WASHINGTON

Go Seahawks, Sounders, Mariners, Storm, …

“Best Practices for Supporting Locals”

PETER TASSONI, WA-SHMO

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COMMUNICATION - WEMD

HOW DO YOU REACH OUT TO LOCALS ABOUT HAZARDS, RISKS, AND RISK REDUCTION?

WSEMA, PIEPC, IACC, NORFMA (ASFPM), EERI, WSSPC WA Mitigation Matters Newsletter, Annual Blog, WEMD

website RiskMAP – 13 counties with Coastal Studies plus 4+ counties

with Riverine Studies (Lewis, Cowlitz, Thurston, Spokane, Yakima, Kittitas – DFIRM & PMR)

WHAT CAN FEMA DO TO ASSIST COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU AND LOCALS?

Not about communication but about funding (PDM) How to get credit for HMP within GMA Comprehensive Land

Use Plans SR530 Slide will drive legislative change to GMA / Plans this

session

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COMMUNICATION - Ecology HOW DO YOU REACH OUT TO LOCALS ABOUT

HAZARDS, RISKS, AND RISK REDUCTION? NFIP Regulatory Technical Assistance NFIP Regulatory CAVs

WHAT CAN FEMA DO TO ASSIST COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU AND LOCALS?

Meetings with local staff and public Increase grant funding for buyouts and building

elevations

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PLANNING - WEMD

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT/HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING EFFORTS OF LOCALS?

Passive w/newsletter, periodic distribution of FEMA documents, blog

Active if TA requested, state review of plan/components, presentations

Complimentary to RiskMAP / DFIRM processes

WHAT SUPPORT CAN FEMA PROVIDE TO THE STATE TO SUPPORT RISK REDUCTION PLANNING EFFORTS?

Hx: 386 publication series updates, G393 course updates, crosswalk, best practices, etc. updates (the material is there but who has the time to weed through it and read it besides students & FTE practitioners

CFR HMP regulatory review vs. intent of DMA2000 ~ How to get credit for HMP within GMA Comprehensive Land Use Plans; “Integration”

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PLANNING - Ecology HOW DO YOU SUPPORT/HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN

THE PLANNING EFFORTS OF LOCALS? Involvement in local planning efforts such as

watershed planning, design charrettes and SWIFs.

WHAT SUPPORT CAN FEMA PROVIDE TO THE STATE TO SUPPORT RISK REDUCTION PLANNING EFFORTS?

Engineering Review Assistance

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REGULATIONS - WEMD

HOW DO YOU ENFORCE REGULATIONS MEANT TO REDUCE RISK?

WEMD – only HMGP project eligibility; not a regulatory body

Commerce – GMA compliance; Ecology – NFIP compliance; DNR

DO LOCALS UNDERSTAND THE REGULATIONS? DO THEY CHALLENGE THEM?

HMP – yes/not really; trying to meet regulations with minimal effort

GMA, NFIP, CAO, CZMA, ESA, etc. yes/yes

WHAT SUPPORT CAN FEMA PROVIDE TO ASSIST YOUR REGULATORY PROCESSES?

WEMD – except for HMGP project eligibility, has no regulatory duty

NCU-CH repository of best practices, FEMA local HMP in GMA document, Optional Hazard Mitigation Element for GMA compliance @ Commerce

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REGULATIONS - Ecology HOW DO YOU ENFORCE REGULATIONS MEANT TO REDUCE

RISK? Specific project comments and CAVs.

DO LOCALS UNDERSTAND THE REGULATIONS? DO THEY CHALLENGE THEM?

Most locals understand the regulations. Only a handful of personalities challenge them. Local concerns can discourage local regulators from assertive implementation of the NFIP standards.

WHAT SUPPORT CAN FEMA PROVIDE TO ASSIST YOUR REGULATORY PRO

CESSES? Concise written polity direction

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Coastal Hazard Resilience Network• Washington Sea Grant/Ecology collaboration to

unify state efforts as they related to coastal hazards• Engaging with Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties

during two-year grant and through RiskMAP process• WA EMD, DNR, WWU, Commerce as partners

• Goal to engage with local communities in a more unified way

• Collaboration website: www.wacoastalnetwork.com

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COMMENTS - Ecology

By promoting the “Floodplains by Design” approach we’re encouraging communities to take a watershed scale or at least reach scale look at their flood hazards and incorporate any remedies with other ecological functions and processes.

In addition to promoting the concept and approach of Floodplains by Design we (Ecology) are pursuing continued funding for large-scale, multiple benefit projects that coordinate with other investments at the federal, state and local level.

Having a funding source and being able to define the criteria by which the funds are allocated helps Ecology promote progressive public policy on floodplain management.

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COMMENTS - WEMD

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Hazard Mitigation Program Satisfaction – Survey Results

2011Value Percent

Very Satisfied 33%

Satisfied 38%

Neutral 23%

Dissatisfied 1%

Very Dissatisfied

1%

Not Applicable 5%

2013Value Percent

Very Satisfied 17%

Satisfied 37%

Neutral 29%

Dissatisfied 4%

Very Dissatisfied

0%

Not Applicable 14%

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Survey Results - Conclusions

2011 (90 participants) Invested in website

update, webinar deliveries, and training courses (BCA, NFIP) with no noticeable change in knowledge base

Did we miss people or was the training unsuccessful?

The outreach appeared to work with good webinar & course attendance

Conference participants not conference presenters

2013 (45 participants) Investing in newsletters,

continued training course deliveries (BCA, etc.)

Trend towards a depository of information vs. actively delivering information?

Constituents have fewer EM years but more hazard mitigation knowledge?

HMP no longer novel? Lower satisfaction rate