THE INSIDER
The Association of State Floodplain Managers
2809 Fish Hatchery Rd., Madison, WI 53713 www.floods.org
608-274-0123 Fax: 608-274-0696
Executive Director’s Report
Larry Larson, P.E., CFM
ASFPM committees are the lifeblood of the Association. They develop the Association’s position on flood policy for consideration and adoption by the ASFPM Board of Directors. They draft white papers on a variety of policy and program issues. All of these positions are used in ASFPM presentations, positions, and when we are asked to testify or provide comments on national policy or programs.
Committee Co-Chairs all volunteer their time and expertise for this important activity. The last weekend in October, every one of our 12 policy committees was represented at a weekend retreat in Rhode Island. ASFPM Vice-Chair Al Goodman worked with the committee chairs and leadership to convene the meeting. From my perspective, it was one of the more productive discussions of national flood policy we have had in ASFPM in recent years. Since we were in the home town of ASFPM Chair Pam Pogue, she graciously hosted a dinner for 25 one night at her house for those of us attending the meeting.
The focus of the meeting was to help committees integrate the priority objectives they are working on with similar objectives from other committees. While committees always try to do that, the opportunity to meet face-to-face and collaborate on these policy issues was invaluable. This provided the committees with energy and focus for their activities for the time leading up to the annual conference. We will be sharing those objectives and activities with the membership in upcoming issues of The Insider.
The ASFPM document that contains our position on the myriad of national flood policies and programs is being updated over the next 6 months. At the retreat, time tables and procedures for the committees to obtain input from committee members were established. All ASFPM members can expect to be asked for your input to help update and establish these positions.
We urge you to participate to the extent you are able. We also urge you to attend the committee meetings at the annual conference---which are always on the Monday of the conference. This coming year that is June 4 in Norfolk, VA.
Again, I want to express my thanks to all the committee Co-Chairs who participated in the retreat. Your willingness to volunteer your time and expertise to ASFPM policy development is truly appreciated. ASFPM has enjoyed success in our efforts to improve how the nation addresses natural hazards and flood risks, losses, and consequences. Without the volunteer efforts of our committee chairs, that success would surely be less.
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NATIONAL FPM AWARDS DEADLINE MARCH 1, 2007
Nominations are now being accepted for the national Awards for Excellence in Floodplain Management, which are conferred each year during the ASFPM annual conference. This is your opportunity to highlight your outstanding local or state program or person! The submittal instructions are summarized below. You will find the submittal form at www.floods.org/Awards/Nomination.asp, along with a description of each award category.
Two of the ASFPM Annual National Awards are handled by the Board of Directors - the Goddard White National Excellence Award and the Louthain Service to Members. Please contact your Regional Director on the ASFPM Board to suggest a recommendation for these. ANY member in good standing may submit a nomination for the following categories:
* Tom Lee STATE Award for Excellence in Floodplain Management
* James Lee Witt LOCAL Award for Excellence in Floodplain Management
* Larry R. Johnston Local Floodplain Manager of the Year
* John R. Sheaffer Floodproofing Award
* Media Award
* Meritorious Achievement in Floodplain Management Award
ASFPM ANNUAL AWARDS APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1) Complete the form on the website. Provide ONE copy of any supporting materials such as handbooks, videotapes, letters of support, etc. Electronic and online information references are welcome and preferred! Send form and info to:
ASFPM Awards Committee
2809 Fish Hatchery Road, Suite 204
Madison, WI 53713
2) The nomination deadline for Awards is March 1, 2007.
3) Awards are conferred at the national conference during the annual Awards luncheon, which will be held Thursday June 7, in Norfolk, Virginia. Winners will be notified in mid April to allow time to make travel arrangements.
4) Direct your questions to Diane Brown in the ASFPM Office, 608-274-0123 or .
We thank you for your help in showcasing what works as we celebrate those who make floodplain management a reality around the nation. And we again offer congratulations to all those who received national floodplain management awards in 2006 www.floods.org/Awards/Recipients.asp.
ASFPM Next Annual Conference is June 3-8, 2007 in Norfolk, VA
ASFPM's annual national conference this year will be held at the Waterside Convention Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Our 2007 theme, "Charting the Course: New Perspectives in Floodplain Management", will examine the challenges along the way to making communities more sustainable and managing our nation's fragile floodplain and coastal resources. We will also spend significant time on the outcomes and lessons learned from past disasters and hear about future directions in national policy that will lead to better protection from future catastrophic disasters.
We will post the brochure and registration forms by the end of January, so be watching for that. You will be able to view the draft Concurrent Sessions and Workshops on the conference web page at that time as well by going to www.floods.org and clicking on the 2007 conference logo. This conference page also contains HOTEL options, Sponsorship forms, Exhibitors information and links to exciting things to see and do in the area.
This international, week-long event will showcase the state-of-the-art in techniques, programs, resources, materials, equipment, accessories and services to accomplish flood mitigation and other community goals. You'll hear and see genuine success stories that demonstrate flood loss reduction and land and water management practice improvements. Government, business, non-profit and academic sectors will share how they successfully integrate engineering, planning, open space and environmental protection all over the nation and the world to prepare for a better, sustainable future. Service providers use this ideal opportunity to network with those responsible for flood hazard management decision-making.
TO DO LIST for the ASFPM Conference June 3-8, 2007
___ Make your HOTEL room reservation now at one of the selected hotels near the convention center. They are filling up quickly so be sure to book soon.
___ Send your abstract to by November 10 and participate as a presenter.
___ Pledge your Corporate sponsorship now to ensure you don't miss out!
___ Mark April 15 on your calendar -- it's the deadline for the early registration discount.
___ Start thinking about what you can donate to the SILENT AUCTION fundraiser for the ASFPM Foundation. Some of last year's donations included weekend getaways, framed nature print, custom-built golf club, weather radio, collector's items, Hawaiian Kona Coffee, numerous artworks, many various state-themed hospitality baskets, Great Lakes Fishing Trip, wine, and lots of restaurant gift certificates. Our goal is to get something unique and fun from every state!
___ Direct questions/concerns to ASFPM staff at 608-274-0123 or .
___ Make your plans to experience the historical waterfront of Virginia next June!
The 2007 Conference Team -- Program Coordinator Michael Powell, Local Hosts John Paine and the Virginia Chapter, Exhibits Coordinator Dan Accurti, and the ASFPM Staff - Diane Brown, Anita Larson, Chad Ross, Debbie Pond, Becky Head, Alan Lulloff, Bruce Baird, George Riedel, and Larry Larson.
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Coastal No Adverse Impact Handbook
Final Draft Now Available
No Adverse Impact (NAI) floodplain management is a managing principle developed by ASFPM to address the shortcoming of the typical local floodplain management program. Rather than depending upon minimum requirements of federal programs, NAI provides tools for communities to provide a higher level of protection for their citizens and to prevent increased flooding now and in the future. In 2003, ASFPM published “NO ADVERSE IMPACT – A Toolkit for Common Sense Floodplain Management”.
NOAA’s Coastal Services Center recently provided support for ASFPM to develop a coastal version of this “toolkit”. The final draft of “Implementing No Adverse Impact (NAI) in the Coastal Zone - A Handbook for Communities” is now available on the ASFPM web site:
www.floods.org/NoAdverseImpact/coastal.asp
Like the NAI Toolkit, the Coastal NAI Handbook is organized under seven “building blocks” (hazard identification & mapping, planning, regulations & development standards, mitigation, infrastructure, emergency services, and education & outreach). The handbook provides information on BASIC, BETTER, and NAI levels of effort associated with each of these tools.
In this Coastal NAI Handbook, we have attempted to clearly distinguish between BETTER and NAI approaches. BETTER goes beyond BASIC national minimum standards. The NAI level for each tool focuses on how to avoid adverse consequences associated with implementing the approaches listed under BETTER.
Thanks to Pam Pogue, Rod Emmer, J. Philip Keillor, and Jacki Monday for assistance in developing much of the content. Thanks much to those that submitted comments on earlier drafts – they were greatly appreciated. Special thanks to Margaret Davidson, director of NOAA’s Coastal Services Center, for providing the support for this project. We also would like to thank Keelin Kuipers and Doug Harper with NOAA for providing project oversight and coordinating NOAA’s excellent, timely, and detailed comments and assistance.
We have conducted two pilot workshops on Coastal NAI – one in Albuquerque and one in Maryland (September 27th, 2006). These workshops were extremely valuable as we revised the document.
Over the next several months, we will post periodic updates to the document on our website as we include additional comments received, photographs, graphics, and case studies. We are also available to conduct a few more pilot training sessions using the handbook for those of you who could sponsor a full-day course. These training sessions will provide a continuing opportunity to improve the handbook. Our goal is to have a document available for publication and to begin an aggressive round of Coastal NAI workshops early in 2007.
Comments received by November 25, 2006, will be included in the next version of the document. We are, in particular, interested in state model ordinances or community zoning ordinances that specifically address coastal hazards using NAI principles.
Please send any comments to Alan Lulloff, ASFPM Project Manager, at .
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ASFPM Releases Hurricane Katrina Exploration Tool
The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), in partnership with the University of Wisconsin - State Cartographer’s Office (SCO), is pleased to announce the release of its online mapping tool for exploration of geospatial data related to Hurricane Katrina. The initial focus of this internet mapping application is to provide map-based information to help floodplain managers and communities explore data released about Katrina and to provide an aid in the decision making process for floodplain related issues.
The web mapping application serves as an example of how open source technology can be used as an effective outreach and education tool. Much information has been generated regarding the extent of the storm surge and flood heights that were generated by Hurricane Katrina. However, data often are not effectively combined to meet decision making needs. For example, web sites may portray the extent of inundation from Hurricane Katrina but not indicate the locations of the levees and the levee breaches that occurred. This application attempts to provide a single source for this type of information in an easy to use, exploratory interface.
Among the highlights of the application include the combination of many types of data, such as: FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) boundaries, Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) boundaries, the extent of coastal inundation, the location of levees and the breaches that occurred, and aerial photography from before and after the storm. The application allows users to explore the data manually as well as by focusing on a city or address of interest. It also features a user interface for adding custom data to the map, such as local photography.
Comments on the site would be appreciated. Please send comments to .
LINK: Exploring the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
About the University of Wisconsin State Cartographers Office
The State Cartographers Office (SCO) is a clearinghouse for mapping information in Wisconsin. The SCO has developed internet mapping sites for this clearinghouse using freely available software (MapServer) and open standards. For more information about the SCO visit www.sco.wisc.edu.
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Committee Name Changes
Following the Committee Chairs meeting in October there were a couple of minor changes made to the committees, and we would like to take this opportunity to bring those changes to your attention.
· The Multi-Objective Management Committee will now be known as the Natural and Beneficial Functions Committee.
· Public Education issues are now part of the Training and Outreach Committee.
We hope these changes will better suit our members’ concerns and activities.
All of the Committee reports and goals are posted on our website, so be sure to check them out!
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National Flood Policy and Programs
ASFPM updating position publication
ASFPM has a publication putting forth our position on many of the national policy and programs that factor into current and future flood losses, risks, costs, and consequences in the nation. The current version is on our web site at: www.floods.org/PDF/2000-fpr.pdf
This document can be used by any member or reader of our web site to determine the ASFPM position on a myriad of national policies and programs. It is the basis of our presentations and testimony. If you have not read it, we urge you to do so.
ASFPM is in the process of updating that publication, with a schedule to have a completed version adopted by the Board of Directors so the updated version will be available at our annual conference in Norfolk next June. Events of the past 6 years, in addition to legislative and program changes, need to be
incorporated into the update.
All members will be provided an opportunity to comment on the updated draft version in early 2007. ASFPM Policy Committees will also be seeking comments from their committee members. In the meantime, anyone who wishes to provide suggestions for updates should review the current document
and send comments to the ASFPM office.