# Presentation: 717679

## Floodplain ManagementSESSION 25

**Rivers as a Legal Battleground **
**Special Districts and Landowners**
**Prepared by Elliott Mittler, Ph.D. **

**Notes:**
Title Page for Session 2

## Human occupancy of floodplains and urban riverfronts

**Objectives:**
- 25.1  Identify special districts that have jurisdiction	over elements in floodplains.
- 25.2 	Identify the major players in determining floodplain management policy affecting landowners.
- 25.3 	Identify the major concerns of landowners and their effect on floodplain management.
- 25.4 	Understand local commissions and their effect on community floodplain programs.
- 25.5 	Discuss the influence of landowners within the context 	case study floodplains
- 26.6	Complete the examination for this module.

## Greatest percentage of special district governments perform functions related to natural resources

- Drainage (2,600),
- Flood control (647),
- Irrigation and water conservation (837),
- Soil and water conservation (2,506), or
- Other natural resources (389).

## Rules of thumb that may indicate the impact of citizen participation

- 1.	The more open the political process is to local citizen input; the more likely the community program will reflect and respect community values.
- 2.	The more citizen participation in the upper levels of policy making; the more likely the community program will be accepted by the community.
- 3.	The more inclusive the political process; the more likely the community program will include elements that address the needs of segments of society that are commonly ignored in public policy.
- 4.	The more citizens in the political process; ultimately the more citizens who are elected to local offices.

## Non-structural Risk Reduction Federal Programs

| Program | Federal Agency in Charge | Program Goals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) | Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | Acquisition, elevation, and relocation of structures after floods |
| Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) | FEMA | Acquisition and relocation of structures before floods |
| Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) | Housing and Urban Development (HUD) | Acquisition and relocation of low-income flood-prone homes |
| HOME Investment Partnerships Program | HUD | Acquisition and relocation of low-income flood-prone homes |
| HUD Disaster Recovery Program | HUD | Acquisition and relocation of low-income frequently flooded homes after floods |
| Land Acquisition | U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) | Acquisition of easements and property for addition to the national wildlife refuge system |
| Post-Disaster Economic Recovery Program | Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) | Provides low-interest loans for relocation of frequently flooded homes |
| Physical Disaster Loans | Small Business Administration (SBA) | Provides low-interest loans to restore wetlands and relocate non-farm structures |
| Emergency Watershed Protection Program | Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) | Provides assistance to flood-prone landowners, including easements and funds to set back levees |
| Wetlands Reserve Program | NRCS | Acquisition of easements to restore wetlands and floodplain habitat |

- Table 25.1	Non-structural Federal Flood Loss Reduction Programs Affecting Landowners

## Non-structural Risk Reduction Federal Programs (Continued)

| Program | Federal Agency in Charge | Program Goals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Conservation Reserve Program | U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Offers financial incentives to farmers to establish soil-conserving vegetation on eligible cropland |
| Rivers and Trails Program | National Park Service (NRS) | Establish projects to manage and conserve rive and trail corridors |
| Floodplain Management Services Program | U. S. Corps of Engineers (USACE) | Provides technical assistance and general planning guidance for non-structural floodplain programs including acquisition |
| Public Law 84-99 Program | USACE | Repair damaged levees and acquisition of flooded land protected by levee |
| Conservation Contracts | Farm Service Agency (FSA) | Forgives debt from farm loan programs in exchange for an agreement to conserve wetlands and other floodplain habitats |
| Section 206 Program | USACE | Restores aquatic habit, including floodplain habitat |
| Partners for Fish and Wildlife | FWS | Restores wetlands and riparian habitat on private land |
| Section 1135 Program | USACE | Restores wetlands and floodplain habitat previously impacted by a USACE project |
| Stewardship Incentive Program | U. S. Forest Service (FS) | Provides grants to private landowners to establish and maintain buffers and other conservation objectives |
| Wildlife Protection Development Grants | NRCS | Provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners to develop and improve wildlife habitat on their property |

- Table 25.1	Non-structural Federal Flood Loss Reduction Programs Affecting Landowners

## Non-structural Risk Reduction Federal Programs (Continued)

| Program | Federal Agency in Charge | Program Goals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wetland Protection Development Grants | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Develop or enhance wetlands |
| North American Waterfowl Management Program | Department of Interior (DOI) | Restore waterfowl populations through habitat conservation |
| North American Wetlands Conservation Fund | DOI | Conserve wetlands for migratory birds and other wildlife |
| Environmental Quality Incentives Program | USDA | Assists farmers implementing conservation practices |
| Federal Aid In Wildlife Restoration | FWS | Restore wild birds and mammals by acquisition, development, and management of habitat |
| Small Watershed Program | NRCS | Implement measures that reduce runoff from farms, including tillage practices and watershed restoration |

- Table 25.1	Non-structural Federal Flood Loss Reduction Programs Affecting Landowners