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 Neighborhood Growth Block Grant – Catastrophe Restoration (CDBG-DR) funds appropriated below the Catastrophe Reduction Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Pub.L. 118-158), as amended, to undertake initiatives below 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 might be primarily based on the variety of eligible candidates and precise prices. To facilitate environmental assessment of the proposed actions, the GLO is implementing a tiered environmental assessment method in accordance with HUD laws at 24 CFR 58.15. The Environmental Evaluation 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 offer discover that the Texas Normal Land Workplace (GLO) has performed an analysis as required by Government Order 11990 and Government 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 H omeowner Reimbursement Program (HRP) and Home-owner Help Program (HAP) actions in wetlands and surrounding Federal Flood Danger Administration Normal (FFRMS) floodplains may have on the human surroundings. 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%) 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 outdoors 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 might be decided at a site-specific stage utilizing the 0.2 % flood method (0.2PFA) or the freeboard worth method (FVA) when applicable. As well as, siting throughout the Restrict of Reasonable Wave Motion (LiMWA)/Coastal A Zone might be decided on the site-specific stage. Actions throughout 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 of the next alternate options and mitigation measures to reduce opposed impacts and to revive and protect pure and useful capabilities and intrinsic values of the prevailing FFRMS floodplain and wetland: (i) The explanation why the motion should happen in an FFRMS floodplain and/or wetland: Many current broken properties are situated in an FFRMS floodplain. (ii) Options thought of: Establishing further enhancements was thought of. Nonetheless, 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 outdoors 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 go away the home-owner and not using a place to reside. Taking no motion would trigger householders to stay in unsafe and unsanitary situations, the place the house would proceed to deteriorate and be vulnerable to future flood occasions. (iii) Mitigation measures: Considerably broken, reconstructed, and newly constructed properties within the FFRMS floodplain might be elevated to or above the FFRMS floodplain elevation, and the home-owner might be required to acquire and keep flood insurance coverage if the parcel extends into the 100-year floodplain. Greatest administration practices, sedimentation management, and/or erosion management might 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 Government Order 11988 and Government Order 11990, can be found for public inspection, assessment, and copying upon request on the instances 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 people who have an curiosity within the safety of the pure surroundings must be given a possibility to specific their considerations and supply details about these areas. Commenters are inspired to supply different websites outdoors of the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, different strategies to serve the identical undertaking objective, and strategies to reduce and mitigate undertaking impacts on the FFRMS floodplain and wetland. Second, an enough public discover program could be an vital public instructional instrument. The dissemination of data 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 going down within the FFRMS floodplain and wetland, it should inform those that could also be put at higher or continued threat. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The GLO has decided that the undertaking may have no important affect on the human surroundings, and th e GLO or its designee will conduct a site-specific environmental assessment of every HAP and HRP utility web site to confirm this to be the case. Due to this fact, an Environmental Impression Assertion below the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act of 1969 (NEPA) shouldn’t be required. Further undertaking data is contained within the Environmental Evaluation 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 report i s additionally obtainable for assessment electronically upon request. To request an digital copy, electronic 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 deal with unmet housing wants and supply protected and sanitary housing within the county. Due to this fact, as offered by federal laws at 24 CFR 58.33(b), GLO is publishing the mixed Discovering of No Important Impression (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 Neighborhood Growth and Revitalization Program. Feedback could also be submitted to Ms. David Camarena at GLO through P.O. Field 12873, Austin, Texas 78711, or by electronic mail at david.camarena.glo@restoration.texas.gov . All feedback acquired by June 18th, 2025 might be thought of 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 just accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an motion is dropped at implement tasks in relation to the environmental assessment course of and that these tasks have been happy. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its tasks below 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 deal with ongoing impacts. Due to this fact, as offered by federal laws 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 way of 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 laws at 24 CFR half 58; (c) the grant recipient or different members 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 performing pursuant to 40 CFR Half 1504 has subm itted a written discovering that the undertaking is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental high quality. Objections have to 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 through electronic 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.