Document ID: FEMA-2015-0006-0001
Agency: fema
Document Type: Notice
Title: Guidelines for Implementing Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management, as Revised
Posted Date: 2015-02-05T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6530-6531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02284]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2015-0006]

Guidelines for Implementing Executive Order 11988, Floodplain 
Management, as Revised

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice seeks comment on the proposed ``Revised Guidelines 
for Implementing Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management.'' The 
President has directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 
on behalf of the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group, to publish for 
public comment draft amended Floodplain Management Guidelines to 
provide guidance to agencies on the implementation of Executive Order 
11988, as amended, consistent with a new Federal Flood Risk Management 
Standard, which was developed by the Mitigation Framework Leadership 
Group in consultation with the Federal Interagency Floodplain 
Management Task Force. FEMA is publishing this notice on behalf of the 
Mitigation Framework Leadership Group, which is chaired by FEMA, to 
solicit and consider public input.

DATES: Comments must be received by April 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be identified by docket ID FEMA-2015-0006 and 
may be submitted by one of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of 
Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 8NE, 500 C Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20472-3100.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bradley Garner, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, 1800 South Bell

[[Page 6531]]

Street, Arlington, VA, 22202, 202-646-3901, FEMA-FFRMS@fema.dhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Participation

    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket ID. Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or 
material, all submissions will be posted, without change, to the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will 
include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting 
this information makes it public. You may wish to read the Privacy Act 
notice, which can be viewed by clicking on the ``Privacy Notice'' link 
in the footer of www.regulations.gov.
    You may submit your comments and material by the methods specified 
in the ADDRESSES section above. Please submit your comments and any 
supporting material by only one means to avoid the receipt and review 
of duplicate submissions.
    Docket: This notice is available in docket ID FEMA-2015-0006. For 
access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, 
go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov and 
search for the docket ID. Submitted comments may also be inspected at 
FEMA, Office of Chief Counsel, 8NE, 500 C Street SW., Washington, DC 
20472.

II. Background

    This notice seeks comment on the proposed ``Revised Guidelines for 
Implementing Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management'' 
(Guidelines). The Guidelines were first issued by the Water Resources 
Council in 1978, following the issuance of Executive Order 11988. The 
proposed Guidelines concern Executive Order 11988, which was recently 
amended by a new Executive Order, ``Establishing a Federal Flood Risk 
Management Standard and a Process for Further Soliciting and 
Considering Stakeholder Input.'' The Federal Flood Risk Management 
Standard (Standard) was developed by the Mitigation Framework 
Leadership Group in consultation with the Federal Interagency 
Floodplain Management Task Force, at the direction of the President. 
The Standard provides three approaches for defining the floodplain:
     Applying methods informed by best-available, actionable 
climate science,
     Adding two or three additional feet of elevation, 
depending on the criticality of the building or structure, above the 
100-year, or 1%-annual-chance, flood elevation, or
     Using the 500-year, or 0.2%-annual-chance, flood 
elevation.
    The Standard is consistent with the President's Climate Action Plan 
(June 2013). The President directed Federal agencies to take the 
appropriate actions to reduce risks to Federal investments, 
specifically calling on Federal agencies to update their flood risk 
reduction standards. The Standard also expands to a more national scope 
the work initially begun by the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force 
to build back smarter in the Sandy-affected region. This expansion was 
a key recommendation from the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy 
(August 2013) and the Recommendations of the State, Local and Tribal 
Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience (November 
2014).
    In addition to this notice seeking comment, the Mitigation 
Framework Leadership Group is conducting a series of public meetings, 
which will serve as ``Listening Sessions'' to solicit feedback. A 
virtual listening session will also be held. A separate Federal 
Register Notice will be forthcoming detailing meeting dates and 
locations.
    Executive Order 11988, as amended, the proposed ``Revised 
Guidelines for Implementing Executive Order 11988, Floodplain 
Management,'' and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard are 
included in the docket for this Notice on www.regulations.gov, under 
docket ID FEMA-2015-0006.

    Authority: Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management, as 
amended; Executive Order, ``Establishing a Federal Flood Risk 
Management Standard and a Process for Further Soliciting and 
Considering Stakeholder Input.''

    Dated: January 30, 2015.
Roy Wright,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Mitigation, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2015-02284 Filed 2-4-15; 8:45 am]
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