By Natalie Frels
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March 28, 2025
To view the unique discover, click on right here. To: All Businesses Teams and People Date of publication: March twenty eighth, 2025 That is to offer discover that the Texas Common Land Workplace (GLO) will conduct an analysis as required by Govt Order 11990 and Govt Order 11988, in accordance with HUD laws at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Administration and Safety of Wetlands to find out the potential impact that Hays County single household catastrophe restoration Home-owner Reimbursement Program (HRP) and Home-owner Help Program (HAP) actions in wetlands and surrounding Federal Flood Danger Administration Normal (FFRMS) floodplains could have on the human surroundings. The GLO was allotted HUD funding to assist tackle unmet housing wants because of the 2024 Texas extreme storms and flooding, together with Hurricane Beryl (Beryl). On Could 15, 2024, a request was declared for a significant catastrophe as a consequence of extreme storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding starting on April 26, 2024, and continued for a number of weeks. From July 5 to July 9, 2024, Beryl brought on in depth wind injury, flooding, and energy outages throughout a number of areas, significantly alongside the Texas Gulf Coast and inland communities. Wind gusts exceeding 90 mph and rainfall totals surpassing 15 inches in some areas led to important injury to houses, infrastructure, and companies. The State of Texas Neighborhood Growth Block Grant Catastrophe Restoration (CDBG-DR) will fund two residential housing applications for eligible county residents whose houses sustained injury from the 2024 disasters. The HAP offers funding primarily for low-to-moderate-income householders with direct building help for storm-impacted owner-occupied single-family residential housing. The actions lined by this program embody demolition, rehabilitation, reconstruction, manufactured home substitute, or new building and their related elevation, mitigation, utility, web site enhancements, and relocation help, as wanted. The HRP offers funding for low to moderate-income owner-occupied single-family housing (together with manufactured housing). It permits householders to be reimbursed for sure out-of-pocket bills together with Small Enterprise Administration catastrophe dwelling loans, incurred for repairs to their dwelling together with elevation, wells and septic wants, reconstruction, rehabilitation, manufactured home substitute, and mitigation. The dimensions of the proposed web site, proposed variety of items, and mission footprint aren’t presently identified, nonetheless, as particular websites are recognized, they are going to be assessed for potential impacts associated to land use, floodplains, and wetlands. Mitigation measures will likely be utilized as crucial to attenuate opposed results. Inside Hays County, Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) efficient maps embody 26,763 acres (6.2%) within the 100-year floodplain Particular Flood Hazard Space (SFHA) Zones A/AE/AO, 11,808 acres (2.7%) within the regulatory floodway, and 0 acres (0%) throughout the Coastal Excessive Hazard Areas Zone V/VE. Zone X encompasses 5,689 acres (1.3%) of Hays County throughout the 500-year floodplain and 388,631 acres (89.9%) of Hays County exterior all SFHA-designated floodplains. Roughly 7,052 acres (1.6%) inside Hays County are designated as wetlands. This consists of freshwater emergent wetlands, freshwater forested/shrub wetlands, freshwater ponds, lakes, and riverine wetlands. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain will likely be decided at a site-specific degree utilizing the 0.2 p.c flood strategy (0.2PFA) or the freeboard worth strategy (FVA) when applicable. As well as, siting throughout the Restrict of Reasonable Wave Motion (LiMWA)/Coastal A Zone will likely be decided on the site-specific degree. Actions throughout the LiMWA will carry the identical mitigation and safety technique as siting inside a coastal high-hazard space (Zone V/VE). The floodplains and wetlands inside Hays County serve necessary environmental capabilities that contribute to the county’s ecological well being and group resilience. These areas present floodwater storage and conveyance, serving to to soak up and sluggish floodwaters, which reduces downstream flooding and protects close by properties and infrastructure. Moreover, they help groundwater recharge and discharge, sustaining native water provides and sustaining the bottom circulation of rivers and streams. The pure vegetation inside these floodplains and wetlands additionally performs a key function in erosion management, stabilizing soils, and stopping sedimentation in waterways. Moreover, these areas contribute to water high quality upkeep by filtering pollution and sediments, finally bettering each human and ecological well being. In inland counties, they assist regulate watershed well being, agricultural water retention, and riparian connectivity, making certain the soundness of native water programs and ecosystems. Past their ecological significance, these floodplains and wetlands maintain intrinsic values that profit the group. They supply leisure alternatives equivalent to climbing, fishing, birdwatching, and kayaking, contributing to tourism and outside enjoyment. These areas additionally function academic and scientific sources, providing alternatives for analysis and environmental training on hydrology, ecology, and resilience. There are three major functions for this discover. First, individuals who could also be affected by actions within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland and those that have an curiosity within the safety of the pure surroundings needs to be given a possibility to precise their issues and supply details about these areas. Commenters are inspired to supply different websites exterior of the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, different strategies to serve the identical mission objective, and strategies to attenuate and mitigate mission impacts on the FFRMS floodplain and wetland. Second, an sufficient public discover program will be an necessary public academic software. The dissemination of knowledge and request for public remark in regards to the FFRMS floodplain and wetland can facilitate and improve Federal efforts to cut back the dangers and impacts related to the occupancy and modification of those particular areas. Third, as a matter of equity, when the Federal authorities determines it’ll take part in actions happening within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, it should inform those that could also be put at better or continued danger. Written feedback should be obtained by GLO on the following tackle on or earlier than April 14th, 2025: Texas Common Land Workplace ATTN: David Camarena, Director Neighborhood Growth & Revitalization (CDR) Division PO Field 12873, Austin TX 78711-2873 A full description of the mission might also be reviewed from 9 A.M. to five P.M on weekdays on the tackle above. Feedback might also be submitted by way of electronic mail at env.evaluations@restoration.texas.gov.