The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has long provided insurance to communities in floodplain areas because private insurance companies have long shunned the potential risks in their portfolio. The government-backed National Flood Insurance Program was recently extended again, and it provides lower cost insurance options to waterfront home owners in certain river, lake, and even Puget Sound areas.

FEMA has recently been given feedback that their provision of lower cost insurance options to potentially flood prone areas has caused negative environmental impacts in those sensitive riparian areas where building would otherwise not occur if insurance rates were higher and market-driven. Recent focus has been on protected species such as salmon and orca whales, and the interconnected web of shoreline management with their lifecycles and range of habitat.

In response, FEMA is working on more restrictive building rules for around 122 western Washington communities. This will only directly affect new construction and those interested to get insurance through the program (which can sometimes be required for financing).

So, as with many things, this can be good or bad depending upon what kind of waterfront property you own. If you own or are looking to buy land to develop, this will be a new consideration. If you already own or are looking to purchase an existing waterfront home, it only makes your property more valuable since future supply of competing waterfront homes is more restricted, and waterfront is a fixed commodity. Your neighborhood will also more likely have continued salmon friendly natural habitat.

The Seminar Group is organizing a day long seminar for those interested in the implications of FEMA’s floodplain re-mapping (that I wrote about back in December). It will be rather technical and oriented to professionals, but for anyone who wants to learn more about the re-mapping and how it may affect insurance, development, or local regulations, you may be interested to attend.

Here are the details from their seminar announcement:

“Impacts of FEMA’s Floodplain Re-Mapping: Regulatory Changes & Implications for Local Jurisdictions & Property Owners”
October 14, 2010
Grand Hyatt Seattle

SUMMARY
Floodplain Mapping: Standards/Methodology; Levee Accreditation; Process/Appeals
Biological Opinion: What Does it Require and What Does it Mean for Local Jurisdictions and Property Owners?
Impacts to Local Governments: How are Local Governments Responding to the Mapping and BiOp?
Recertification of Levees
Relationships with Other Local Programs
State Involvements

AGENDA
9:00 Introduction and Overview
Steve Bleifuhs, Program Co-Chair
Section Mng., DNRP/WLRD, River & Floodplain Management Section
King County, WA

Robert Brenner, Program Co-Chair
Environmental Program Manager
Port of Tacoma

Molly Lawrence, Program Co-Chair
GordonDerr LLP

9:10 Floodplain Mapping
• Standards/Methodology; What is Risk MAP and Next Steps
Ryan Ike, Branch Chief
Federal Emergency Management Agency

• Levee Accreditation
Steve Bleifuhs
Section Mng., DNRP/WLRD, River & Floodplain Management Section
King County, WA

• Process/ Appeals
Kevin Rogerson, City Attorney
City of Mount Vernon, WA

10:45 Break

11:00 Biological Opinion: What Does it Require and What Does it Mean for Local Jurisdictions and Property Owners?
• Discussion of Science Behind BiOp
DeeAnn Kirkpatrick, Invited
Fisheries Biologist, Washington State Habitat Office
National Marine Fisheries Service

• FEMA’s Plan for Implementing the Biological Opinion
Mark Eberlein
Regional Environmental Officer
Federal Emergency Management Agency

• Background and Substance of Biological Opinion
Molly Lawrence
GordonDerr LLP

12:00 Lunch (on your own)

1:15 Impacts to Local Governments: How are Local Governments Responding to the Remapping and BiOp?
Molly Lawrence, Moderator
GordonDerr LLP

Patrick B. Anderson, City Attorney
City of Snoqualmie, WA

Robert Brenner
Environmental Program Manager
Port of Tacoma

Timothy LaPorte, Dir., Public Works
City of Kent, WA

Scott Thomas, City Attorney
City of Burlington, WA

2:45 Break

3:00 Recertification of Levees
Steps Required to Recertify a Levee once it has Lost Certification
Harold P. Smelt, PE, Surface Water Mgr.
Pierce County Public Works and Utilities

3:45 Relationships with Other Local Programs
• Relationships with SMA
• Relationships with GMA
• Other Local Programs
Alexander W. “Sandy” Mackie
Perkins Coie LLP

4:15 State Involvement
• Washington State Department of Ecology’s Role Regarding Floodplain Management/Development
• Potential State Action to Address Impacts of Remapping and BiOp
Daniel Sokol
NFIP State Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology

5:00 Questions and Answers
Members of the Faculty

5:15 Adjourn