Suppose there are two beaches that exist in neighboring towns. One beach has been restored solely with local funds. It does not qualify for Federal assistance because it lacks sufficient public beach access. The other beach is an authorized Federal project with public beach access and has been nourished using Federal and non-Federal funds. A tropical storm strikes the area of the State in which both beaches are located.
Significant damage is done to both beaches by the storm.
The region is declared a Federal disaster area, eligible for assistance under the Stafford Act. Only the beach that is NOT a Federally-authorized project. FEMA takes the position that, in most cases, the Army Corps of Engineers has responsibility to restore Federally-authorized beach projects. There is logic to coordinating the disaster relief functions of Federal agencies. Unfortunately, FEMA's policy does not accomplish that objective for beach restoration.