national emergency watershed protection (ewp) program
DESCRIPTION
National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program Presentation, March 13, 2015TRANSCRIPT
NATIONAL EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROTECTION (EWP) PROGRAMFred Reaves - National Program Manager
USDA – NRCS, Washington DC301-504-1699
United States Department of Agriculture
What Is The Emergency Watershed Protection Program?
The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program was set up by Congress to respond to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is designed to relieve imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences. The purpose of EWP is to help groups of people with a common problem. It is generally not an individual assistance program.
NRCS may bear up to 75 percent of the cost of emergency measures or up to 90 percent in limited resource areas. The remaining cost-share must come from local sponsor and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services.
Is Financial Assistance Available?
Limited Resource Area Cost-Share
Criteria for Limited Resource Status……
Up to 90% based on:
housing values……less than 75% of State value
per capita income……75% or less than national average
unemployment……at least twice the national average over a 3 year period
and all 3 criteria must be met
Individuals, households, or landowner cannot qualify for limited resource status, only counties and parishes, and in some cases, communities
Eligible Sponsors
State Government
Local units or subdivisions of state government
Other government entities (i.e., SWCDs, daring boards, levee boards, etc.)
Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations
Sponsor’s Responsibilities
Ability to provide local share of construction costs
Responsible for operation & maintenance
Ability to obtain land rights
Ability to acquire permits
Eligible Impairment
Eligible Impairments
Other impairments
Earthquakes
Volcanic activity
Ice storms
Drought (as pertaining to wildfires to remove potential fuel loads)
Eligible Criteria
Reduce threat to life or property
Economically defensible
Alleviates sudden watershed impairment
Debris Removal
Eligible Measures cont’d
Streambank Stabilization
Eligible Measures cont’d
Critical Area Treatment
Eligible Measures cont’d
Levee Repair
Eligible Measures cont’d
PL 78-534 & 83-566 Structure Repair
Eligible Measures cont’d
Ice Damage
Eligible Measures cont’d
NRCS EWP Program Success Stories
NRCS - NY TribalEWP Assistance
Recent EWP Assistance to Limited Resource Area in New York
NY - EWP Assistance(Limited Resource Area)
EWP Program
Seneca National of Indians - 2 projects in response to flooding and erosive channel flows
2009 and 2010 (completed in 2010 and 2011)
$100K and $164K respectively
Including Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO) compliance - new experience for NRCS-NY
Map of Federally Recognized Tribes in NY
Sovereign Territory Boundaries Not Shown
Locations are approximate for display purposes
Seneca Nation of IndiansTonawanda Seneca Nation
Tuscarora NationCayuga Nation
Oneida Indian NationOnondaga Nation
St. Regis Mohawk TribeShinnecock Nation
EWP Assistance to Seneca Nation of Indians cont’d
Storm
25-28 December 2008 - Rainfall and snowmelt over 4 day period causing significant erosion and debris accumulation in local streams.
7-10 August 2009 - Rainfall and runoff over 4 day period causing significant erosion and debris accumulation in local streams threatening homes, roads, bridges, business in and immediate threat to human life.
Major debris jams were contributing to serious bank erosion and significant flooding. Removal of the debris jams reduced future flooding and channel bank erosion.
People Impacted
2,180 native Americans
Benefits Included
Protection of:
Public building, 26 private buildings, 2 bridges
Debris removed 7,000 feet
Roads protected 2,100 feet
Stream bank stabilized 12,225
feet
Lands protected 17.6 acres
Economic Protection
$28,000,000 (roads, property, business loss)
Cost
NRCS $372,647
Local sponsor $82,337
EWP Assistance to Seneca Nation of Indians cont’d
NRCS – AKEWP Assistance
Recent EWP Assistance to Limited Resource Area in Fort Yukon, Alaska
AK - EWP Assistance (Limited Resource Area)
EWP Program
• Fort Yukon, Alaska – one agreement was signed to repair or rebuild a protective measure for the tank farm out of the erosion zone and relocate to a protected site.
EWP Assistance to Fort Yukon, Alaska cont’d
Flood Ice Jam
May 2009 – Ice jam caused massive flooding removing a spur dike system and opened a fuel tank farm to the river.
Caused potential river contamination and threatened subsistence fisheries for the tribes along the river.
People Impacted
615 residences
Benefits Included
Old tank farm removed
1 utility protected
Sole fuel supply and subsistence fisheries protected
Catastrophic fuel spill into Yukon River prevented
Economic Protection
$7,000,000
Cost
NRCS $10,112,233
Local sponsor $2,513,127
EWP Assistance to Fort Yukon, Alaska cont’d
EWP Summary
Must be an imminent threat to life and property as a result of a natural disaster
Must alleviate a sudden impairment to the watershed
Must be economically defensible
Must have a sponsor, except floodplain easements
If You Have Questions, Please Contact Your Local offices of the Natural Resources Conservation Service at www.nrcs.usda.gov
An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
United States Department of Agriculture