By Natalie Frels
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March 28, 2025
To view the unique discover, click on right here. To: All Companies Teams and People Date of publication: March twenty eighth, 2025 That is to present 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 rules 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 Commonplace (FFRMS) floodplains may have on the human setting. The GLO was allotted HUD funding to assist handle unmet housing wants on account 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 on account 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 intensive wind harm, flooding, and energy outages throughout a number of areas, notably 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 harm to properties, infrastructure, and companies. The State of Texas Neighborhood Improvement Block Grant Catastrophe Restoration (CDBG-DR) will fund two residential housing packages for eligible county residents whose properties sustained harm from the 2024 disasters. The HAP supplies funding primarily for low-to-moderate-income owners with direct development help for storm-impacted owner-occupied single-family residential housing. The actions coated by this program embody demolition, rehabilitation, reconstruction, manufactured home substitute, or new development and their related elevation, mitigation, utility, website enhancements, and relocation help, as wanted. The HRP supplies funding for low to moderate-income owner-occupied single-family housing (together with manufactured housing). It permits owners to be reimbursed for sure out-of-pocket bills together with Small Enterprise Administration catastrophe residence 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 website, proposed variety of models, and challenge footprint are usually not at the moment recognized, nevertheless, as particular websites are recognized, they are going to be assessed for potential impacts associated to land use, floodplains, and wetlands. Mitigation measures shall be utilized as crucial to reduce hostile 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%) inside the Coastal Excessive Hazard Areas Zone V/VE. Zone X encompasses 5,689 acres (1.3%) of Hays County inside 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 contains freshwater emergent wetlands, freshwater forested/shrub wetlands, freshwater ponds, lakes, and riverine wetlands. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain shall be decided at a site-specific stage utilizing the 0.2 p.c flood method (0.2PFA) or the freeboard worth method (FVA) when applicable. As well as, siting inside the Restrict of Reasonable Wave Motion (LiMWA)/Coastal A Zone shall be decided on the site-specific stage. Actions inside 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 vital environmental capabilities that contribute to the county’s ecological well being and neighborhood resilience. These areas present floodwater storage and conveyance, serving to to soak up and gradual 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 circulate 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, guaranteeing the steadiness of native water techniques and ecosystems. Past their ecological significance, these floodplains and wetlands maintain intrinsic values that profit the neighborhood. They supply leisure alternatives reminiscent of mountaineering, fishing, birdwatching, and kayaking, contributing to tourism and outside enjoyment. These areas additionally function academic and scientific assets, providing alternatives for analysis and environmental schooling 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 setting must be given a possibility to precise their considerations 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 challenge objective, and strategies to reduce and mitigate challenge impacts on the FFRMS floodplain and wetland. Second, an enough public discover program could be an vital public academic software. The dissemination of knowledge and request for public remark concerning 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 can take part in actions going down within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, it should inform those that could also be put at larger or continued danger. Written feedback should be obtained by GLO on the following handle on or earlier than April 14th, 2025: Texas Common Land Workplace ATTN: David Camarena, Director Neighborhood Improvement & Revitalization (CDR) Division PO Field 12873, Austin TX 78711-2873 A full description of the challenge might also be reviewed from 9 A.M. to five P.M on weekdays on the handle above. Feedback might also be submitted through e-mail at env.evaluations@restoration.texas.gov.