FEMA Suspends Flood Map Revision Requests in 38 California Counties
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it will suspend the processing of two types of flood map revision requests in 38 California counties, including Yuba, Sutter, and Colusa counties. The suspension will affect requests for Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F) and Conditional Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill (CLOMR-F) starting on July 1.
The Reason Behind the Pause
FEMA said that the suspension is necessary until they formally consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. FEMA will evaluate the potential adverse impacts of issuing LOMR-Fs and CLOMR-Fs on identified threatened and endangered species and their habitats in California, particularly anadromous fish such as salmon and similar fish that spend their adult lives in the ocean and spawn in freshwater.
What the Suspension Means
The suspension will not affect the sale of flood insurance or most flood map changes. However, the processing suspension will affect LOMR-F and CLOMR-F applications received after June 30. FEMA will continue to process new LOMR-F and CLOMR-F applications received on or before June 30, and requests to reopen closed LOMR-F and CLOMR-Fs due to inactivity must also be received before June 30.
Impact on Sutter County
Officials from Sutter County, which has the highest percentage of land affected by federal floodplain designations that restrict the type of development that can be done in the county, said these suspensions will not have an impact. The county adopted an updated flood map on September 14, 2021, developed by the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency. The map lowered the base flood elevation by 2-6 feet and has not received any LOMR requests associated with a project nor has the county requested a LOMR.
Other Affected Counties
Other counties affected by the FEMA suspensions include Alameda, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, Placer, Sacramento, Shasta, Stanislaus, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Yolo. FEMA also continues the existing suspension, effective August 2020, in six counties: Los Angeles, Orange, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
Conclusion
FEMA’s suspension of processing LOMR-F and CLOMR-F requests in 38 California counties is necessary to evaluate potential adverse impacts of issuing flood map revisions on threatened and endangered species and their habitats. The suspension will not affect the sale of flood insurance or most flood map changes, but it will affect LOMR-F and CLOMR-F applications received after June 30.
- Flood maps
- FEMA
- Yuba County
- Sutter County
- Colusa County
News Source : Appeal-Democrat
Source Link :FEMA suspends flood map reviews for Yuba, Sutter, Colusa counties | News/