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FEMA to Evaluate Potential Modifications to National Flood Insurance Program - Solicits Public Comment
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced in the May 16 Federal Register that it intends to prepare what it calls a "Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement" on modifications it is proposing to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FEMA is considering NFIP modifications that could incorporate, FEMA indicates, "environmental and historic preservation considerations including but not limited to climate change, and the impacts of the program on endangered and threatened species and critical habitat." According to the FEMA announcement concerning proposed modifications, some of the changes being considered include:
- Increased elevation standards for new construction;
- Changes in floodplain management standards for critical facilities;
- Strengthened restrictions on floodway development;
- Considerations of the impacts of floodplain development on the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains to include endangered and threatened species.
Read more details and find instructions for submitting public comments on the proposed changes here.
For more information, contact Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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IDEA to Host "Cooler, Cleaner Cities" Conference
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The International District Energy Association (IDEA) will host its 103rd Annual Conference, "Cooler, Cleaner Cities," from June 29-July 2, 2012 in Chicago. On June 30, IDEA will host a Community Energy Development Workshop from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The workshop will bring experts with real world experience together to explore energy planning issues and help communities implement sustainable district energy solutions into new urban centers, smart growth and brownfield developments. Participants will be provided with a copy of IDEA's new Community Energy Development Guide at no additional charge and can stay to participate in the first day of the IDEA conference at a discounted rate.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Funds Available
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State Forestry agencies and Tribal communities within the Great Lakes Watershed (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) are invited to submit proposals for the US Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry (NA S&PF) Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Available funds totaling slightly more than $3 million are provided through an Interagency Agreement between NA S&PF and the Environmental Protection Agency to award competitive grants targeting the most significant water quality problems in the following program areas:
- Restore Urban and Community Forests ($185,000)
- Mitigate Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Impacts ($1,238,000)
- Reduce Toxic Substances in Brownfield Sites ($1,465,000)
- Develop Ecosystem Services Markets ($185,000)
More specific information and the Request for Proposals is available here. All proposals should be returned electronically by 5:00 P.M. (EST) on June 26, 2012 to: GLRI@fs.fed.us.
For more information, contact Leah Konrady, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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