management standards for flood-prone area regulations have not been
revised since they were implemented in 1976. The agency is considering
revision to these regulations based on its current understanding of
flood risk and flood risk reduction approaches and is now taking a
thorough review of the floodplain management standards, along with
prior published studies and reports, to determine how these standards
can best meet FEMA and stakeholder needs.\2\
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\2\ See generally ``National Flood Insurance Program: Evaluation
Studies'' found at <a href="http://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/rules-legislation/2006-evaluation">http://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/rules-legislation/2006-evaluation</a> (last accessed July 8, 2021) and
``Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study of Loss Prevention'' found
at <a href="http://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/building-science/building-codes-save-study">http://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/building-science/building-codes-save-study</a> (last accessed July 8, 2021) among
others.
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FEMA also plans to re-evaluate the implementation of the NFIP under
the Endangered Species Act at the national level to complete a revised
Biological Evaluation \3\ re-examining how NFIP actions influence land
development decisions; the potential for such actions to have adverse
effects on listed species and critical habitats; and to identify
program changes to mitigate adverse effects to avoid jeopardy to listed
species and/or critical habitats. Public feedback will help FEMA with
this process.
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\3\ Agencies may submit to the Services, an evaluation on the
likely effects of an action, if listed species or critical habitat
are likely to be affected by Agency action.
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The purpose of this request for information is to seek feedback on
the agency's request for information on the National Flood Insurance
Program's (NFIP) Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management
and Use, and an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and
Endangered Species and Their Habitat published October 12, 2021.
Individuals cannot apply for FEMA assistance by submitting a comment in
the Federal Register or at these public meetings. If you are an
individual who has been impacted by a disaster and you are seeking
assistance from FEMA, please visit <a href="https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual">https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual</a> or call the FEMA Helpline (1-800-621-3362/TTY (800) 462-
7585) to apply or receive information on a pending request.
FEMA will hold public meetings to ensure all interested parties
have sufficient opportunity to provide comments on FEMA programs. As
the RFI seeks information regarding a series of questions, the public
may wish to review the RFI in advance of these meetings. FEMA will
carefully consider all relevant comments received during the meetings,
and during the rest of the RFI's comment period. All comments or
remarks provided on the request for information during the meeting will
be recorded and posted to the rulemaking docket on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2021-23440 Filed 10-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-47-P
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