Missoula County opposes HB 518: Generally revise floodplain delineation, review and regulations, up for hearing this afternoon in the House Natural Resources Committee. The proposed changes to Montana’s floodplain management requirements will be costly for citizens who reside in the floodplain, both monetarily and because of increased risk to public health and safety. The proposed changes will shrink the floodway, exposing more citizens to faster, deeper floodwaters. With HB 518, homeowners living in the floodplain could now be subject to 1’ of floodwater (an additional 0.5’ from current rules). This effectively doubles the amount of development/material permitted in the most flood-prone areas, aggravating existing flooding. Additionally, Missoula County voluntarily participates in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program. The CRS program evaluates a community’s floodplain management program and rewards activities that reduce flood risks in the form of offering property owners in that community a discount on flood insurance. Missoula County currently receives significant credit for Montana’s floodway delineation requirements. If passed, HB 518 will increase the cost of flood insurance for many Montanans, including the low and fixed-income Montanans who occupy the floodplain. Also, HB 518 would require all existing floodplain maps in Montana to be updated. This would impact all 138 communities in Montana that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and roughly 1,900 miles of streams that have a mapped floodway. Based on an estimated cost of $10,000 - $30,000 per stream mile, the cost to comply with HB 518 is estimated to be somewhere between $19,000,000 - $57,000,000. The State of Montana can’t afford the costly updates to the floodplain maps that will be required from HB 518, and Montanans with flood insurance can’t afford the rate increases that will result from HB 518.
Representatives Curdy, France and Marler,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County opposes HB 518: Generally revise floodplain delineation, review and regulations, up for hearing this afternoon in the House Natural Resources Committee. The proposed changes to Montana’s floodplain management requirements will be costly for citizens who reside in the floodplain, both monetarily and because of increased risk to public health and safety. The proposed changes will shrink the floodway, exposing more citizens to faster, deeper floodwaters. With HB 518, homeowners living in the floodplain could now be subject to 1’ of floodwater (an additional 0.5’ from current rules). This effectively doubles the amount of development/material permitted in the most flood-prone areas, aggravating existing flooding. Additionally, Missoula County voluntarily participates in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program. The CRS program evaluates a community’s floodplain management program and rewards activities that reduce flood risks in the form of offering property owners in that community a discount on flood insurance. Missoula County currently receives significant credit for Montana’s floodway delineation requirements. If passed, HB 518 will increase the cost of flood insurance for many Montanans, including the low and fixed-income Montanans who occupy the floodplain. Also, HB 518 would require all existing floodplain maps in Montana to be updated. This would impact all 138 communities in Montana that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and roughly 1,900 miles of streams that have a mapped floodway. Based on an estimated cost of $10,000 - $30,000 per stream mile, the cost to comply with HB 518 is estimated to be somewhere between $19,000,000 - $57,000,000. The State of Montana can’t afford the costly updates to the floodplain maps that will be required from HB 518, and Montanans with flood insurance can’t afford the rate increases that will result from HB 518.
Please oppose HB 518.