[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 206 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59745-59746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23440]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2021-0024]


Request for Information on the National Flood Insurance Program 
Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management and Use, and an 
Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and Endangered Species 
and Their Habitats; Public Meetings

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland 
Security.

ACTION: Announcement of public meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold two 
public meetings remotely via web conference to solicit feedback on the 
agency's request for information on the National Flood Insurance 
Program's (NFIP) Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management 
and Use, and an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and 
Endangered Species and Their Habitat, published October 12, 2021. The 
request for information seeks input from the public on the floodplain 
management standards that communities should adopt to result in safer, 
stronger, and more resilient communities. Additionally, the request for 
information seeks input on how the NFIP can better promote protection 
of and minimize any adverse impact to threatened and endangered 
species, and their habitats.

DATES: Written comments on the request for information published at 86 
FR 56713 (October 12, 2021) may be submitted until 11:59 p.m. Eastern 
Time (ET) on December 13, 2021.
    FEMA will hold meetings on Thursday, November 4, 2021, from 2:30 to 
4:00 p.m. ET, and Monday, November 15, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. ET. 
Depending on the number of speakers, the meetings may end before the 
time indicated, following the last call for comments.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held via web conference. Members 
of the public may register to attend a meeting online at the following 
link: https://www.fema.gov/event/public-comment-period-national-flood-insurance-programs-minimum-floodplain-management.
    If you would like to speak at a meeting, please indicate that on 
the registration form. If there is time remaining in a meeting after 
all registered speakers have finished, FEMA will invite comments from 
others in attendance.
    Reasonable accommodations are available for people with 
disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact the person 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below as soon as 
possible. Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible 
to fulfill.
    Written comments on the request for information must be submitted 
via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. 
Search for FEMA-2021-0024-0001 and follow the instructions for 
submitting comments.
    All written comments received, including any personal information 
provided, may be posted without alteration at https://www.regulations.gov. All comments on the request for information made 
during the meetings will be posted to the rulemaking docket on https://www.regulations.gov.
    For access to the docket and to read comments received by FEMA, go 
to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID FEMA-2021-0024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Sears, Supervisory Emergency 
Management Specialist, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, [email protected], 
202-646-4105.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 12, 2021, FEMA published a 
Request for Information (RFI) on the National Flood Insurance Program's 
(NFIP) Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management and Use, and 
an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and Endangered 
Species and Their Habitats.\1\ This RFI asks for public input on the 
floodplain management standards that communities should adopt to result 
in safer, stronger, and more resilient communities. It also seeks input 
on how the NFIP can better promote protection of and minimize any 
adverse impact to threatened and endangered species, and their 
habitats.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 86 FR 56713.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In support of FEMA's role in setting the NFIP floodplain management 
standards for land management and use and the agency's desire to 
strengthen the NFIP's protection of threatened and endangered species 
and their habitat, the agency is seeking input from the public on the 
floodplain management standards that communities should

[[Page 59746]]

adopt to result in safer, stronger, and more resilient communities and 
also to promote protection of listed species and their critical 
habitats. Specifically, FEMA is seeking input through a series of 
questions in the RFI on opportunities for the agency to improve the 
minimum floodplain management standards for land management and use 
which better align the NFIP with the current understanding of flood 
risk and flood risk reduction approaches. Current FEMA floodplain 
management standards for flood-prone area regulations have not been 
revised since they were implemented in 1976. The agency is considering 
revision to these regulations based on its current understanding of 
flood risk and flood risk reduction approaches and is now taking a 
thorough review of the floodplain management standards, along with 
prior published studies and reports, to determine how these standards 
can best meet FEMA and stakeholder needs.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See generally ``National Flood Insurance Program: Evaluation 
Studies'' found at http://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/rules-legislation/2006-evaluation (last accessed July 8, 2021) and 
``Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study of Loss Prevention'' found 
at http://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/building-science/building-codes-save-study (last accessed July 8, 2021) among 
others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FEMA also plans to re-evaluate the implementation of the NFIP under 
the Endangered Species Act at the national level to complete a revised 
Biological Evaluation \3\ re-examining how NFIP actions influence land 
development decisions; the potential for such actions to have adverse 
effects on listed species and critical habitats; and to identify 
program changes to mitigate adverse effects to avoid jeopardy to listed 
species and/or critical habitats. Public feedback will help FEMA with 
this process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Agencies may submit to the Services, an evaluation on the 
likely effects of an action, if listed species or critical habitat 
are likely to be affected by Agency action.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The purpose of this request for information is to seek feedback on 
the agency's request for information on the National Flood Insurance 
Program's (NFIP) Floodplain Management Standards for Land Management 
and Use, and an Assessment of the Program's Impact on Threatened and 
Endangered Species and Their Habitat published October 12, 2021. 
Individuals cannot apply for FEMA assistance by submitting a comment in 
the Federal Register or at these public meetings. If you are an 
individual who has been impacted by a disaster and you are seeking 
assistance from FEMA, please visit https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual or call the FEMA Helpline (1-800-621-3362/TTY (800) 462-
7585) to apply or receive information on a pending request.
    FEMA will hold public meetings to ensure all interested parties 
have sufficient opportunity to provide comments on FEMA programs. As 
the RFI seeks information regarding a series of questions, the public 
may wish to review the RFI in advance of these meetings. FEMA will 
carefully consider all relevant comments received during the meetings, 
and during the rest of the RFI's comment period. All comments or 
remarks provided on the request for information during the meeting will 
be recorded and posted to the rulemaking docket on https://www.regulations.gov.

Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2021-23440 Filed 10-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-47-P