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Water Planning Committee Meeting Summary July 13, 2020 Webinar–Nicole Aimone and Richard Hansen, FEMA Pre-disaster mitigation planning programs

  1. Call to Order—Chair Jennifer Hoggatt-Missouri DNR called to order at 10:03 a.m.
  • Introductions of Participants on the call:  Jennifer Hoggatt, Chair; Sue Lowry; Brian Atkins; Tom Littlepage; Drew Dehoff; Amy Shallcross; Kirsten Wallace; Kristen Bowman Kavanaugh; Matt Unruh; Shawn Jackson; Wes Cattoor; Julie Westerlund; Jennifer Schellpeper; Rhonda Manning; Pooja Kanwar; Mabel Jones; Mark Matlock; Sam Swartz; Jennifer Mocol-Johnson.
  •  Presentation: Nicole Aimone, Senior Community Planner and Rich Hansen, Senior Specialist, Hazard Mitigation Assistance, FEMA Region VIII. (Full presentation can be found here). Nicole began by describing the preferred disaster mitigation actions are those which will have long term impact on disaster reduction (not things like buying emergency response vehicles).  She described the types of projects that fall into plans and regulations; Natural systems protection, structural and infrastructure, and education awareness.  She provided examples from Iowa, Arizona and Ashland, Oregon.  

Rich talked more specifically about the BRIC program. He showed the benefit cost savings that can be obtained through disaster mitigation for various hazards including river floods, hurricane surge, sin earthquake and wildfire.  The Disaster Recovery Reform Act amended the Stafford Act; one component is the pre-disaster Mitigation being replaced by BRIC.  Rich presented information on an example for Ninemile Creek in Missoula County, MT.  Many partners participated in this floodplain restoration project.  Please see their full slide deck (link above) for more details and specifics. 

Committee discussion included noting that among sates they work differently with their counterpart emergency response agency.  We may want to get additional information from Nicole and Rich on their project examples to better understand how the funding partners worked together and with FEMA grants. 

  • Discuss Water Planning Session for 2020 ICWP Annual meeting to be held virtually (October 6)

Invite Stacey Brown, Director of Planning, USACE.  Beverly Hayes has left USACE—Sue will find out who the new PAS Pgm Manger is and if that new person is on board by the October meeting, they can hopefully present and meet (virtually) ICWP.  A suggestion has been made to have a Water Planning panel —ask 3 other states to participate. 

  • Identify 1-3 Principle Statements topics from 2020 workplan
    • Jennifer is developing a couple of draft Principle statements and has ideas for the first topics for statements.  She will develop and circulate to the committee. 
  • Next call will be held on August 10 at 10 a.m. Central time to discuss the principle statements and work plan

Water Planning Committee:  Provide a forum of the exchange of ideas and concepts related to state and regional water planning. 

2019 Accomplishments:

  • Webinars from state planning efforts, including MN, MO, WY and Nebraska
  • Contributed Planning topics/speakers for Annual Meeting and Washington DC Roundtable

Issues for 2020 Workplan

  1. Continue with Webinar presentations from individual states on their water planning programs
  2. Support for PAS, including cost share change in WRDA letter
  3. Water Quality and Infrastructure—how ICWP might integrate these topics with our main mission topic areas
  4. Revolutionize CW Listening Session at 2020 Washington Roundtable
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