ASFPM Riverine Erosion Hazard 2016 White Paper

Over the past 15 months, Mike Kline and Rebecca Pfeiffer from our Vermont Rivers Program have been working on a riverine erosion paper with other practitioners from across the country.  The paper was recently presented to the executive committee of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) as a Discussion Paper.  The Executive Committee thought it was so well done and connected with the paper's recommendations that they decided to adopt it as ASFPM Policy in the form of a White Paper.  You can read more about the paper here, or link directly to it from here:

http://www.floods.org/ace-images/ASFPMRiverineErosionWhitePaperFeb2016.pdf

No Adverse Impact Lunch & Learn Webinar 10/7/2015

Reposting here for those who may be interested in participating.  Boulder, Colorado had been greatly impacted by riverine erosion flooding in 2013 and they face somewhat similar flooding hazards to parts of Vermont.  As a result of the 2013 flooding, the Colorado Legislature passed a bill that creates a riverine erosion hazard mapping program to plan around flood-related erosion hazards.

-VT Floodplain Management  

___________________________________________

Dear Floodplain Officials & NAI Committee Members,

The Georgia Association of Floodplain Managers (GAFM), No Adverse Impact (NAI) Committee, in conjunction with the ASFPM NAI Committee, is pleased to announce our next Webinar:

Topic: The 90 Mile Road To Recovery - Boulder County’s Flood Recovery Journey

Host: Michael Baker International, Inc.

Presenter: Kevin Doyle, P.E., Michael Baker International

Date and Time: Wednesday October 7, 2015 12:00pm-1:00 pm, EDT

Event Password: event1

**ASFPM has approved this webinar for (1) Continuing Education Credit (CEC).  Note that if you are a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM), please indicate that on the registration page title block (i.e., Your Name, CFM)**

Agenda:

1. Introductions and Roll Call (5 min)
2. Webinar - Presentation (40 min)
3. Question and Answer (10 min)
4. Closing - Future Topics/Presenters (5 min)

**Note you must register in advance to participate and to receive CFM credit.**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please click on the link below and follow the instructions to register for the webinar:

1. Go to https://mbakercorp.webex.com/mbakercorp/onstage/g.php?d=660746305&t=a
2. Click "Register"
3. On the registration form, please enter your information in the title block and then click "Submit"

Once registered you will receive a confirmation email with the call-in number and web link to participate in the webinar. Registered participants will also receive a copy of the presentation via email the day of the event.

Thank you and we look forward to your participation. 

Sean Roche, PE, CFM

GAFM NAI Committee Chairman

ASFPM NAI Committee Education & Outreach Liaison

FEMA 4-day Course: Introductory Floodplain Management Class to be Offered in Portsmouth, NH 9/28-10/1/2015

ASFPM is co-sponsoring the FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI) 273 course in Portsmouth, NH with FEMA Region I and the New Hampshire Office of Energy & Planning in September. This course is designed to provide an organized training opportunity for local officials responsible for administering their local floodplain management ordinance. The course will focus on the NFIP and concepts of floodplain management, maps and studies, ordinance administration, and the relationship between floodplain management and flood insurance.

A separate (optional) CFM exam will be held on Friday, October 2nd. Course attendance is NOT required to sit for the CFM exam. Please see details below for more information.

COST: Course attendance is FREE, but registration is required. Attendees are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and meal expenses.   

COURSE REGISTRATION:  

Registration deadline: September 1, 2015. To register for the course, please follow instructions in the course flyer.

QUESTIONS?
Please contact Jennifer Gilbert at 603-271-1762 or jennifer.gilbert@nh.gov

CFM Exam* (optional)
October 2, 2015, 9:00AM - 12:00PM

Portsmouth, NH

Separate registration and fee required to sit for the CFM Exam. Exam applications and fee must be submitted to ASFPM not later than September 23, 2015 in order to sit for the exam on October 2, 2015.
*CFM exam is optional, and a separate registration and fee are required to sit for the CFM exam.  Note: The 273 course is not a CFM Exam prep course; takers should not expect to pass the exam without additional study of materials found at the CFM Exam Preparation Guide.

ASFPM call for Award Nominations, Due 3/31

A recent announcement from the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM).  My understanding is that they are still looking for nominations:


Every year at our national conference, ASFPM bestows awards to deserving floodplain managers/programs/outreach activities.

Do you know of a state or local floodplain manager deserving of one of ASFPM's annual awards?

Every year at our national conference, we bestow awards to deserving floodplain managers/programs/outreach activities. We still need nominations for the Tom Lee State Award for Excellence, James Lee Witt Local Award for Excellence, and the Outreach/Media Award. Clickhttp://www.floods.org/index.asp… to learn about the award descriptions, and here http://www.floods.org/awardsform.asp for nomination instructions. Deadline is March 31.

New Federal Executive Order on Floodplains & a Federal Flood Risk Management Strategy

On January 30th, 2015, the President released a new Federal Executive Order regarding floodplains.  This new Executive Order (EO 13690) does not replace the existing Federal Executive Order 11988 (which dates back to the Carter Administration, effective 1977), but rather supplements 11988 in areas where the federal floodplain standards were lagging behind some of the existing state floodplain review standards.  Existing EO 11988 requires federal agencies to assess floodplain impacts when a federal action is taken within a federally-mapped floodplain.  Typically, federal agencies are tasked with ensuring the federal project is in compliance with minimum NFIP standards.

ASFPM has created a specific webpage for the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) that contains links to the various documents, as well as some background on the development of this new standard.  In addition, the implementation of the new EO and FFRMS has been reported about in the New York Times, as well as the Washington Post.


From the new EO 13690:

As part of a national policy on resilience and risk reduction consistent with my Climate Action Plan, the National Security Council staff coordinated an interagency effort to create a new flood risk reduction standard for federally funded projects. The views of Governors, mayors, and other stakeholders were solicited and considered as efforts were made to establish a new flood risk reduction standard for federally funded projects. The result of these efforts is the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (Standard), a flexible framework to increase resilience against flooding and help preserve the natural values of floodplains. Incorporating this Standard will ensure that agencies expand management from the current base flood level to a higher vertical elevation and corresponding horizontal floodplain to address current and future flood risk and ensure that projects funded with taxpayer dollars last as long as intended.

Key provisions of the new EO 13690 and the FFRMS, taken from FEMA's summary of the draft FFRMS Guidelines

The new federal flood risk standard requires all future federal investments in and affecting floodplains to meet the level of resilience as established by the Standard.  For example, this includes where federal funds are used to build new structures and facilities or to rebuild those that have been damaged.

The Standard specifically requires federal agencies to consider current and future risk when taxpayer dollars are used to build or rebuild floodplains.

In implementing the Standard, federal agencies will be given the flexibility to select one of three approaches for establishing the flood elevation and hazard area they use in siting, design, and construction:

• Utilizing best-available, actionable data and methods that integrate current and future changes in flooding based on science,
• Two or three feet of elevation, depending on the criticality of the building, above the 100-year, or 1%-annual-chance, flood elevation, or
• 500-year, or 0.2%-annual-chance, flood elevation.

It is important to note that neither this new EO 13690 nor the existing EO 11988 change the local administration of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or any state minimum standards.


A 60-day Public Comment period is now open for the Draft Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Implementing Guidelines (FFRMS) which was also released on 1/30/2015.  Individuals are encouraged to submit comments before April 6, 2015.  Here is a link to a FEMA Frequently Asked Questions page of the Draft FFRMS.

FEMA's Introductory Floodplain Management Class to be Offered in Old Lyme, CT March 9-13

ASFPM is co-sponsoring the FEMA Emergency Management Institute(EMI) 273 course in Old Lyme, CT with FEMA Region I, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT-DEEP), and the Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM) in March. This course is designed to provide an organized training opportunity for local officials responsible for administering their local floodplain management ordinance. The course will focus on the NFIP and concepts of floodplain management, maps and studies, ordinance administration, and the relationship between floodplain management and flood insurance.

A separate (optional) CFM exam will be held on Friday, March 13th. Course attendance is NOT required to sit for the CFM exam. Please see details below for more information.

LUNCH / REFRESHMENTS 

Lunch and break food/refreshments are available during the Monday - Thursday course for a small (optional) fee:

$25 / person AM & PM breaks, OR  

$80 / person for breaks & lunches 

COURSE REGISTRATION:  

Registration deadline: February 13, 2015. To register for the course, please follow instructions in the course flyer. 

Please contact Diane Ifkovic with questions about the course at diane.ifkovic@ct.gov or call 860-424-3537. 

273 Course
March 9-12, 2015

8:00AM - 5:00PM

Old Lyme, CT

12 CECs for CFMs

Cost: Course attendance is free, registration is required.

--------------------------------

CFM Exam (optional)
Friday, Mar. 13, 2015
9:00AM -12:00PM
Old Lyme, CT

Course attendance is NOT required to sit for the exam.

COST

Separate registration and fee required to sit for the CFM Exam. Exam applications and fee must be submitted to ASFPM not later than March 4, 2015 in order to sit for the exam on March 13th.

*CFM Exam is optional, separate registration and fee are required to sit for the CFM exam. NOTE: The 273 course is not a CFM Exam prep course; takers should not expect to pass the exam without additional study of materials found on the CFM Exam Preparation Guide.

CFM Exam scheduled for 2/11 in Montpelier, VT

We wanted to announce that a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) exam has been scheduled and confirmed for Wednesday, February 11th from 1pm-4pm located in Montpelier.    

What is the CFM program all about you may ask?  Here is a small excerpt from the ASFPM website about the Program:

The Association of State Floodplain Managers has established a national program for professional certification of floodplain managers. The program recognizes continuing education and professional development that enhance the knowledge and performance of local, state, federal, and private-sector floodplain managers.

The primary goal of the ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager Program (CFM Program) is to help reduce the nation's flood losses and protect and enhance the natural resources and functions of its floodplains by improving the knowledge and abilities of floodplain managers in the United States.  A second goal of the CFM Program is to increase the prominence of floodplain management in decision-making by local officials and the public.

Additional information regarding ASFPM and the CFM program can be found at ASFPM’s website or the CFM Program page: www.floods.org,  CFM page

General Exam Information:

The exam will be held at the central Agency of Natural Resource office located at 1 National Life Drive in Montpelier.  If you are interested, you are now able to register for this exam with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) office.  All registration forms and ASFPM membership applications should be sent to the ASFPM office in Madison, WI. 

If you become a member of ASFPM for $130, the exam registration fee will only be $100 for a total fee of $230.  If you are not a member of ASFPM, then the cost to register for the exam is $450.  
If you are planning to become an ASFPM member and register for the exam at the same time, you should send the ASFPM membership form, the exam registration form and payment for both together for the ease of processing.

Please note that all exam registrations must be received by ASFPM no later than 2 weeks before the exam date.  This means that all registration forms need to be received by the ASFPM office no later than Wednesday, January 28th.  Otherwise, if your registration has not been received by that date, you will not be able to sit for the exam.  The CFM exam registration form and the ASFPM membership form can be found here.

Review Session:

We will also be offering an all-day review session before the exam on Tuesday, February 10th.   The review session will be held in the ANR offices at the National Life Building located in Montpelier. Please contact Rebecca Pfeiffer in advance if you intend to be at the review session so that we can be sure that there will be enough room and so we can determined which date works best for those interested in the review.

If you are interested in taking the exam but would not be ready to do so for this date, please contact Rebecca  so that your name will remain on our list of people to contact when we are planning another CFM exam in 2015. 

Other CFM exams may be offered in neighboring states.  More information about the exam can be found at the ASFPM website.

Please pass along the word to whomever else you think may be interested in sitting for the exam!

ASFPM 2015 - Call for Presenters!

Hello all,

It is October, so that means that presentation and abstract deadlines are on the horizon for the Association of State Floodplain Manager's (ASFPM's) 2015 Annual National Conference in Atlanta, GA!

May 31 - June 5, 2015 

Hyatt Regency Atlanta 

Atlanta, Georgia

www.asfpmconference.org  

Every year, the ASFPM Call for Presenters deadline is on October 31st, so it is time to pull together ideas for both Concurrent Session presentations and Workshop submissions for this end of the month deadline.  The 2015 National Conference theme is Mitigation on My Mind.  The Call for Presenters is seeking a broad range of professionals to address the many issues and problems associated with managing flood risk, making communities more sustainable, and protecting floodplain and natural resources.

Abstract are due by October 31.  Go to the conference website and follow directions for the on-line submission.

In the past, there have been more than double the number of abstracts submitted to number of presentation openings available for concurrent session speakers. To increase your odds of being selected as a speaker for the concurrent sessions, you can review the 2015 Speaker Tips Brochure.

Questions?  Contact ASFPM Conference Planner Chad Ross at chad@floods.org.

Update on the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA)

Last week we had provided news about the US Congress passing the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA) at the end of March.  Since then, FEMA has published an overview of the the bill found on their website and in the FEMA Resource Library.  This overview document can also be found on our Flood Hazard Management webpage.

We have also started to get some information on how HFIAA will impact people in Vermont specifically, as well as the impacts to flood insurance nationally.  Here is a short summary:

• It will take some time to start to implement provisions of the new law:
• In the short term, there may still be individuals that get hit with full actuarial rates due to a new policy on a preFIRM residence (home built before the first Flood Insurance Rate Maps were created).  This new policy could be due to a lapsed flood insurance policy or a new policy being written due to a transfer of the property and/or a requirement by a lender for flood insurance;
• There will also be a lag for people who will be expecting refunds due to the change in their flood insurance premium as a result of the HFIAA.
• If you are a property owner living in Bennington County or in the Town/Village of Richmond here in Vermont:  FEMA will be releasing new preliminary or effective DFIRMs in the coming year.  Richmond's new DFIRMs are scheduled to become effective on 8/2/2014.  Bennington County's new DFIRMs are anticipated to become effective about one year from now (March 2015).  If the new preliminary DFIRMs show your house to be located in the mapped flood hazard area where you had not been shown to be located in the flood hazard area on previous FIRMs, you may be eligible for a grandfathered flood insurance rating.  Anyone who may be eligible for receiving grandfathered flood insurance rates is encouraged to get flood insurance BEFORE the new DFIRMs become effective for your community.  For more information regarding FEMA's grandfathering policy, please see an earlier post that was written for the Washington County map update process.  Please note that the estimated flood insurance premiums discussed may be different due to the effects of either Biggert Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW12) or HFIAA.  

UPDATE **For Properties newly mapped into the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area: your first year would be rated as a Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) rate - i.e. as if you are not located in the flood hazard area.  Policy ratings in subsequent years would be based on the same phase-in method used to eliminate pre-FIRM suubsidies.

• Flood Insurance premiums are going up for everyone.  While the HFIAA is allowing a phase-in of higher rates for primary homeowners, the law is still enabling a push for all policies to eventually reach full actuarial rates.  Property owners should seriously consider mitigating their home or structure(s) to reduce their flood risk and reduce the cost of flood insurance.  Additional information about mitigating your home or structure can be found on the VT Flood Resilience Sharepoint site found under either "Step 5: Insure" or "Step 3: Reduce".  

If you are a local official or someone else that may be helping individuals affected by the changes from the HFIAA, the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) will be offering two upcoming webinars in May and June focused on the changes to Biggert Waters 2012 from HFIAA (see dates below).  From the ASFPM announcement, the first webinar in early April filled up and these two follow up webinars are also expected fill up quickly.  

Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA) of 2014 (AKA Grimm-Waters 2014) meets Biggert-Waters 2012: Impacts and Implications

Learn how the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act modifies and expands on BW-12 implications

1 core CEC for CFMs

$30 for ASFPM Individual Members*

$45 ASFPM Chapters/Agencies/Corporate Partners*

$60 Non-members

*Members must enter the event promo code at registration to receive the preferred rate.  ASFPM members should register through the ASFPM Membership Login page.  

More information about the webinars can found by clicking on the webinar flyer links below:

Friday, May 2nd, 2014; 2:00pm-3:00pm (EDT)

Thursday, June 26th, 2014; 2:00pm-3:00pm (EDT)

Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 - What's Changed from BW12?

Update...
After many of the new provisions of Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW12) started going into effect, we had written about discussions and a US Senate bill that was working its way through Congress to roll back many of the BW12 provisions.  While there were many issues that seemed to need some working out, chief among them affordability provisions for the new rates and increasing funding for mitigation projects, a final bill was sent from the House of Representatives to the Senate and was voted on on 3/13/2014.  The President signed the new Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA) into law on 3/21/ 2014.

The new HFIAA certainly does not repeal all of BW12.  You can see a comprehensive list of all of the changes included in the HFIAA that was compiled by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) - Analysis of HFIAA, but here are some of the more prominent provisions and changes resulting from the passage of the bill:

• Repeals provision that triggered full-risk insurance rates for pre-FIRM properties;
• All policyholders will receive an annual surcharge on their flood insurance bill: $25 for primary residences, $250 for all other properties;
• Changes the annual flood insurance policy rate increase cap from a maximum of 20% to a maximum of 15%;
• Establishes a maximum cap of 18% per year in premiums increases on any individual properties (exceptions are noted in the ASFPM Analysis of HFIAA);
• The Act establishes a new, slower path to full-risk rates for some properties (increasing premiums by at least 5% per year) where grandfathering is not possible;
• Provides for some exceptions and options to escrow flood insurance premiums during a real estate closing;
• Increases the residential deductible limits to $10,000 from $5,000

For more information about the background on the passage of BW12 and HFIAA, there is a good article that was published in Slate Magazine.

Spring CFM Exam scheduled for 4/23 in Montpelier

We wanted to announce that a spring Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) exam has been scheduled and confirmed for Wednesday, April 23rd from 9am-12pm located in Montpelier.    

What is the CFM program all about you may ask?  Here is a small excerpt from the ASFPM website about the Program:

The Association of State Floodplain Managers has established a national program for professional certification of floodplain managers. The program recognizes continuing education and professional development that enhance the knowledge and performance of local, state, federal, and private-sector floodplain managers.

The primary goal of the ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager Program (CFM Program) is to help reduce the nation's flood losses and protect and enhance the natural resources and functions of its floodplains by improving the knowledge and abilities of floodplain managers in the United States.  A second goal of the CFM Program is to increase the prominence of floodplain management in decision-making by local officials and the public.

Additional information regarding ASFPM and the CFM program can be found at ASFPM’s website or the CFM Program page: www.floods.org,  CFM page

General Exam Information:

The exam will be held at the central Agency of Natural Resource office located at 1 National Life Drive in Montpelier.  If you are interested, you are now able to register for this exam with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) office.  All registration forms and ASFPM membership applications should be sent to the ASFPM office in Madison, WI. 

If you are not a member of ASFPM, then the cost to register for the exam is $395.  However, if you join ASFPM as a member for $120, the exam registration fee will only be $100 for a total fee of $220.  If you are planning to become an ASFPM member and register for the exam at the same time, you should send the ASFPM membership form, the exam registration form and payment for both together for the ease of processing.

Please note that all exam registrations must be received by ASFPM no later than 2 weeks before the exam date.  This means that all registration forms need to be received by the ASFPM office no later than Wednesday, April 9th.  Otherwise, if your registration has not been received by 4/9/14, you will not be able to sit for the exam.  The CFM exam registration form and the ASFPM membership form can be found here.

Review Session:

We will also be offering an all-day review session before the exam with the date still to be determined.   The review session will be held in the ANR offices at the National Life Building located in Montpelier. Please contact Rebecca Pfeiffer in advance if you intend to be at the review session so that we can be sure that there will be enough room and so we can determined which date works best for those interested in the review.

If you are interested in taking the exam but would not be ready to do so for the 4/23 date, please contact Rebecca  so that your name will remain on our list of people to contact when we are planning another CFM exam in 2014. 

Please also note that there will be a CFM exam held (somewhat) nearby in Poughkeepsie, NY on March 26.  More information about the exam can be found at the ASFPM website.

Please pass along the word to whomever else you think may be interested in sitting for the exam!

US Senate Passes Bill to Delay Implementation of BW12

2/12/14 Update:  Here is a FEMA FAQ about the impacts of this bill on the implementation of BW12

There have been several articles (Washington Post, NYT) published today that provided details on the US Senate's passage of a bill to delay the implementation of Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, or BW12.  There has been discussion about a possible repeal or delays of the BW12 bill for several months.  However, this discussion seems to have gained more steam as homeowners and other people with structures located within the Special Flood Hazard Area are starting to receive their new flood insurance premiums.  More information from ASFPM about some of the efforts that are being made to consider or include other options in any bill that may be brought to the floor in the US House of Representatives. 

For anyone who is not familiar with the BW12 bill, the insurance reform act had several goals including changes to flood mapping, flood grants and reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for an additional five years.  However, the changes that BW12 is best known for are changes to the flood insurance aspect of the National Flood Insurance Program.  Many of the flood insurance changes were designed to make the flood insurance fund more stable by reducing the fund's current deficit to the US Treasury, as well as beginning to create extra savings to help the fund to be able to withstand large scale disaster declarations like Hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Sandy.  Another aspect of the flood insurance reforms was to phase in actuarial rates for flood insurance policies which resulted in some groups of people losing the subsidy that they may have for their policy or losing any subsidy when a new policy was written.  Past posts by Ned include some information about how BW12 would impact flood insurance policies within the State of Vermont.  FEMA's website also has quite a bit of information that goes into much fuller detail about these flood insurance changes.

Many people have recognized that the original bill had issues in implementation and execution of the stated goals and objectives, specifically that the phase in of higher rates happened at a relatively fast rate, that some home or other building owners may go right from a subsidized rate directly to a full actuarial rate overnight and while many policy holders may not want to pay the higher premiums for many reasons, there was a definite contingent of people who would not have an actual ability to pay for the higher rates. 

Despite the myriad of issues with the implementation of BW12, the reasons for the passage of BW12 still remains - trying to have the National Flood Insurance Program be able to be fiscally solvent and support itself by the premiums that are paid into the program and to keep general taxpayers for funding flood recovery efforts.  A third very compelling reason for BW12 focused on having people in a flood hazard area recognize and pay for the true cost and risk of living in a hazard area, especially as we have been seeing more frequent and intense flood events and sea level rise starting to impact properties that may have been less vulnerable in the past.  The idea was that if a person living or working in a hazard area had to pay the actuarial flood insurance rate for living in this risky zone, then more structure owners would undertake mitigation efforts to help reduce their yearly premiums.

The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) released a Policy Paper in October of 2013 that included 9 recommendations of how BW12 could be altered to improve implementation but cautioned against repeal.  This was in order to help keep moving the NFIP towards fiscal solvency as well as continue to focus on the growing demand for mitigating homes and other infrastructure that is located within the FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Area. Many of the 9 ASFPM recommendations that had been made focused on continuing to promote and encourage meaningful mitigation of flood prone homes in a variety of ways.  This included:

• finding more ways to fund mitigation projects and existing hazard mitigation grant programs;
• exploring ways to better incentivize mitigation efforts through tax incentives or long-term flood insurance policy benefits;
• recognizing partial mitigation efforts by homeowners; and
• making loans more available to home and other building owners who may be looking for ways to mitigate their structure from future floods. 

At this time, it looks like it is uncertain how such a BW12 reform/delay bill will fair in the US House of Representatives, but we will surely hear more of this debate in the near future. 

Upcoming ASFPM Webinar November 14th on Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act

A third webinar was added by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) about the Biggert-Waters 2012 (BW12) National Flood Insurance Program Reform Act.  A third webinar was added due to the previous two being sold out.  The webinar will help to clarify the changes that are occurring to flood insurance rate changes, the elimination of flood insurance subsidies and questions about how the changes might affect communities. 

The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, November 14 from 3-4pm EST. 

There will be 1 Continuing Education Credit for CFMs that participate in the webinar.

Cost:
$30 ASFPM Individual Members (you should have received an email with an event promo code that will give you this preferred rate)
$45 ASFPM Chapters/Agencies/Corporate Partners
$60 Non-Members

A link to more information about this webinar, and a link to the registration website.

CFM Exam on 10/21 in Montpelier, VT

We wanted to announce that a spring Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) exam has been scheduled and confirmed for Monday, October 21st from 9am-12pm located in Montpelier.    

What is the CFM program all about you may ask?  Here is a small excerpt from the ASFPM website about the Program:

The Association of State Floodplain Managers has established a national program for professional certification of floodplain managers. The program recognizes continuing education and professional development that enhance the knowledge and performance of local, state, federal, and private-sector floodplain managers.

The primary goal of the ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager Program (CFM Program) is to help reduce the nation's flood losses and protect and enhance the natural resources and functions of its floodplains by improving the knowledge and abilities of floodplain managers in the United States.  A second goal of the CFM Program is to increase the prominence of floodplain management in decision-making by local officials and the public.

Additional information regarding ASFPM and the CFM program can be found at ASFPM’s website or the CFM Program page: www.floods.org,  CFM page

General Exam Information:

The exam will be held at the central Agency of Natural Resource officelocated at 1 National Life Drive in Montpelier.  If you are interested, you are now able to register for this exam with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) office.  All registration forms and ASFPM membership applications should be sent to the ASFPM office in Madison, WI. 

If you are not a member of ASFPM, then the cost to register for the exam is $375.  However, if you join ASFPM as a member for $110, the exam registration fee will only be $100 for a total fee of $210.  If you are planning to become an ASFPM member and register for the exam at the same time, you should send the ASFPM membership form, the exam registration form and payment for both together for the ease of processing.

Please note that all exam registrations must be received by ASFPM no later than 2 weeks before the exam date.  This means that all registration forms need to be received by the ASFPM office no later than Monday, October 7th, otherwise you will not be able to sit for the exam.  The CFM exam registration form and the ASFPM membership form can be found here.

Review Session:

We will also be offering an all-day review session the week before the exam (10/15-10/18) with the date still to be determined.   The review session will be held from 9am-5pm in the ANR offices at the National Life Building located in Montpelier . Please contact Rebecca Pfeiffer (rebecca.pfeiffer@state.vt.us) in advance if you intend to be at the review session so that we can be sure that there will be enough room and so we can determined which date works best for those interested in the review.

If you are interested in taking the exam but would not be ready to do so for the 10/21 date, please contact Rebecca  so that your name will remain on our list of people to contact when we are planning another CFM exam in 2014. 

Please pass along the word to whomever else you think may be interested in sitting for the exam!

FEMA Flood Hazard Map Updates

Currently in Vermont a flood map update process is underway in Bennington County and the Town of Richmond.   Beyond those areas there is no other work scheduled by FEMA.

At this time roughly half the state does not have access to Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) this includes most of Addison, Grand Isle, Franklin, Lamoille, Orleans, Essex, Caledonia and Orange Counties.  Most of these maps are over 30 years old.

Years since Publication of Flood Maps

FEMA began a modernization process for the flood hazard maps in 2004 with the primary intention of making an official computer version available for users.  It was projected at that time that the process would be complete nationally by 2009.  Since that time pressure for updated studies (not just digitized), and the requirements, for those studies have increased the quality of the new maps at the expense of the quantity.

Since FFY11 the federal budget for map updates has been cut by 60% and priority for the dwindling investment has been directed to mapping flood hazards for coastal communities and communities behind levees.

Federal Budget Allocated to Update Flood Maps

When funding does become available for mapping in Vermont it will be through the process and standards of RiskMAP.   Through RiskMAP new flood hazard maps need to have high quality topography (i.e. the equivalent of two foot contour intervals) and a model-based delineation of flood hazards.  The map work will focus on watersheds (HUC-8).

HUC-8 Watersheds in Vermont

At this time multiple agencies have worked through USGS in Vermont to secure high quality topography from LiDAR for several watersheds that need updated flood hazard maps.  These areas include: the Missisquoi, Upper Connecticut River, and lower Otter Creek Watersheds.  LiDAR is also being acquired for much of the Lake Champlain Shoreline.

In March of this year the Association of State Floodplain Managers released a paper Flood Mapping for the Nation: A Cost Analysis for the Nation’s Flood Map Inventory  detailing funding needs to complete and maintain flood maps nationally.

VT DEC continues to express the acute need for map updates in Vermont.  Hopefully, as national coastal projects are finalized, FEMA can initiate work on inland riverine and lakeside flood maps.  Inadequate funding from Congress will prolong the absence of accessible and current data.  Data that is needed to plan for plan for community flood resilience, mitigate structures, and to correctly identify flood risk for insurance needs.

CFM exam to be held on 4/15/13 in Montpelier, VT

We wanted to announce that a spring Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) exam has been scheduled and confirmed for Monday, April 15^th from 9am-12pm located in Montpelier.   

What is the CFM program all about you may ask?  Here is a small excerpt from the ASFPM website about the Program:

The Association of State Floodplain Managers has established a national program for professional certification of floodplain managers. The program recognizes continuing education and professional development that enhance the knowledge and performance of local, state, federal, and private-sector floodplain managers.

The primary goal of the ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager Program (CFM Program) is to help reduce the nation's flood losses and protect and enhance the natural resources and functions of its floodplains by improving the knowledge and abilities of floodplain managers in the United States.  A second goal of the CFM Program is to increase the prominence of floodplain management in decision-making by local officials and the public.

Additional information regarding ASFPM and the CFM program can be found at ASFPM’s website or the CFM Program page: www.floods.org,  CFM page

General Exam Information:

The exam will be held at the central Agency of Natural Resource office located in the National Life Building in Montpelier.  If you are interested, you are now able to register for this exam with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) office.  All registration forms and ASFPM membership applications should be sent to the ASFPM office in Madison, WI. 

If you are not a member of ASFPM, then the cost to register for the exam is $375.  However, if you join ASFPM as a member for $110, the exam registration fee will only be $100 for a total fee of $210.  If you are planning to become an ASFPM member and register for the exam at the same time, you should send the ASFPM membership form, the exam registration form and payment for both together for the ease of processing.

Please note that all exam registrations must be received by ASFPM no later than 2 weeks before the exam date.  This means that all registration forms need to be received by the ASFPM office no later than Monday, April 1, otherwise you will not be able to sit for the exam.  The CFM exam registration form and the ASFPM membership form can be found here.

Review Session:

We will also be offering an all-day review session for the exam on Thursday, April 11.   The review session will be held from 9am-5pm in the ANR offices located in Montpelier at the National Life Building. Please contact Rebecca Pfeiffer (rebecca.pfeiffer@state.vt.us) in advance if you intend to be at the review session so that we can be sure that there will be enough room.

 

We apologize for the short notification and turnaround time for the exam.  However, if you are interested in taking the exam but would not be ready to do so for the 4/15 date, please contact Rebecca so that your name will remain on our list of people to contact  later in the year for another CFM exam this fall or winter. 

There will also be another opportunity to take the CFM exam at the annual ASFPM conference which will be held in Hartford, CT this June. The exam will be offered on June 10^th & 14^th.  You can contact Rebecca or the ASFPM office for more information about the CFM exams offered at the annual conference. 

Again, please let Rebecca know if you have any questions and pass along the word to whomever else you think may be interested in sitting for the exam.