(Washington, D.C.): Many communities across the United States witnessed record flooding last year following the tumultuous 2017 hurricane season. In February, flooding occurred across much of the Midwest. And in March, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration released a report warning that the kind of flooding coastal cities now experience only during storms will happen during normal high tides. Given this new normal, many communities are looking for ways to mitigate future flooding – including through voluntary buyouts of flood-damaged properties under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Once properties are purchased, existing structures must be removed and the land must be dedicated to open space, recreational, or wetland management uses, offering opportunities to restore and permanently protect natural habitats and help conserve biodiversity, while also providing community amenities and improving resilience.
Local governments usually oversee these buyouts with little or no funding for restoration or management of acquired land, much less guidance on maximizing long-term benefits for the community. The Environmental Law Institute has a number of practical, implementable resources to help communities optimize use and management of buyout properties to improve community resilience.
“The acquisition and restoration of these floodplain properties can increase community resilience while improving wildlife habitat, enhancing ecosystem services, and providing much-needed open space and recreational facilities to a community,” says Dr. Rebecca Kihslinger, Senior Science & Policy Analyst with ELI. “Buyouts present an opportunity for communities to create public assets while restoring the ecological integrity of the floodplain and strengthening the community’s resilience to future disasters.”
Our newest resources include:
- Prioritizing Future Floodplain Acquisitions: Maximizing Opportunities for Habitat Restoration, Community Benefits, and Resilience: This guide provides local governments and communities with ideas for proactively planning floodplain acquisitions and related projects in order to maximize community benefits.
- Financing and Incentives Guide for Floodplain Buyouts: Our Financing & Incentives guide provides an overview of the sources and types of funds that exist and can be used to contribute to acquisition projects.
- Public Participation for Buyout Planning & Management: A Step-by-Step Online Guide: This five-step outline helps communities organize public participation during the floodplain buyout process.
Some of the other materials available on the ELI website include:
- Floodplain Buyouts: An Action Guide for Local Governments on How to Maximize Community Benefits, Habitat Connectivity, and Resilience: This guide helps local governments across the country leverage hazard mitigation buyouts to protect, restore, and connect habitats in local communities.
- Strategic Partnerships and Floodplain Buyouts: An Opportunity for Wetland Restoration: This Handbook summarizes key considerations for wetland and conservation agencies or organizations interested in playing a role in the floodplain buyout process.
- Floodplain Buyout Case Studies: These studies look at a number of floodplain buyouts in representative communities across four states and in various regions.
ELI continues to work in this area. Visit https://www.eli.org/land-biodiversity/floodplain-buyouts to learn more and for updates.
Dr. Rebecca Kihslinger is also available for interview.