Emergency Watershed Protection Program - Floodplain Easements � Disaster Relief Appropriations Act

The Emergency Watershed Protection - Floodplain Easement Program (EWPP-FPE) provides an alternative measure to traditional EWPP recovery where it is determined that acquiring an easement in lieu of recovery measures is the more economical and prudent approach to reducing a threat to life or property (see 7 CFR Part 624). The easement must be restored to the extent practicable to the natural environment and may include both structural and nonstructural practices to restore the flood storage and flow, erosion control, and improve the practical management of the easement. Structures, including buildings, within the floodplain easement must be demolished and removed, or relocated outside the 100-year floodplain or dam breach inundation area.

For this appropriation, only applicants affected by the natural disaster and only in those areas declared as a major disaster are eligible for assistance through the EWPP-FPE program. Pursuant to 7 CFR � 624.10(b)(2), NRCS may determine land is eligible under for EWPP-FPE if any of the following apply: 1) The floodplain lands were damaged by flooding at least once within the previous calendar year or have been subject to flood damage at least twice within the previous 10 years. 2) Other lands within the floodplain are eligible, provided the lands would contribute to the restoration of the flood storage and flow, provide for control of erosion, or that would improve the practical management of the floodplain easement. 3) Lands would be inundated or adversely impacted as a result of a dam breach. NRCS may determine that land is ineligible under this section if any of the following apply: 1) Implementation of restoration practices would be futile due to onsite or offsite conditions. 2) The land is subject to an existing easement or deed restriction that provides sufficient protection or restoration, as determined by the Chief of NRCS, of the floodplain�s functions and values. 3) The purchase of an easement would not meet the purposes of this part.

States are required to develop and administer ranking criteria that assign point values to each application based on the potential benefits of each project.