Preparing 

A Floodplain Species Assessment and

A Floodplain Species Plan

for Credit under the

Community Rating System 

of the 

National Flood Insurance Program

2020 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – ii – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

About this guide:

This document was developed by the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), lead service 

provider to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the National Flood Insurance 

Program’s Community Rating System. Any questions should be directed to the ISO/CRS 

Specialist, the FEMA Regional Office, or to nfipcrs@iso.com. 

Cover graphic from the Floodplain Species Assessment and Plan 

 of Gloucester County and James City County, Virginia.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – iii – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Contents

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 

Steps to Prepare a Floodplain Species Assessment ................................................................. 3 

 Step 1. Identify your community’s listed species ........................................................... 3 

Step 2. Identify the species’ range and critical habitat ................................................... 4 

 Step 3. Review your community’s CRS activities .......................................................... 7 

 Step 4. Identify relevant agencies and organizations ...................................................... 9 

 Step 5. Circulate the draft floodplain species assessment............................................. 10 

Step 6. Prepare the final floodplain species assessment ............................................... 11 

Steps to Prepare a Floodplain Species Plan ........................................................................... 14 

Step 7. Research the selected species ........................................................................... 14 

Step 8. Determine the action items for the community ................................................ 16 

 Step 9. Prepare and review the floodplain species plan ................................................ 16 

 Step 10. Submit for the floodplain species plan adoption ............................................ 17 

 Step 11. Implement and evaluate the floodplain species plan ...................................... 17 

Excerpts from the CRS Coordinator’s Manual ..................................................................... 19 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 1 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Introduction

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. §1531–1544) reflected the widespread 

concern that many of our nation’s native plants and animals were in danger of becoming 

extinct. Among other things, the Act charged two federal agencies to identify threatened and 

endangered species and determine ways to help them recover their populations:

• The Department of Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has primary 

responsibility for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, and

• The Department of Commerce’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible 

for marine wildlife, such as whales, and anadromous fish, such as salmon. 

Together, these two agencies are referred to as “the Services” in this document. Other terms 

used in this document are defined on the next page.

An assessment of floodplain species and a plan of action based on that assessment are credited 

under the Community Rating System (CRS) of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

to encourage and recognize community actions to protect species listed pursuant to the 

Endangered Species Act, protect their critical habitat and habitat in general, and help those 

species recover. The “floodplain species assessment” is the first step. It starts the process of 

learning which species that are listed or proposed for listing by the Services and which 

associated critical habitats may be present within the community. 

The second step is the “floodplain species plan.” For the plan, further research is conducted 

on selected species identified in the floodplain species assessment and a more detailed plan is 

developed with input and assistance from subject-matter experts. The plan identifies actions 

the community will pursue to support conservation and recovery of those species. 

CRS credit is provided for both the floodplain species assessment (element FSA) and the 

floodplain species plan (element FSP) under Activity 510 (Floodplain Management Planning), 

found in Section 512.c, Natural Functions Plan, of the 2021 Addendum to the CRS 

Coordinator’s Manual, 2017 Edition. Both credits are optional, but a floodplain species 

assessment credited in element FSA is a prerequisite for element FSP credit. The relevant 

parts of Section 512.c are included in this guide, beginning on page19. 

This document provides guidance on the credit criteria in 

Section 512.c, and refers to three examples that also may be

helpful and are available on the CRS Resources website. The 

three floodplain species assessments and floodplain species 

plans were prepared by the City of Monroe, Washington;

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; and Gloucester County and James 

City County, Virginia (a multi-jurisdictional document). All 

three are drafts and have not yet been submitted for adoption. 

However, they provide formats and language for documents 

describing floodplain species assessments and floodplain 

species plans that would qualify for the CRS credit. 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 2 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Two other references should be used with this guidance document: 

• The CRS Coordinator’s Manual has the credit criteria for element FSA and element FSP 

and explains the other activities and elements mentioned here. It can be downloaded from 

the CRS Resources website. 

• The FRESH User’s Guide provides instructions on how to obtain the data and maps 

needed for the floodplain species assessment from the Flood Risk and Endangered Species 

Habitat (FRESH) mapping tool. The mapping tool can be accessed at the FEMA website.

The FRESH User’s Guide can be downloaded from the CRS Resources website. 

It is recommended that you check with other offices in your community that may have 

expertise in threatened and endangered species and their habitat. Often, parks and stormwater 

management offices have such personnel. They may have additional references as well as 

contacts with the organizations that need to be listed in step 4.2, below. They could even help 

prepare your assessment and plan.

Questions about credit for element FSA, element FSP, and other aspects of the CRS should be 

submitted to your ISO/CRS Specialist (a list can be found on the CRS Resources website. He 

or she then can forward questions and concerns to the CRS technical reviewer as needed. 

Terms Used in this Document

Endangered—A species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its 

range. 

Threatened—A species that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. 

Listed species—A species that has gone through a formal process of being identified for protection 

under the Endangered Species Act based on the best scientific information available. All species 

of plants and animals, except pest insects, are eligible for listing as endangered or threatened. A 

species may also be proposed for listing. In this document, species proposed for listing and 

species actually listed are all treated as “listed.” 

Proposed species—Any species of fish, wildlife, or plant that is proposed in the Federal Register to 

be listed pursuant to Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §1533). In this 

document, species proposed for listing and species actually listed are all treated as “listed.”

Range—The general geographical area within which a species can be found at the time either the 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service makes a status 

determination. The range includes those areas used throughout all or part of the species’ life 

cycle.

Habitat—The natural components of an ecosystem that are essential for a species’ survival, including 

food, cover, and water. As used in this guidance, “habitat” is used to mean all such areas needed 

by species in general.

Critical habitat—Specific geographic areas that contain features essential to the conservation of a 

listed species and that may require special management and protection. Critical habitat may also 

include areas that are not currently occupied by the species but will be needed for its recovery.

Recover—The ultimate goal is for a species to “recover” so that it no longer needs protection under 

the Endangered Species Act or similar state or local laws. Recovery plans describe the steps 

needed to restore a species to ecological health.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 3 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Steps to Prepare a Floodplain Species Assessment

Step 1. Identify your community’s listed species. 

Objective: Identify the federally listed threatened and endangered species that have range or 

critical habitat in your community.

Steps 1 and 2 should be completed using the Flood Risk and Endangered Species Habitat 

(FRESH) mapping tool (see the FRESH User’s Guide). For FWS-listed species, these two 

steps can also be done on FWS’s Information for Planning and Conservation website (IPaC). 

For marine and anadromous species, the local or regional NMFS office can provide 

information in addition to what is found on FRESH. 

1.1. Locate your community. See the FRESH User’s Guide or the guidance in IPaC.

1.2. Outline your area of interest. 

The area of interest is normally your community’s corporate limits. If your community’s 

CRS credited activities apply beyond your corporate limits, outline the area of extraterritorial jurisdiction. Corporate limits can be displayed in FRESH by turning on the 

“CRC_Community_Layers_May_2017–CRS Community Layer May 2017” layer.

An exact match along the corporate limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction is not vital. When 

outlining your area of interest, you should stay just inside the limits and not have any part 

of your line stray outside, especially not outside your county boundary. If that happens, you 

may get a false reading of a species that does not have range in your community. 

1.3. Identify the listed species in your community. 

For the purposes of this guide and CRS credit, “listed species” includes species that have 

been listed or are proposed for listing by either or both of the Services. At its option, a 

community may also include other species listed or proposed for listing by its state 

counterparts to the Services, as long as all federally listed species are included. An example 

is the Vaux’s swift that Monroe, Washington, included in its floodplain species plan. 

Under “Generating a Report,” the FRESH User’s Guide shows how to obtain the names 

of species that have been listed or proposed for listing by the two Services with range in 

your area of interest. You will get a report that will include:

• The map of your area of interest. 

• Two lists of species with critical habitat in your area of interest (if any). One list will 

note “(Proximity),” which you can disregard along with the “Distance” information. 

The information in the other list, common name, scientific name, and listing status is 

sufficient for the table. Some species, especially fish, will have the words “Linear 

Features.” This means the critical habitat will be displayed as a line, usually a river 

channel, rather than as an area.

• Next will be a table of the species listed by FWS that have range in your area of interest. 

• The last series of tables will be the species listed by NMFS that have range in your 

area of interest. 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 4 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Note that the FRESH User’s Guide has a “Tip” on another way to obtain this 

information.

1.4. List the species and the listing agency. 

The species could be listed in a table or other format that makes it easy to see the whole 

list. An example is the table from the Jefferson Parish floodplain species assessment

below. Species that are listed by both Services should be noted as a “joint” listing.

The full inventory of all the species in your area of interest needs to be shown in step 1. 

However, if community staff with expertise in the species on the list conclude that one 

or more of the listed or proposed species does not need to be addressed, the community 

need not include such species in the rest of the steps. The decision to omit those species 

should be stated and explained in the floodplain species assessment document.

Step 2. Identify the species’ range and critical habitat. 

Objective: Map the species’ range and critical habitat in relation to your floodplain.

2.1. Map your FWS-listed species. 

FRESH can produce a layer depicting the range for each species. Each species summary 

in IPaC has a link to more information at FWS’s Environmental Conservation Online 

System website (ECOS). The species profiles on the ECOS site include maps of the 

species’ range and critical habitat. 

All species identified by FRESH have a range map, but for many species either no 

critical habitat has been designated or the critical habitat has been designated but does

not lie within your community. To get a range map for each species in FRESH, follow 

the “Tip” at the end of the section on “Generating a Report,” but do not click on the box 

for the “Threatened and Endangered Species Ranges” layer or all the species’ range 

maps will show at once. Instead, choose “View in Attribute Table” from the drop-down 

menu. 

Jefferson Parish’s table showing the species and their listing agencies.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 5 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

The list of FWS species will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click the square to the 

left of the species’ name and the range will show in light blue. Click the “X” in “Clear 

Selection” and then click on the next species. It’s a good idea to capture a screen shot of 

each display.

In general, there are two types of range maps: 

• County or state-wide—FRESH shows the entire area of interest (and maybe the entire 

screen) as “range.” ECOS produces a map like the one on the left, below. This also 

applies to aquatic species that may have “watershed-wide” ranges.

• Refined range maps—These may cover only part of the community. FRESH and 

ECOS show the areas that have been identified as range for the species. An ECOS

map appears on the right, below. A FRESH example is centered below that. 

An ECOS map showing the piping plover’s range,

which covers entire states

An ECOS map showing the range of 

the sensitive joint-vetch (a plant that 

prefers coastal marshes) 

in Gloucester County, Virginia 

This FRESH map shows the range of the sensitive joint-vetch 

in another part of Gloucester County, Virginia.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 6 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

2.2. Map your NMFS-listed species.

FRESH can provide the range and critical habitat of 

NMFS-listed species. Along the bottom of the screen 

is the list of NMFS species. If one is in brighter 

lettering, it has range in your area of interest. Click it 

on for the map. Use the carats “<” and “>” to scroll 

through the NMFS list.

When the critical habitat is a stream channel, it may 

be shown as a single line. FRESH depicts this as a 

solid line. (There are two lines in the channel in the

example at right. The dashed line is the corporate 

limits.). This can be the case for both FWS and 

NMFS listings.

2.3. Compare the areas to your floodplain. 

This step is not needed for the community- or county-wide species or for species with 

ranges limited to water, such as fish and other aquatic species. 

FRESH can prepare a map like the one below, showing the range of a species and the 

Special Flood Hazard Area as depicted in the National Flood Hazard Layer.

This FRESH map illustrates the relation between the range of the sensitive joint-vetch

and the Special Flood Hazard Area.

2.4. Identify where the range or critical habitat in the floodplain is preserved from 

development. 

Start with a map of vacant lands in the floodplain that also shows which of those 

properties are preserved as open space. This should be the same as the Impact 

Adjustment Map you would need for credit under the OSP element under Activity 420 

(Open Space Preservation). 

Range →

SFHA →

X Zone→

X500 Zone→
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 7 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Include in this map all preserved open space, even if your community does not receive 

CRS credit for it, such as federal land. For example, a stream or other body of water may 

be designated as critical habitat. Although a large body of water is not eligible for CRS 

credit as preserved open space, it may lie within in a large public park or be protected as 

public waters of the state. 

If you do not have access to a geographic information system (GIS) to perform this step, 

you may simply put a screen shot of maps like those on the previous pages next to a map 

showing parks and other open space. For example, Gloucester County had not yet 

prepared the Impact Adjustment Map for Activity 420 (Open Space Preservation), so the 

staff compared the floodplain map with a map of the restrictive zoning districts.

Calculate the percentage of your floodplain that is preserved as open space, i.e., the 

areas that likely provide the best habitat for most threatened and endangered species. If 

you don’t have GIS support for this, you can estimate an approximate percentage, as was 

done for Gloucester County. 

Repeat this mapping for each species with range or critical habitat dependent on the 

floodplain by overlaying the floodplain on the map(s) with the range(s) and critical 

habitat(s) identified in step 2.3. Fish and other species that spend their entire lives in 

water and species that have community-wide range can be skipped because they are 

represented in the community-wide open space map. The result should identify whether 

and where more of the range or critical habitat could be preserved as open space.

Step 3. Review your community’s CRS activities. 

Objective: Identify the general activities your community is pursuing to 

assist in the conservation and recovery of listed species.

3.1. Review the listed CRS activities. 

Nineteen CRS elements have been identified that provide credit for 

supporting the conservation and recovery of threatened and 

endangered species. CRS Credit for Habitat Protection provides an 

introduction to these credits. The full explanation of the credit 

criteria and credit points can be found in the CRS Coordinator’s 

Manual. Additional materials about some of the elements can be 

found elsewhere on the CRS Resources website. 

The table on the next page identifies the 19 CRS activities and elements. The table notes 

the page number in CRS Credit for Habitat Protection at which the element is introduced

(“Page”) and the section in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual that explains the credit 

criteria and credit points (“Manual”). 

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. Additional elements could be credited in 

instances in which it is shown that they can support conservation or recovery of one or 

more of the species in your community. For example, under Activity 360 (Flood 

Protection Assistance), credit is available for advising property owners how to protect 

their buildings from flood damage. It is not one of the 19 conservation and recovery 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 8 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

CRS-credited Conservation and Recovery Actions

Activity/Element Page1 Section in 

Manual2 Doing? Credited? Feasible?

300 Public Information Activities 

 Providing information on areas that serve natural floodplain 

functions, such as wetlands (MI7) 11 322.g

 Outreach projects (OP) with messages on protecting natural 

functions 11 332.a

 Designing and disseminating messages on protecting natural 

floodplain functions in a program for public information (PPI) 12 332.c

 Having materials in the local public library (LPD) on protecting local 

natural floodplain functions 13 352.b

 Having materials on protecting local natural floodplain functions in 

the community’s website (WEB) 13 352.c

420 (Open Space Preservation)

 Preserving open space in the floodplain (OSP) 15 422.a

 Preserving open space in the floodplain in its natural state (NFOS) 16 422.c

 Preserving open space on eroding shorelines (CEOS3) 16 422.e

 Offering incentives to developers to keep the floodplain open (OSI) 16 422.f

 Zoning floodprone areas for large lot sizes to preserve low density 

uses (LZ) 17 422.g

 Preserving stream banks and shorelines in their natural state (NSP) 17 422.h

430 (Higher Regulatory Standards)

 Prohibiting filling in the floodplain (DL1a) 18 432.a(1)

 Regulating development in areas subject to coastal erosion (CER3) 20 432.n

 Other regulations to protect natural floodplain functions not 

specifically listed in the Coordinator’s Manual 20 432.o

450 (Stormwater Management)

 Requiring new developments in the watershed to account for the 

total volume of runoff released (SMR-DS) 21 452.a(2)

 Requiring new developments to use low impact development 

techniques (SMR-LID) 21 452.a(3)

 Setting stormwater management standards based on an overall plan 

for the watershed (WMP) 21 452.b

510 (Floodplain Management Planning)

 Adopting one or more plans that address protecting natural 

floodplain functions (NFP) 23 512.c

540 (Drainage System Maintenance)

Having a habitat-friendly program to clear debris in drainageways (CDR) 27 542.a

1. Page numbers refer to CRS Credit for Habitat Protection. 

2. This column lists the section(s) of the CRS Coordinator’s Manual in which more information can be found.

3. These elements are appropriate only for species dependent on beaches, such as sea turtles and shore birds.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 9 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

elements listed on the next page. However, if this assistance 

service as offered by your community also provides advice 

on maintaining the property’s shoreline using nature-based 

approaches, for example, the activity should be included in 

the table, because such approaches benefit threatened and 

endangered species and/or their habitat.

3.2. Identify what is being done now. 

Fill in the cells, identifying the activities and elements your 

community is currently undertaking. If your community is 

implementing something that sounds like it might qualify for 

CRS credit, it should be stated in the “Doing?” column. 

If your community is receiving credit for the element, include 

the points received in the “Credited?” column along with the 

maximum possible points for that element. The maximum points for each element are 

found in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual sections listed in the “Manual” column.

If you don’t know the CRS points your community receives, enter “yes,” or contact your 

ISO/CRS Specialist and ask for the most recent verification file. A list of ISO/CRS 

Specialists is available on the CRS Resources website. 

3.3. Identify what could be done. 

The last column in the table indicates whether it is feasible for your community to start a 

new activity or to get CRS credit (or more credit) for something you are already doing.

This is a judgment call. For example, a project may not be feasible if it is too expensive 

or if the governing body has made it very clear that certain actions are not viable. 

The results should help identify where your community could be doing more or could be 

getting more CRS credit for what it is doing. 

3.4. Summarize the findings. 

This is a narrative that compares what your community is doing with what it could do. It 

could include recommendations, but that is not required. 

The three example floodplain species assessments devote a paragraph or two for each of 

the relevant activities and elements. 

Step 4. Identify relevant agencies and organizations. 

Objective: Become familiar with entities that are working to protect threatened and 

endangered species and/or that can provide assistance for community actions. 

4.1. Identify the federal and state offices.

Prepare a list of agencies and organizations that includes the name, office location, and 

website or contact information. The list must include FWS and/or NMFS if the Service 

has listed any of the species identified in step 1.4. The Federal Emergency Management 

NOTE: You do not have to 

use the table and the table 

does not have to show the 

“Page” and “Manual” 

columns. But you do have to 

check each of the 19 

activities and elements. All 

three example floodplain 

species assessments

available on the CRS

Resources website use the 

table. The multi-jurisdictional 

example has two tables, one 

for each county.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 10 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Agency (FEMA) Regional Office and your state’s agency responsible for the 

management of fish and wildlife also need to be included. 

Contact information:

• The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service—On the FWS website, start with your state 

Ecological Services office. There may be other offices related to one or more of the 

listed species, such as a fisheries resource office. 

• The National Marine Fisheries Service--The regional offices are listed on the NMFS

website. Each of the regions’ pages lists its field offices and contact information. 

• Ask the FEMA Regional CRS Coordinator (listed on the CRS Resources website) 

for the best contact in the Region’s environmental and historic preservation office or 

floodplain management office. 

• Contact information for your state’s agency responsible for the management of fish 

and wildlife can be found at the bottom of each state’s page in the FWS link, above. 

4.2. Identify relevant local offices and organizations. 

Other agencies and organizations with expertise in the identified species should also be 

listed. These include any agency or organization identified by community staff, the 

above offices, or local experts as having knowledge and/or programs related to the 

species identified in the floodplain species assessment. Here are some examples:

• The county conservation district, park district, or other local body that is concerned 

about natural areas and habitat.

• Locally active conservation and land trust organizations, such as Friends of the 

_____ River. 

• Some national associations have directories or lists of their local chapters or 

members. Examples are the Land Trust Alliance, the Audubon Society, and The 

Nature Conservancy. 

• Some state and national organizations can be found on the internet by entering the 

species name in the search engine. For example, searching for “manatee” found a 

Save the Manatee Club and Defenders of Wildlife, both of whom have a mission to 

help manatee recovery.

Step 5. Circulate the draft floodplain species assessment. 

Objective: Receive comments from the subject-matter experts.

5.1. Technical advice. The draft Level 1 floodplain species assessment must 

be sent to

• The FWS and/or NMFS field office(s), 

• The FEMA Regional Office, and 

• The state fish and wildlife agency.

The other organizations identified in step 4.2 should also get the draft. 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 11 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

On the next page is example language for a cover letter requesting comments. It is 

recommended that you provide at least 30 days for the response. On the page after that is 

the handout referenced in the first paragraph of the letter. 

It is possible that a local private organization does not have scientific expertise on the 

species. If a local private organization’s recommendations differ from those from one of 

the government agencies, review them with that agency to ensure they are credible. 

5.2. CRS review. 

At any time during the preparation process, the draft or partial draft FSA MAY be sent to 

your ISO/CRS Specialist for a courtesy review. This review will not comment on 

technical aspects, such as what actions are best for different species. It will comment on 

the draft document and advise whether it would be credited under element FSA. 

Step 6. Prepare the final floodplain species assessment.

Objective: Finish the assessment by incorporating the comments from the subject-matter 

experts.

6.1. Revise the draft floodplain species assessment 

Revise the draft floodplain species assessment to reflect the experts’ comments. The 

three example floodplain species assessments summarize the comments to document 

why some species were selected for further attention. These summaries also transition 

the floodplain species assessment into the floodplain species plan. 

6.2. Submit the final floodplain species assessment to your governing body. 

After the draft is revised to reflect the comments, it MUST be submitted to your community’s 

governing body for information purposes. The governing body does not have to take any 

action. 

The final document needs to be sent to all the subject-matter experts who provided comments 

on the draft. They do not have to provide comments back. The document also could be 

provided to other groups, such as neighborhood associations in areas with critical habitat. 

This may result in more support for local action and/or for a floodplain species plan. 

6.3. Document your work.

The request to the subject-matter experts and the submittal to the governing body need to be

documented for CRS credit, e.g., with a copy of the cover letter or e-mail. In the example 

floodplain species assessments, the requests to the reviewers are described in the text. 

The final document can be submitted to your ISO/CRS Specialist for credit at any time. It 

is recommended that you not wait for the next verification visit, because the review may 

identify changes needed for full credit. As noted earlier, courtesy reviews of drafts can be 

requested at any time and are recommended before the floodplain species assessment is 

submitted to your governing body and others. 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 12 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Example Cover Letter to Subject-matter Experts

[date]

[Address]

To whom it may concern:

The City of ______________ has prepared the attached draft Floodplain Species Assessment. 

This document is designed to help us become familiar with the threatened and endangered 

species in our community and what can be done to help their recovery. It is based on guidance 

provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System, 

prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries 

Service. More information on the CRS and Floodplain Species Assessments can be found in 

the attached handout.

We would appreciate it if you would review this draft, provide edits, and give us your thoughts. 

Specifically:

‒ Is the list of species, their range, and their critical habitat in Table 1 on page __ 

appropriate? For example, are there any species that we should not spend time on?

‒ Are there any species or recovery actions that our community should pursue? What 

actions could we, as a local government, implement that would be most productive for the 

conservation or recovery of one or more of the species in Table 1? 

‒ Can you provide relevant information on the preferred habitats, life histories, threats to 

these species, and recovery actions in our area? If so, which species does your agency 

or organization have expertise in?

‒ Would you be able to assist us in implementing any priority projects?

We hope you can help us identify and implement appropriate activities that promote the 

recovery of threatened and endangered species in our community. 

Please send your comments to _________________________ by _______ [date]

Thanking you in advance.

/signed/

Attachments:

‒ “Floodplain Species Assessments”

‒ Draft Floodplain Species Assessment 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 13 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Handout on

Floodplain Species Assessments and the Community Rating System

The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary program that recognizes activities 

implemented by communities to save lives, prevent and reduce property damage due to floods, 

and protect natural floodplain functions. It is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a part of the National Flood Insurance Program. The CRS provides discounted 

flood insurance premium rates for policy holders in participating communities. More on the CRS 

can be found on the FEMA website.

The CRS is encouraging local efforts at conservation and recovery of threatened and 

endangered species and critical habitats. This is done by providing credit points under the CRS 

when a community completes a two-stage process.

The first stage is an assessment of the community’s situation by preparing a floodplain species 

assessment . A floodplain species assessment helps guide communities through a process to 

identify the listed and proposed species and critical habitat present in the community as well as 

to determine which CRS credits may recognize and encourage conservation and recovery 

actions for those species. The assessment involves a review of online information from federal 

sources to identify listed and proposed species, map the species’ range and/or critical habitat, 

and review CRS activities appropriate for conservation and recovery of threatened and 

endangered species in general.

A floodplain species assessment is expected to treat all listed and proposed species equally. It is 

not designed to identify special situations, area priorities, or the latest programs implemented by 

non-governmental organizations. 

Once the floodplain species assessment is drafted by the community, it is sent to experts 

involved in conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered species. These include the 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, their state counterparts, and 

private organizations concerned with certain species (e.g., the National Audubon Society) or 

protection of species in general (e.g., The Nature Conservancy).

These agencies and organizations are asked to help select those species most likely to benefit 

from community actions and to provide advice and/or references on recovery of those species. 

They also are asked to identify actions the community could undertake, based on their 

knowledge of conservation and recovery priorities for the listed species in the local area. 

The second stage is a floodplain species plan. This builds on the floodplain species 

assessment to develop a plan of action focused on those species identified as most likely to 

benefit from community actions. The end result is an action plan that identifies actions for the 

community to take to help the selected species. 

The draft floodplain species plan is provided to the same agencies and organizations for 

comment. After the floodplain species plan is revised to incorporate the comments, it is 

submitted to the community’s governing body for adoption.

The effectiveness of the floodplain species assessment and floodplain species plan depends on 

the technical input and advice of the reviewing agencies and organizations.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 14 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Steps to Prepare a Floodplain Species Plan 

Completing a floodplain species assessment credited under element FSA is a prerequisite for 

receiving credit for a floodplain species plan under element FSP. Therefore, this section 

continues the step numbering of the previous section. 

The floodplain species plan is the action plan that identifies what can be done to protect and 

conserve the species selected for attention. It reviews and summarizes information on the 

selected species, identifies recovery actions, and provides a plan of action to implement 

appropriate recovery measures. 

Step 7. Research the selected species. 

Objective: Collect the key information related to the threats and recovery of the species 

selected for attention.

7.1. Confirm your selected species.

If not done in step 6.1, there needs to be a clear description of why the floodplain species 

plan is only addressing some of the listed species with range in your community. The 

Monroe County and the Gloucester County/James City County plans have sections 

entitled “Selected Species.” The Jefferson Parish team concluded that all ten listed 

species should be addressed, but they organized them into four more manageable groups 

of similar species. 

7.2. Research the selected species. 

At this step, you’ll need to review the recovery plans and other references recommended 

by the floodplain species assessment reviewers. There are recovery plans for most listed 

species. Some may be from 20 to 30 years old, but there may be updates or 5-year 

species status reviews or species status assessments (SSAs) with more recent and

pertinent information.

Recovery plans and other relevant documents for FWS-listed species can be found on its 

ECOS website. Enter the 

species’ name in the search 

tool in the upper right corner 

of the screen. The resulting 

website provides general 

information, range maps, 

and a section titled

“Recovery.” 

You can select the plan(s) 

most relevant for your area. 

As mentioned above, drafts 

and documents such as 5-

year status reviews, SSAs,
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 15 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

and species listing documents can be used, too. All documents are dated and, in general, 

the most recent documents should be utilized. 

For NMFS species, go to the 

Resources Publications page of 

the NMFS website. Enter the 

species name in the “Species” 

search box in the menu on the 

left. This will give you a series 

of references that you can scroll 

through. You can further refine 

your results to only recovery 

plans by selecting the 

“Document Type” pull down 

menu and check the box for 

“Recovery Plan.”

Most recovery plans are organized in roughly the same manner. Usually, the table of 

contents will direct you to the information you need, such as the sections on the threats 

to the species or recovery actions. Other online websites and references can help with the 

research, too.

7.3. Draft species summaries.

Prepare a summary of the key information from the recovery plan(s) and/or other 

references for each of the selected species. The summary should describe

• The species, with a photo where possible; 

• The species’ life history, including any stages that are dependent upon natural 

floodplain functions; 

• The species’ preferred habitat; 

• Major threats; and

• Recovery actions appropriate for a local government. 

There are many types of recovery actions in a recovery plan. Some recovery plans may 

have 30 to 40 actions, some of them calling for more scientific research, monitoring the 

population, and even treaties with other countries. When determining whether a recovery 

action is “appropriate for a local government,” actions that are credited by the CRS can 

be assumed to be appropriate. However, a community should not limit its actions to 

CRS-credited activities if other actions are beneficial and doable. 

Generally, one paragraph on each of the above can convey the needed information. The 

three example floodplain species plans cover all five topics on an average of one page 

per species. The exception is Monroe’s summary of the Chinook salmon, which is three 

pages because there is so much locally pertinent information and because recovery of the 

salmon has been recognized as being so important to the region. 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 16 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

7.4. Identify appropriate recovery measures. 

After the review of the recovery actions for each species, it helps to review the general 

recovery measures that are common for several or all of the selected species. For 

example, both the Monroe and Gloucester County/James City County plans have 

sections on “Summary of Recovery Measures.” Jefferson Parish’s plan identified four 

strategies that are relevant to all the species. 

Step 8. Determine the action items for the community. 

Objective: Design a plan of action to implement appropriate recovery measures. 

Now that you know what should be done, you can review your community’s programs and 

identify which office can support which recovery action(s). Your CRS program or the 

activities and elements in the Coordinator’s Manual can be used as a checklist. The result is a 

series of action items. 

Action items can be anything that supports conservation and recovery of the selected species 

including, but not limited to, public information projects, acquisition or restoration of habitat 

areas, land use regulations, stormwater management programs, and habitat-friendly 

procedures for the maintenance of drainage ways and shorelines. 

Each action item needs to include the following information:

• The species and the threat(s) the action addresses; 

• The office responsible for taking the action; 

• A timetable for the action; 

• The funds needed and the source of the funds, if other than staff time; 

• Other agencies/programs to coordinate with or that will provide support; and

• The CRS activity and element that can be credited (although the plan could and should 

include action items that are not credited by the CRS if they further the conservation and 

recovery of the species).

Step 9. Prepare and review the floodplain species plan. 

Objective: Assemble the document and revise it after receiving comments from the subjectmatter experts. 

9.1. Complete the draft document. 

The floodplain species plan document should include

• The revised floodplain species assessment, 

• The rationale for selecting certain species for attention, 

• Summaries of the selected species (step 7.3), 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 17 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

• A review of the recovery actions from the recovery plans or other relevant 

documents (step 7.4), and 

• The action items and the related information determined in step 8. 

Summarizing different aspects, especially the action items, in a table can help readers 

see the overall design of the floodplain species plan. 

9.2. Circulate for comments. 

Step 9.2. follows the same sub-steps as steps 5 and 6 for the floodplain species 

assessment. The draft floodplain species plan should be circulated to the same agencies 

and organizations with a request for comments. It must be sent to the field, regional, or 

other appropriate office of the Services, the FEMA Regional Office, and the state fish 

and wildlife agency. The research may have identified new agencies and organizations 

that also should be asked for input.

Once comments have been received, the document is revised and prepared for submittal 

to the governing body (step 10). 

At this time, or concurrent with the technical reviews, you may want to send your draft 

to your ISO/CRS Specialist for a courtesy review. 

9.3. Revise and finalize. 

The comments from the subject-matter expert reviewers should be incorporated, as 

appropriate, in the floodplain species plan. 

Step 10. Submit the floodplain species plan for adoption. 

Objective: The floodplain species plan becomes an official plan of your community.

Once the document is ready to go, it needs to be adopted by your governing body in order to 

qualify for CRS credit in element FSP. The adoption action can be by a simple motion or 

consent agenda. A separate resolution is not needed, but the action needs to be documented

for your ISO/CRS Specialist. 

As with step 6.3, you should document the rest of your work, including the requests for 

comments from the subject-matter experts. 

The adopted plan needs to be sent to all the subject-matter experts who provided comments on 

the draft plan. They do not have to provide comments back.

Step 11. Implement and evaluate the floodplain species plan. 

Objective: Carry out the action items, measure their success, and revise as needed. 

Implementation should proceed by the offices and according to the timetable specified in the 

action plan. 

The credit criteria in Section 512.a of the Coordinator’s Manual state, “The community must 

also prepare and submit an annual evaluation report that meets the credit criteria of a 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 18 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

floodplain management plan in Section 512.a, Step 10.” The relevant portions of Step 10 in 

Section 512.a are included in this guide, beginning on the next page.

An evaluation of progress and a report of this evaluation is required every year. The report 

needs to include the status of each action item and, if it is behind schedule, the reason(s) why. 

Corrections and changes should be made as a result of the evaluation, at the community’s 

discretion. For example, an outreach project could be revised by the staff, but some actions, 

such as amending the plan document, may need to be approved by the governing body.

The evaluation report needs to be submitted with the community’s annual CRS recertification 

package. It needs to be made available to the media and the public. It should also be submitted 

to the governing body that adopted the floodplain species plan, but no official action needs to 

be taken on it. How the report is distributed needs to be described in the recertification 

documentation. 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 19 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Excerpts from the CRS Coordinator’s Manual 

This section combines the relevant parts of the 2017 CRS Coordinator’s Manual with the relevant 

language that is added by the 2021 Addendum. [NOTES that look like this are clarifications 

inserted for readers of this guide.]

Relevant Excerpts from 

Section 512.c., Natural floodplain functions Plan (NFP)

512.c. Natural floodplain functions plan (NFP) 

The maximum credit for this element is 100 points. 

NFP credit is provided for adopting plans that protect one or more natural functions within the 

community’s floodplain. Examples include

. . .

• A floodplain species assessment that identifies the threatened and endangered species with 

range or critical habitat within the community and reviews actions to support conservation 

or recovery of those species.

NOTE: Element NFOS2, (section 2 of the natural floodplain functions open space credit under 

Activity 420 (Open Space Preservation)), provides bonus credit for open space parcels that are 

designated in a plan to protect natural functions. A plan that receives NFP credit qualifies parcels 

for this extra open space credit.

Credit Criteria for NFP 

(1) For all plans: 

(a) The plan may cover more than one community, but it must identify the natural floodplain 

functions present within the community and have an impact on those functions within the 

community seeking credit. 

(b) The plan must be adopted. If the plan is not a community plan adopted by the community’s 

governing body, it must be adopted by the appropriate regional agency. 

(c) The plan must be updated at least once every 10 years. The update must include a review of 

any changes to conditions as well as progress made since the original plan was prepared. 

Any changes to the adopted plan must be approved by the original adopting agency. 

(d) The plan must include an inventory of the species and/or habitat present within the 

floodplain and action items for protecting one or more identified species of interest and 

natural floodplain functions. The action items must describe who is responsible for 

implementing the action, how it will be funded, and when it will be done.

General policy statements with no means of implementation are not considered action items. 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 20 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

(e) There is no credit for a plan that addresses water quality issues prepared pursuant to a 

requirement for an NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit. Plans 

to improve drainage, stormwater storage, or channel bank erosion may be credited under 

Activity 450 (Stormwater Management) or Activity 540 (Drainage System Maintenance). 

Plans that are produced as a requirement for a development permit are not credited. 

(2) For NFP1: A plan for NFP1 credit must include a comprehensive inventory of the natural 

floodplain habitat within the community. It must identify areas that warrant protection or 

preservation in order to maintain fully functioning habitat for the species of interest. Where 

threatened or endangered species are present, each species must be addressed and a restoration 

plan must be included. 

(3) For NFP2: This sub-element credits other plans that meet the credit criteria listed in (1), but 

that do not address the entire SFHA or all of the species present. These could be single-issue 

or single-species plans or plans that cover only one area of the community’s floodplain

(4) For FSA: This sub-element credits a floodplain species assessment that identifies all threatened 

and endangered species that have been listed or proposed for listing by the U.S. Fish & 

Wildlife Service or by the National Marine Fisheries Service and that have range or critical 

habitat anywhere within the community, relates their locations to the floodplain, and reviews 

current and feasible conservation and recovery actions that could receive CRS credit. The draft 

document must be circulated to federal, state, and private organizations that have expertise in 

protecting threatened and endangered species. A floodplain species assessment must meet 

credit criteria (1)(a), (c), and (e). 

(5) For FSP: This sub-element credits taking another step after a floodplain species assessment: a 

plan that revises the floodplain species assessment and adds action items based on the 

comments and input from the reviewers to make a plan of action. Credit for element FSA is a 

prerequisite for FSP credit. 

A plan for FSP credit must meet all of credit criterion (1) with the following exception: a plan 

for FSP credit (criterion (1)(d)) is not required to include an inventory of all threatened and 

endangered species but may focus instead on selected species, based on the comments and 

recommendations of the reviewers of the FSA-credited assessment. The community must also 

prepare and submit an annual evaluation report that meets the credit criteria of a floodplain 

management plan in Section 512.a, Step 10. 

[NOTE: Excerpts from Section 512., Step 10 a begin on page 22 of this guide.]

Additional guidance for preparing assessments for FSA and FSP credit is listed in 

Section 514.e. 

Credit Points for NFP 

NFP = the total of the following, up to the maximum of 100 points 

NFP1 = 100 points, for a plan, or combination of plans, that meets credit 

criteria (1) and (2) and covers the entire SFHA within a community 

NFP2 = 15 x the number of plans that meet credit criterion (1), up to four 

plans (60 points maximum) 
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 21 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

FSA = 15 points for preparing and circulating a floodplain species 

assessment 

FSP = 85 points for preparing and adopting a floodplain species plan 

Impact Adjustment for NFP

There is no impact adjustment for this element. The NFP1 plan must cover the entire community 

or all of the community’s SFHAs. Each NFP2 plan receives 15 points regardless of the extent of 

the area covered. 

The assessment for FSA credit must start with an inventory of all threatened and endangered 

species that have range or critical habitat anywhere in the community. For the action plan that 

qualifies for FSP credit, however, that list may be trimmed down to focus on selected species or 

areas. Thus, no impact adjustment is needed for either of these sub-elements. 

Documentation for NFP Provided by the Community 

(1) At each verification visit, 

(a) A copy of each plan, assessment, or update that the community wants credited.

(b) A copy of the resolution or other formal adoption action for each plan credited under NFP or 

FSP. 

(2) With the annual recertification, 

(a) A copy of the FSP annual evaluation report (Section 512.c, credit criterion (5)). The 

recertification submittal must also document how the evaluation report and update were 

made available to the media and the public, if this information is not included in the 

evaluation report.
Developing a Floodplain Species Assessment and a – 22 – 2020

Floodplain Species Plan for CRS Credit

Relevant Excerpts from 

Section 512.a. Step 10. Implement, evaluate, and revise

To be useful, planning must be ongoing and plans must be dynamic. The plan should not sit on a 

shelf gathering dust once it is completed. Therefore, the community must have an evaluation and 

update process. 

For CRS credit, plans must be implemented. No plan is perfect. As implementation proceeds, 

flaws will be discovered and changes will be needed. Not only can hazard conditions change but 

also goals and objectives may change. If a community is hit by a tornado, for example, the shortterm action items may be changed to focus attention on the newly damaged areas in the SFHA. 

Changes should be made in the action plan when opportunities arise to add new activities or 

complete some items ahead of schedule. The plan should also be revised if it is found that some 

activities cannot be completed on the original timetable. At a minimum, these types of changes 

must be made at the required 5-year update. 

[NOTE: NFP1 and FSP require 10-year updates.]

The key to this step is the annual evaluation report on progress in implementing the plan. Not only 

are annual evaluations required with the community’s annual recertification, but also the process 

of conducting an annual evaluation gives the community a framework for monitoring the plan’s 

effectiveness and the community’s progress in implementing it. Failure to submit the evaluation 

report with the community’s annual recertification will result in loss of the planning credit. . . .

[NOTE: Credit Criteria section not included here.]

The credit for this step is . . . based on how the community monitors and evaluates its plan. . . .

• An annual evaluation report on progress towards plan implementation must be prepared at 

least once each year and submitted with the community’s annual CRS recertification. The 

report must be submitted to the governing body, released to the media, and made available 

to the public. 

• If a community receives credit as a result of participation in a multi-jurisdictional plan that 

includes action items for each community, the annual evaluation report must cover those 

action items. This can be done either by a multi-jurisdictional planning committee or 

through separate submittals by each community. . . .