Proposed Restrictions Building in Oregon’s Flood Plains
Building in flood zones is about to get harder across much of Oregon, due to new federal recommendations.
The government published the recommendations, called a biological opinion, in response to a lawsuit from environmental groups. The Audubon Society of Portland, National Wildlife Federation, Northwest Environmental Defense Center and Association of Northwest Steelheaders had argued that federal flood insurance was encouraging development detrimental to threatened salmon.
Will Stelle, regional administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the agency recommends FEMA make several efforts to change the flood insurance program.
The biological opinion does not directly ban development in flood plains along salmon-bearing waterways. But there is a “no net loss” policy, requiring that developers or property owners mitigate any lost salmon habitat with new habitat.
FEMA said that 251 Oregon communities have flood plain areas along salmon-bearing rivers and streams out of 271 communities with flood plains. Affected areas are up and down the coast, throughout the Willamette Valley, east to the Idaho border and into much of central Oregon.
Some Oregon communities and leaders have expressed concern about the effect rules could have on property owners and potential development near salmon-bearing streams.
Environmental groups have signaled their support, and optimism that the changes to flood insurance could improve recovery efforts for threatened salmon and steelhead.
The two agencies at the center of the changes, NOAA and FEMA, do not see eye-to-eye on all aspects of what about the federal flood insurance program should change. As NOAA regional administrator Will Stelle explained on a conference call the two agencies differ on the approaches to take.