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<br />STATE AND LOCAL CAP ABILITY <br /> <br />Traditional flood protection programs have resulted in heavy reliance on federal planning and <br />implementation with little or no consideration given to building local and state capability, (An <br />exception is the National Flood Insurance Program,) This arrangement was fairly effective when <br />federal funds were abundant, the construction of flood control works was widespread, and our view <br />of damage prevention was narrower. But future federal budgets will no longer support this approach <br />on a wide scale. Further, local involvement and impetus is essential for a truly sustainable approach. <br />Flood protection in the future will be a state and local initiative, and federal policy must shift and <br />recognize the need to support and build that capability. The federal-state-Iocal relationship must be <br />modified to reflect current and future policy needs and budget realities, <br /> <br />The role of the state government is to provide, as necessary, policy development, technical assistance <br />to communities, coordination, and prioritization and integration of floodplain management issues <br />within that state. <br /> <br />· In order to provide adequate assistance in building strong local programs, and to meet these other <br />goals, states should develop, fund, and implement adequate technical and financial assistance <br />efforts. These should include but not be limited to ongoing coordination of National Flood <br />Insurance Program activities within each state, States thus should come to view the Community <br />Assistance Program only as an auxiliary funding source; and the Community Assistance Program <br />itself should encourage less oversight and more long-range planning and mitigation initiatives. <br /> <br />. States should expect to help their communities incorporate floodplain management into other <br />community processes. <br /> <br />· States should combine resources for disaster response by joining existing regional emergency <br />compacts. <br /> <br />· Qualified states should perform and administer floodplain mapping programs for the Federal <br />Emergency Management Agency, administer the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Flood <br />Mitigation Assistance Program, and conduct environmental reviews for mitigation projects, <br /> <br />· States and communities should be encouraged to develop the capability to do their own <br />engineering studies and reviews, such as reviewing Letter of Map Revision submissions. <br />Incentives are needed for states to develop strong dam safety initiatives and integrate them with <br />their flood hazard programs, <br /> <br />· Encouragement and support should be given by federal agencies and states to professional <br />certification programs for floodplain managers, adjusters, agents, and others. <br /> <br />Local governments must become the focus of hazard mitigation efforts, Using comprehensive local <br />plans that consider the entire watershed and address multiple community issues and concerns is the <br />best way to promote appropriate use of floodprone lands. <br /> <br />· Local govemments need to better integrate floodplain management regulations into their overall <br />land use and development plans, <br /> <br />Association of State Floodplain Managers <br /> <br />-30- <br /> <br />National FLood Programs in Review 2000 <br />