HomeMy WebLinkAbout110324 email - FEMA floodplain ordinanceALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Hi - Was unaware of the new floodplain ordinance deliberations until reading about it in the PDN this morning.
It sounds like it doesn't matter at this point but I have concerns about its affect on agriculture.
Impacts depend on FEMA definitions so I have attached some from the FEMA Terminology Index https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/terminology-index
Years ago when working on permits for a bridge to replace a "wet crossing" (ford) where livestock walked through a stream I was told by county staff it wasn't allowed as it was a "structure"
due to the FEMA flooplain regulations at the time. When I queried FEMA I was told a bridge wasn't considered a "structure" for flood insurance regulations as a structure by their definition
had "foundation, walls and a roof".
Anyway it would be good to get determinations on what agricultural facilities are prohibited in floodplains and floodplain buffers> Are "high tunnel greenhouses" considered "structures"
if they are not "affixed to a permanent site" fir instance.? They are often staked down and their anchoring is not permanent. Also will"alteration of a watercourse" for habitat improvements
affect salmon recovery projects?
Al Latham
255 Kennedy Rd. Port Hadlock
360-821-1323
Agricultural Structure <https://www.fema.gov/about/glossary/agricultural-structure>
A structure used solely for agricultural purposes in which the use is exclusively in connection with the production, harvesting, storage, drying, or raising of agricultural commodities,
including the raising of livestock. Communities must require that new construction or substantial improvements of agricultural structures be elevated or floodproofed to or above the
Base Flood Elevation (BFE) as any other nonresidential building.
Alteration of a Watercourse <https://www.fema.gov/about/glossary/alteration-watercourse>
Alterations are often made to the channels of rivers, stream, or drainageways, usually to improve drainage, relocate the channel, or to increase its flood carrying capacity. There are
two requirements for maintaining the flood carrying capacity of an altered watercourse. The altered or relocated watercourse must have the same or greater capacity as the original watercourse.
Additionally, once the alteration is made, the capacity of the altered or relocated watercourse must be maintained over time.
Building <https://www.fema.gov/about/glossary/building>
A structure with 2 or more outside rigid walls and a fully secured roof, that is affixed to a permanent site; or
Structure
a. A walled and roofed building, other than a gas or liquid storage tank, principally above ground and affixed to a permanent site as well as a manufactured home on a permanent foundation.
b. For floodplain management purposes, a structure is a walled and roofed building, including a gas or liquid storage tank, that is principally above ground, as well as a manufactured
home. The terms "structure" and "building" are interchangeable in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Residential and non-residential structures are treated differently. A
residential building built in a floodplain must be elevated above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Non-residential buildings may be elevated or floodproofed.
Walled and Roofed <https://www.fema.gov/about/glossary/walled-and-roofed>
A building that has two or more exterior rigid walls and a fully secured roof and that is affixed to a permanent site.