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Preface Over the past quarter century the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) has participated in the development of a national flood policy that has broadened the programs and tools available to floodplain managers for reducing the traumatic impact of floods in the United States, In addition, the ASFPM has helped develop an increased awareness that the nation's floodplains are critical environmental and cultural resources that need not be the forgotten storm drains that they have become in some places, Some of the ASFPM's contributions have included the promotion and development of non-structural and floodproofmg alternatives, pioneering flood hazard mitigation approaches and strategies, support of a community rating system for flood insurance, long-standing promotion and support of multi- objective planning for floodplains, and advocating the modification of federal policies that inhibit floodplain management or encourage unwise decisions by individuals and government Although it is important to review our accomplishments and those of the nation as a whole, we do so only with the recognition that flood losses have continued to escalate, and that recently won gains in floodplain management may be tenuous, and require further "shoring up" to become standard practice. Based on this need, National Flood Programs in Review-2000 was prepared by the floodplain management practitioners represented by the ASFPM. Its purpose is to identifY those national policies and programs that could be improved to better serve the nation. Based on the status of floodplain management today, we see five priority actions that must be taken if the nation is to effectively meet the challenge of minimizing its flood losses while maximizing its yield of the environmental and cultural resources that floodplains can provide. These actions will be points of focus for the ASFPM over the next several years: I, Foster responsibility and capability at the individual, local, and state levels. 2, Refme policies, programs, and coordination to build on existing strengths and remedy deficiencies, 3, Assemble and Improve the data and tools that are vital to wise floodplain management 4, Enhance education, training, and public awareness. 5, Assess and evaluate programs so that the appropriate lessons can be learned from them, Details about these actions are given in the following summary, Association of State Floodplain Managers National Flood Programs in Review 2000