FLOOD00015

• County: Statewide
• Title: A Unified National Program for Floodplain Management
• Date: 3/1/1986
• Prepared For: US
• Prepared By: FEMA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Historic FEMA Regulatory Floodplain Information

FOREWORD

During the past two decades, recognition of unacceptably
high losses of lives, property and natural values in the
Nation's floodplains has led all levels of government to
provide new and more effective floodplain management
tools through legislative and administrative program ini-
tiatives. Risk assessment programs generally are completing
initial hazard identification activities and are moving
toward an information maintenance phase. Loss reduction
programs are proceding more slowly because many of the
new tools require a period of assimilation by all affected
parties before their full potential can be realized.
Also, these tools generally have not been articulated
within an overall coordinated loss reduction effort.
Thus, the current status of floodplain management indicates
a need for the improvement and more effective application
of existing tools and little need for new legislation.

This report recognizes the goals of floodplain management
to be wise use, conservation and development of the
interrelated lands and waters of the Nation's floodplains
subject to the constraint of reducing loss exposure to an
acceptable level. It offers a conceptual framework to
guide local, State, and Federal decisionmakers toward a
balanced consideration of alternative goals, loss reduc-
tion strategies and tools. It provides recommendations
for each level of government to improve and coordinate
floodplain management. It should lead to better decisions
affecting the use of our Nation's floodplains, reduced
losses of life, property and natural values, and a reduced
burden upon governments to compensate for losses caused
by unwise decisions of individual citizens as well as
governments.

This report asserts that a unified national program only
can be achieved through a partnership among all levels of
government wherein each carries out its responsibilities
under the Federal and State constitutions. The re-
commendations in this report are directed at each level
of government with the intent of moving the Nation toward
a more effective Unified Program. I urge all who make
decisions affecting floodplains to pursue implementation
of these recommendations in the spirit of partnership as
we continue to progress toward achieving a unified approach
to floodplain management.

~~~~~dministrator

Federal Insurance Administration

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