Notations On Our World (Mid-Month Edition): On @FEMA Watch

 

President Biden Announces $1B in Projects to Enhance Community Resilience

 

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell today announced the 656 project selections for $1 billion in climate resilience funding as part of his Investing in America agenda. The selections through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program will help state, Tribal, local and territorial governments address current and future risks from natural disasters including extreme heat, wildfires, drought, hurricanes, earthquakes and increased flooding.

 

This effort highlights the importance of FEMA’s continued commitment to putting “people first” and helping communities, families, and businesses build climate resilience. It also aligns with the 2024 FEMA Year of Resilience theme to build capacity to withstand tomorrow’s hazards.

 

To strengthen America’s climate resilience, President Biden secured more than $50 billion for climate resilience and adaptation through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act and established a National Climate Resilience Framework, which is advancing locally tailored, community-driven climate resilience strategies. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law contributed approximately $398 million to today’s announcement. Overall, the President’s Investing in America agenda provides FEMA nearly $7 billion to help communities proactively reduce their vulnerability to climate-fueled events and natural hazards.

 

Of the approximately $674 million in 56 national competition selections, more than half of the selections use nature-based solutions and other natural ways to combat climate change, restore and protect wetlands and to harness nature to enhance climate resilience. FEMA announced this funding opportunity in October 2023 alongside an $800 million Flood Mitigation Assistance opportunity. Selections for Flood Mitigation Assistance will be made later this year.

 

This year’s selections cover a variety of natural hazards, including extreme heat, flooding and earthquakes. The top three funded project types are:

• Flood control for $395 million across 28 projects, designed to eliminate or reduce flood damage.
• Utility and infrastructure protection for $237 million across 30 projects, like elevating pumping stations, enhancing power poles, strengthening water towers and floodproofing utility plants.
• Building code-related projects for $55 million across 129 projects for enforcement and adoption of more modern, hazard-resistant building codes. This is the greatest number of projects FEMA has ever selected for building code-related activities in a grant cycle. These funds were reserved as a non-competitive set-aside for states, Tribes and territories, resulting in a 180% increase in requests for adoption and enforcement funding.

 

Below is a sample of selections from across the nation of projects that cover these hazards. The full list of selections can be found at FEMA.gov:

• The Eastwick Near-Term Flood Barrier Project, led by the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, will boost resilience by mitigating flood risks in Eastwick. Eastwick, a previous recipient of non-financial BRIC technical assistance, is vulnerable to a number of flooding sources.
• Shaded bus shelters in Washington, D.C. will mitigate the effects of extreme heat. The project will install 20 shaded bus stops in urban heat islands to ensure bus users can access this essential community service during extreme heat days. By targeting public transit, the project will safeguard residents as they commute to work, run errands, fulfill other daily obligations and help to protect historically low-income communities from the effects of extreme heat.
• The East Elmhurst Cloudburst project in New York City will use innovative control measures to manage extreme stormwater events and reduce local flooding. These include porous concrete parking and bike lanes, as well as green infrastructure and on-site storage.
• The Magalia Dam retrofit project in Paradise, California, will build seismic resilience. The project will reinforce the dam to better withstand earthquakes so the dam can continue providing its critical benefits.
• The Slaughterhouse Creek Flood Mitigation project in Montana will include channel improvements and culvert replacements. The project will have an improved channel designed to contain flooding.
• West Virginia is a first-time BRIC national competition applicant. The Rand Flooding Storm Sewer Improvements project will upgrade community infrastructure to address critical drainage issues.
• The Southern Crisfield Flood Mitigation. Crisfield, Maryland -- a previous selection for Direct Technical Assistance -- aims to boost resilience by improving flood protection through a 5-mile-long tidal flood protection barrier and a new internal drainage system. This project will improve flood protection, stormwater management and wetland health.
• Decatur, Georgia, make major roadways safer from floods and improve access for emergency vehicles. The current culverts can lead to roads becoming impassable or washed-out during storms. This grant will upgrade culverts on major roadways to stay open during severe weather.
• A blend of nature-based solutions and infrastructure improvements will boost flood resilience along the Big Ditch stream corridor in the city of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The project will upgrade road culverts and expand a restored floodplain. This will make homes safer from flooding as well as improve water quality and provide new wildlife habitat and more equitable access to recreational resources.

 

Read the full press release on FEMA.gov to learn more about the assistance for states, territories and Tribal Nations, as well as trends in equity, extreme heat, nature-based solutions and other top funded projects.

 

FEMA Announces $185M in Rehabilitation Allocations of High Hazard Potential Dams

 

FEMA is announcing $185 million in allocations for 32 states and one territory to make dams stronger through the agency’s National Dam Safety Program.

 

The funding through the Rehabilitation Of High Hazard Potential Dam (HHPD) Grant Program comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program provides funding for technical, planning, design and construction for rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams.

 

The announcement aligns with the FEMA Year of Resilience theme to help communities build local capacity to withstand tomorrow’s hazards from climate change.

 

Dams are a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure and all Americans enjoy the benefits they provide. However, the nation’s dams are aging and many are deteriorating, while downstream and upstream populations are increasing.

 

Grants through the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams program are available to non-federal governments and nonprofits for technical, planning, design and construction assistance to rehabilitate, remove or repair eligible high hazard potential dams.

 

Visit FEMA.gov for a breakdown of approximate allocations for states and territories.

 

Selected states and territories will now prioritize and determine which projects to fund based on their awards. FEMA will announce funded projects later this year.

 

FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program published two grant funding opportunities on Nov. 6, 2023, in support of state dam safety offices and dam construction projects. In total, there was about $211 million in dam safety grant funding available for the Fiscal Year 2024 Fall funding opportunities.

 

Earlier this year FEMA announced about $26 million in awards—also funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law— through the National Dam Safety State Assistance Grant Program for states and territories with enacted dam safety program. The funding helps states and territories to establish and maintain effective state programs to ensure dam safety and protect communities from increasing threats from climate change. 

 

For more information about the National Dam Safety Program, visit FEMA.gov.

 

DHS Announces $18.2M in First Ever Allocation of Tribal Cybersecurity Awards

 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), announced more than $18.2 million Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program awards to assist Tribal Nations with managing and reducing systemic cyber risk and threats. These are the first Tribal Cybersecurity Grants to be awarded under the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The grant program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the more than 30 grant awards represent the largest number of awards by the Department in a single grant program. 

 

Digital threats impacting American Indian and Alaska Native tribes are increasing and becoming more complex, and Tribal Nation sovereignty creates unique cybersecurity challenges for these communities who have been, consistently underfunded and under-resourced. This program is another example of a unified approach across DHS, in which this FEMA-administered program leverages CISA’s capabilities to accomplish the Department’s goal of increasing tribal cyber defenses.

 

The Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program will fund efforts to establish critical governance frameworks for Tribal Nations to address cyber threats and vulnerabilities, identify key vulnerabilities and evaluate needed capabilities, implement measures to mitigate the threats, and develop a 21st-century cyber workforce across local communities. CISA will support these efforts with a suite of available resources, including state cybersecurity coordinators and cybersecurity advisors.

 

All Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program recipients are required to participate in a limited number of free services provided by CISA. These services are:

• Cyber Hygiene Vulnerability Scanning: Evaluates external network presence by continuous scanning public, static internet protocol (IPs) for accessible services and vulnerabilities.
• Nationwide Cybersecurity Review: A free, anonymous, annual self-assessment designed to measure gaps and capabilities of a recipient’s cybersecurity programs.

 

The grants will significantly improve national resilience to cyber threats by giving Tribal Nations much-needed resources to address network security and take steps to protect against cybersecurity risks to help them strengthen their communities. In addition, federally recognized Tribal Nations are eligible to apply for millions more in cybersecurity funding that will be announced later this year. 

 

For more information and helpful resources on the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program, visit CISA’s Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program page and FEMA's Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program page.

 

FEMA Grants Outcome Login Requirements Changes Today

 

FEMA has directed that all its systems implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for user login to improve cybersecurity and comply with Executive Order 14028 on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity. MFA is enabled for FEMA employees through PIV cards, but it is needed for FEMA Grants Outcome (GO) external login ID and password users.

 

The integration of FEMA GO with login.gov, scheduled for today, July 2, is a strategic move to bolster our security protection goals. FEMA GO external users will be required to sign into FEMA GO using login.gov. This integration not only aligns with our commitment to cybersecurity but also aims to streamline user access. The chosen date attempts to avoid the bulk of open funding opportunities, while still meeting agency guidance as soon as practical. 

 

Beginning today, the FEMA GO login page will look similar to the image below. 

 

 

For questions related to the adoption of login.gov, users are encouraged to contact the FEMA GO Help Desk. The FEMA GO Help Desk hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Call the Help Desk at (877) 585-3242 or email femago@fema.dhs.gov.

 

FEMA Hosts Webinars on Updated Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide

 

FEMA is hosting four webinars to inform stakeholders on updates to Version 5 of the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG) and encourage participation in the 60-day public comment period that is now open through Aug. 19. The updated guide, which is based on feedback from states, Tribal Nations, territories and nonprofits, simplifies eligibility, streamlines processes, increases accessibility and supports resilience.

 

The public can view and submit comments during the 60-day public comment period via the Federal Register and on FEMA.gov. Each webinar is targeted to include Tribal Nations, state, local and territorial partners and private nonprofits, with options for those who prefer to receive information in Spanish. 

 

FEMA will host two virtual government-to-government consultations for Tribal Nations on the PAPPG Version 5 in August. A separate Dear Tribal Leader Letter, Framing Paper, and registration information will be released at a later date on FEMA’s Tribal Consultations webpage.

 

Please see below to participate in the one-hour webinar that is best for you. Advanced registration is not required:

 

English webinar for tribal partners:

• When: 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 9
• Where: Zoom (zoomgov.com)
• Meeting ID: 191 962 2560
• Passcode: PAPPG

English webinar for state, local and territorial partners:

• When: 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 10
• Where:  Zoom (zoomgov.com)
• Meeting ID: 191 962 2560
• Passcode: PAPPG

English webinar for private nonprofit partners:

• When: 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 11
• Where: Zoom (zoomgov.com)
• Meeting ID: 191 962 2560
• Passcode: PAPPG

Spanish webinar/ seminario virtual en español:

• When: 3 p.m. ET on Friday, July 12/ Cuándo: 12 de julio de 2024 a las 3 p.m. hora del este
• Where: Zoom (zoomgov.com)
• Dónde: Zoom (zoomgov.com)
• Meeting ID: 161 579 3922
• Passcode: PAPPG

 

For more information on event details, visit FEMA.gov.

 

National Floodplain Administrator Requests Assessment Survey by Aug. 30

 

FEMA manages the National Flood Insurance Program which includes more than 22,600 participating communities. This year, FEMA is conducting a National Floodplain Administrator Needs Assessment survey of the nation’s floodplain administrators who manage local floodplains for these jurisdictions. This is the first nationwide survey since 2009.

 

Beginning on June 20, FEMA wants to hear from local governments and their staff about how training can be improved to help them protect their communities and retain existing floodplain administrators. The survey is available in English and Spanish. The survey will close Friday, Aug. 30. 

 

The survey questions include the following topics:

• Determine the training needs and preferences of floodplain administrators.
• Learn about the challenges that floodplain administrators face in obtaining training.
• Call for local governments and their staff to share more about how training can be improved to help them protect their communities and retain existing floodplain administrators. 

 

Many of the questions seek to learn more about the capacity challenges that under-resourced local governments face and the training impacts this has on floodplain administrators. The lack of training resources may be a contributor to high turnover rates for these positions.

 

Each year, flooding is the nation’s most frequent and costly natural disaster. Survey findings will inform a five-year National Floodplain Administrators Training Strategy that will be coordinated by the Floodplain Management Division. Well-trained and knowledgeable floodplain administrators save lives and prevent destruction caused by floods.

 

In 2024, FEMA is focused on the Year of Resilience and this aligns with the “people first” commitment to help build local capacity and to train a skilled workforce to withstand tomorrow’s hazards. This effort supports Objective 1.2 of FEMAs 2022-2026 Strategy to remove barriers to FEMA programs through a “people first” approach.