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<br />" <br /> <br />perspective is moving towards nonstructural flood mitigation measures as much as possible. A nonstructural <br />policy has been applied to Boulder Creek since 1974, and the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP) <br />emphasizes this approach. Recent citizen response has also endorsed a more non structural approach to maintain <br />the environmental, open space, recreational and aesthetic benefits that are derived. <br /> <br />Local floodplain management policies should also be adjusted to ensure that we reach and serve all citizens <br />affected by the flood hazard in a timely and cost-effective manner. Current floodplain management activities <br />primarily involve funding structural CIP projects to acquire right-of-way for and construct major draingeways in <br />an effort to control flooding. Because of the significant costs involved in these major construction endeavors, <br />progress in completing such efforts citywide extend more than 50 years into the future. Goose Creek <br />construction alone has required more than 15 years and over $20 million to extend from Boulder Creek to 28th <br />Street, but significant flood risks still remain in the residential and hospital areas to the west. <br /> <br />Focusing primarily on structural improvements also means that many affected properties and citizens may not <br />benefit from current floodplain management activities for many years while remaining exposed to the flood <br />hazard. An increased balance in floodplain management policies and program activities may provide <br />opportunities to better prepare for imminent flood hazards and help citizens protect themselves from flooding, <br />thereby immediately reducing potential damages and safety hazards through nonstructural flood protection <br />measures. In addition, it appears that the cost effectiveness of these increasingly more expensive construction <br />projects may not be reasonably justified. A recent master plan proposal for South Boulder Creek detailed <br />extensive structural improvements estimated at more than $140 million. This expense would have served to <br />protect about 1,400 existing structures revealing an averaged cost factor for flood mitigation of $1 00,000 per <br />structure. Much more benefit may be derived in more creative, multiple and cost-effective approaches. <br /> <br />B. National Trends <br />National trends in floodplain management policies include such programs and philosophies as: <br /> <br />1) "Wise Use of the Nation's Floodplains," which means to achieve both reduced flood losses and protection <br />of the natural resources and functions of floodplains. This approach was developed under a program created <br />by Congress called the Unified National Programfor Floodplain Management under the National Flood <br />Insurance Act of 1968. The program is coordinated by the Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task <br />Force, which defines floodplain management as a decision-making process to achieve the wise use of <br />floodplains. Wise use strategies include: (a) modifying human susceptibility to flood damage, (b) modifying <br />the impact of flooding, (c) modifying flooding itself, and (d) preserving and restoring natural resources. <br /> <br />2) "No Adverse Impact," which means to manage floodplain activities at the local community level to move <br />towards a future that includes sustainable floodplain lands and disaster-resilient communities. This approach <br />was developed by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) under a report seeking <br />fundamental shifts in national floodplain policy entitled, National Flood Programs in Review - 2000. The <br />No Adverse Impact approach seeks to ensure that the actions of one property owner not increase the flood <br />risk of other property owners. It would require those who alter flood conditions to mitigate the impact of <br />their actions on other properties and adjacent communities. No Adverse Impact is essentially a "do no harm" <br />policy intended to significantly decrease the creation of new flood damages. Local communities are <br />encouraged to seek their own solutions to best manage local flooding through the following goals: (a) <br />fostering responsibility and capability at individual, local, and state levels, (b) refining policies, programs, <br />and coordination, (c) assembling and improving necessary data and tools, (d) enhancing education, training, <br />and public awareness, and ( e) assessing and evaluating floodplain management programs. <br /> <br />6 <br />