81 FR 56558 - Guidance for Implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 162 (August 22, 2016)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting comments on the proposed guidance for implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS).

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 162 (Monday, August 22, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56558-56559]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19809]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

44 CFR Part 9

[Docket ID FEMA-2015-0006]


Guidance for Implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management 
Standard

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting 
comments on the proposed guidance for implementing the Federal Flood 
Risk Management Standard (FFRMS).

DATES: Comments must be received by October 21, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be identified by Docket ID: FEMA-2015-0006 and 
may be submitted by one of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of the Chief Counsel, 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Room 8NE-1604, 500 C Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20472-3100.
    The proposed guidance may be found at http://www.regulations.gov, 
using Docket ID FEMA-2015-0006. Members of the public without internet 
access may request a copy of the policy from using the information in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin Fontenot, Director, Office of 
Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation, Federal Insurance and 
Mitigation Administration, DHS/FEMA, 400 C Street SW., Suite 313,

[[Page 56559]]

Washington, DC 20472-3020, 202-646-2741.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FEMA is separately publishing in this issue 
of the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking that proposes 
revisions to 44 CFR part 9, Floodplain Management and Protection of 
Wetlands. As proposed, the notice of proposed rulemaking would revise 
44 CFR part 9 to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard 
(FFRMS). FEMA is proposing to issue a policy supplementary to the 
proposed changes to 44 CFR part 9, to provide further guidance on how 
FEMA intends to implement the FFRMS.
    If finalized as proposed, the policy would provide specific 
guidelines to implement the FFRMS for FEMA Federally Funded Projects, 
which are actions involving the use of FEMA funds for new construction, 
substantial improvement, or to address substantial damage to a 
structure or facility. The policy would select the use of the FFRMS-
Freeboard Value Approach to establish the elevation and FFRMS 
floodplain for FEMA Federally Funded Projects that are non-critical 
actions. For FEMA Federally Funded Projects that are critical actions, 
the policy would select the use of the FFRMS-Freeboard Value Approach 
to establish the minimum FFRMS elevation and floodplain for critical 
actions. The policy would allow optional use of the FFRMS-Climate-
Informed Science Approach to establish the elevation and FFRMS 
floodplain for critical actions, but only if the elevation established 
under the FFRMS-Climate-Informed Science Approach is higher than the 
elevation established under the FFRMS-Freeboard Value Approach. The 
policy would also encourage early coordination when multiple Federal 
agencies are jointly engaged in an action to ensure a consistent 
approach to determine which floodplain determination is applied.

    Authority: Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management, as 
amended and implementing regulations at 44 CFR part 9.

    Dated: August 15, 2016.
W. Craig Fugate,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2016-19809 Filed 8-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-66-P