By Natalie Frels
•
June 4, 2025
Click on right here to obtain discover. NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS AND FINAL NOTICE AND PUBLIC EXPLANATION OF A PROPOSED ACTIVITY IN A FEDERAL FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT STANDARD DESIGNATED FLOODPLAIN OR WETLAND D ate of publication: June third, 2025 The Texas Normal Land Workplace P.O. Field 12873 Austin, TX 78711‐2873 512-463-5001 These notices shall fulfill three separate however associated procedural necessities for actions to be undertaken by the Texas Normal Land Workplace (GLO). The proposed actions will help Hays County householders nonetheless affected by the imp acts of the 2024 Texas extreme storms and flooding, together with Hurricane Beryl (Beryl). REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or about June 4th, 2025, the GLO will submit a request to HUD for the discharge of Group Growth Block Grant – Catastrophe Restoration (CDBG-DR) funds appropriated beneath the Catastrophe Reduction Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Pub.L. 118-158), as amended, to undertake initiatives beneath the single-family catastrophe restoration Home-owner Reimbursement Program (HRP) and Home-owner Help Program (HAP) for the aim of repairing, reconstructing, or newly developing substitute single-family housing broken by the 2024 Disasters inside Hays County. From the HUD federal help, the State of Texas has allotted roughly $244,100,000 to HAP and $43,100,000 to HRP actions for distribution within the 27 affected counties, together with Hays County. The variety of initiatives funded in Hays County will likely be based mostly on the variety of eligible candidates and precise prices. To facilitate environmental evaluate of the proposed actions, the GLO is implementing a tiered environmental evaluate strategy in accordance with HUD rules at 24 CFR 58.15. The Environmental Assessment File (ERR) is tiered as an Envi ronmental Evaluation (24 CFR 58.36, subpart E) topic to legal guidelines and authorities at 24 CFR 58.5, 24 CFR 58.6, and NEPA evaluation. FINAL NOTICE AND PUBLIC EXPLANATION OF A PROPOSED ACTIVITY IN A 100-YEAR FLOODPLAIN OR WETLAND That is to present discover that the Texas Normal Land Workplace (GLO) has carried out 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 H omeowner Reimbursement Program (HRP) and Home-owner Help Program (HAP) actions in wetlands and surrounding Federal Flood Threat Administration Customary (FFRMS) floodplains can have on the human atmosphere. Inside Hays County, Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) efficient maps embrace 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 will likely be decided at a site-specific degree utilizing the 0.2 % flood strategy (0.2PFA) or the freeboard worth strategy (FVA) when applicable. As well as, siting inside the Restrict of Reasonable Wave Motion (LiMWA)/Coastal A Zone will likely be decided on the site-specific degree. Actions inside the LiMWA will carry the identical mitigation and safety technique as siting inside a coastal high-hazard space (Zone V/VE). The GLO has thought-about the next alternate options and mitigation measures to reduce opposed impacts and to revive and protect pure and helpful capabilities and intrinsic values of the present FFRMS floodplain and wetland: (i) The reason why the motion should happen in an FFRMS floodplain and/or wetland: Many present broken houses are situated in an FFRMS floodplain. (ii) Options thought-about: Setting up extra enhancements was thought-about. Nevertheless, the GLO decided that developing/rehabbing fewer initiatives can be extra economically possible. Many low-income householders could not be capable to buy property that’s situated exterior of the FFRMS floodplain or wetland, and grant funding can’t be used to buy different land for the home-owner. Merely demolishing the house would depart the home-owner with no place to stay. Taking no motion would trigger householders to stay in unsafe and unsanitary circumstances, the place the house would proceed to deteriorate and be inclined to future flood occasions. (iii) Mitigation measures: Considerably broken, reconstructed, and newly constructed houses within the FFRMS floodplain will likely be elevated to or above the FFRMS floodplain elevation, and the home-owner will likely be required to acquire and preserve flood insurance coverage if the parcel extends into the 100-year floodplain. Finest administration practices, sedimentation management, and/or erosion management will likely be utilized in development areas close to wetlands. The GLO has reevaluated alternate options to constructing within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland and has decided that it has no practicable different. Environmental recordsdata documenting compliance with Govt Order 11988 and Govt Order 11990, can be found for public inspection, evaluate, and copying upon request on the occasions and placement delineated within the final paragraph of this discover for receipt of feedback. There are three main 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 atmosphere must 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 challenge objective, and strategies to reduce and mitigate challenge impacts on the FFRMS floodplain and wetland. Second, an sufficient public discover program could be an essential public academic instrument. The dissemination of data 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’s going to take part in actions happening within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, it should inform those that could also be put at larger or continued threat. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The GLO has decided that the challenge can have no vital influence on the human atmosphere, and th e GLO or its designee will conduct a site-specific environmental evaluate of every HAP and HRP utility website to confirm this to be the case. Due to this fact, an Environmental Influence Assertion beneath the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act of 1969 (NEPA) just isn’t required. Further challenge data is contained within the Environmental Assessment File (ERR) on file on the Texas Normal Land Workplace, P.O. Field 12873, Austin, TX 78 7 11‐2873 and could also be examined weekdays 9 A.M to five P.M. The file i s additionally accessible for evaluate electronically upon request. To request an digital copy, e-mail david.camarena.glo@restoration.texas.gov . PUBLIC COMMENTS The proposed HAP and HRP actions will help single-family residence householders nonetheless affected by the 2024 Presidentially Declared Disasters. The help is urgently wanted to handle unmet housing wants and supply secure and sanitary housing within the county. Due to this fact, as offered by federal rules at 24 CFR 58.33(b), GLO is publishing the mixed Discovering of No Vital Influence (FONSI) and Discover of Intent to Request Launch of Funds (NOI/RROF) concurrently with the submission of the RROF to HUD. Any particular person, group, or company could submit written feedback on these notices or the ERR to the GLO Group Growth and Revitalization Program. Feedback could also be submitted to Ms. David Camarena at GLO by way of P.O. Field 12873, Austin, Texas 78711, or by e-mail at david.camarena.glo@restoration.texas.gov . All feedback obtained by June 18th, 2025 will likely be thought-about by the GLO. Feedback ought to specify which Discover they’re addressing. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The GLO certifies to HUD that Je t Hays, of their capability as Deputy Director, consents to simply accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an motion is delivered to implement duties in relation to the environmental evaluate course of and that these duties have been glad. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its duties beneath NEPA and associated legal guidelines and authorities and permits the GLO to make use of Program funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS The actions proposed to help householders nonetheless affected by the 2024 Presidentially Declared Disasters, are urgently wanted to handle ongoing impacts. Due to this fact, as offered by federal rules at 24 CFR 58.33(b), GLO is publishing the mixed FONSI and NOI/RROF concurrently with the submission of the RROF to HUD. HUD will settle for objections to launch of funds instantly following the publication of this discover by a interval of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its precise receipt of the request (whichever is later), concurrent with the remark interval described within the part above. HUD will settle for objections to its launch of funds and the GLO’s certification solely on one of many following foundation: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the GLO; (b) the GLO has omitted a step or did not decide or discovering required by HUD rules at 24 CFR half 58; (c) the grant recipient or different individuals within the improvement course of have dedicated funds, incurred prices or undertaken actions not approved by 24 CFR Half 58 earlier than approval of a launch of funds by HUD; or (d) one other Federal company appearing pursuant to 40 CFR Half 1504 has subm itted a written discovering that the challenge is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental high quality. Objections should be ready and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Half 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD Catastrophe Restoration and Particular Points Division, 451 seventh Road SW, Room 7272, Washington, DC 20410 or by way of e-mail to DisasterRecovery@hud.gov. Potential objectors ought to contact HUD to confirm the precise final day of the objection interval. Identify and Title of Certifying Officer: Jet Hays, Deputy Director, Program Integration, Texas Normal Land Offi ce.