Now Open: FY 2019 Grants Application Period, BRIC Stakeholder Input Webinars Now Available Online, and More!

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October 8, 2019 -  Subscribe

In This Issue:

Now Open: FY 2019 Grants Application Period

The application period for FEMA’s Fiscal Year 2019 Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants under the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) programs is now open. Eligible applicants must apply for funding through the FEMA Mitigation eGrants system on the FEMA Grants Portal. All applications must be submitted no later than 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on January 31, 2020.

For FY19, a total of $410 million in funding is available through HMA’s two competitive grant programs, FMA and PDM.

  • For the FMA program, FEMA’s predetermined funding priorities include flood mitigation planning and efforts for repetitive as well as severe repetitive loss properties. In this application cycle, $160 million in funds are available. View the FY19 FMA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and Fact Sheet for more information: www.fema.gov/flood-mitigation-assistance-grant-program.
  • The PDM program is designed to implement a sustained pre-disaster natural hazard mitigation program with the goal of reducing overall risk to the population and structures from future hazard events. For FY19, FEMA has set aside $20 million of the $250 million in PDM funding for federally-recognized tribes. View the FY19 PDM NOFO and Fact Sheet for more information: www.fema.gov/pre-disaster-mitigation-grant-program.

FEMA’s two competitive mitigation grant programs provide states, tribes, and territories funding for eligible mitigation activities to strengthen our nation’s ability to build a culture of preparedness by reducing disaster losses and protecting life and property from future disaster damages.

The Fiscal Year 2019 hazard mitigation funding cycle represents a critical transition year for pre-disaster mitigation grants. One of the most substantive provisions of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 is Section 1234, which authorizes FEMA to develop a new pre-disaster mitigation program that is funded by a 6 percent set-aside from federal disaster assistance for each major disaster declaration. This new program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), will allow FEMA to support states and communities to undertake new and innovative infrastructure projects that reduce the risks they face from disasters. FEMA is already using the BRIC funding mechanism to advance its objective of increasing the nation’s resilience by making $250 million available for the FY19 PDM Program.

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Webinars about FY 2019 Grants Application Cycle

Throughout October, FEMA will continue to offer a series of webinars on the FY 2019 PDM and FMA grant programs. Upcoming sessions are listed below. You can also view the complete webinar schedule here.

eGrants for Beginners

Join this webinar to learn how to use Mitigation eGrants, the system that FEMA uses to accept and process all grant applications. This webinar will be offered twice and prospective FY19 applicants may attend either session. The webinar will cover how to access the system, where to go for help, and include a question and answer period. The webinar is primarily intended for subapplicants and new users.

For the online portion, please join via the Internet: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/beginnersegrants/. For audio, please call 1-800-320-4330 and enter conference code 338559.     

  • Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time 
  • Monday, October 21, 2019 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time 

Avoiding Application Pitfalls 

FEMA will offer a webinar on common PDM grant application errors and how to avoid them. This webinar will be offered twice and applicants may attend either session.

For the online portion, please join via the Internet: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/application-pitfalls/. For audio, please call 1-800-320-4330 and enter conference code 338559.

  • Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time

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Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Stakeholder Input Webinar Series 2019 Now Available Online

FEMA and its partners are working on the development and implementation of BRIC.

A series of four webinars held in June 2019 provided an overview as the BRIC program is being developed and facilitated an open conversation with stakeholders through the chat platform webinar tool. Participants were encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas in real-time during these webinars or had the option to provide comments on a dedicated idea sharing platform known as IdeaScale.

You can access recordings of the four webinars at https://www.fema.gov/drra-bric.

FEMA continues to monitor a dedicated email box for any comments or suggestions about the development of BRIC at buildbric@fema.dhs.gov.

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National Mitigation Investment Strategy (NMIS) Launch

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Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified a need for a coordinated, federal and national investment strategy for mitigation that reduces the nation’s exposure to future losses from disasters. In response, the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG) produced a National Mitigation Investment Strategy.

The Investment Strategy establishes a vision to save lives and money nationwide by investing in mitigation resources and activities such as:

  • Building to disaster-resistant codes or standards
  • Collecting and sharing data that identifies disaster risk
  • Aligning funding requirements and incentives to make mitigation doable
  • Identifying weaknesses that increase disaster risk
  • Sharing expertise and advice on how to mitigate 

The Investment Strategy’s national vision is for the whole community, which includes individuals, families, communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal governments.

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DRRA Section 1231 Fact Sheet: Acquisition of Property for Open Space and Policy Clarification

Screenshot of 1231 Fact Sheet

Through its Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs, FEMA funds the voluntary acquisition of hazard-prone properties from private owners. Property acquisition is not new for FEMA; however, DRRA Section 1231 contains new requirements for the project notification process and emphasizes a community’s responsibilities regarding acquired land.

The newly released DRRA Section 1231 Fact Sheet outlines these new requirements for state, tribal, territorial and local governments and supplements existing FEMA guidance on property acquisition projects per the DRRA.

FEMA also released a policy clarification on the Eligibility of Hazard Mitigation Assistance Applications with Pre-Award Demolitions. This policy clarifies that when private individuals have demolished damaged structures using private funds or other non-federal funds prior to application for HMA funding, the properties will now be eligible for inclusion in HMA project applications if the demolition is not connected to the project. The demolition costs cannot be included in the project application. 

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Dates For Your Calendar

Webinars

eGrants for Beginners

  • Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time 
  • Monday, October 21, 2019 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time 

Avoiding Application Pitfalls

  • Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time

Mitigation Training

Hazus for Flood

  • December 2-5 Emmitsburg, Maryland

Benefit-Cost Analysis: Entry-Level

  • October 16-17 Emmitsburg, Maryland

Managing Floodplain Development through the NFIP

  • October 7-10 Rocky Mount, North Carolina
  • October 7-10 Las Vegas, New Mexico
  • October 21-24 Lewiston, Idaho
  • October 28-31 Doral, Florida

Managing Floodplain Development thru the NFIP  

  • December 2-5 Emmitsburg, Maryland

HMA: Application Review and Evaluation

  • October 28-29 Anchorage, Alaska

HMA: Project Implementation and Programmatic Closeout

  • October 30-31 Anchorage, Alaska

National Flood Insurance Program/Community Rating System

  • October 7-10 Downers Grove, Illinois

Introduction to Environmental and Historic Preservation Compliance

  • November 13-15 Anniston, Alabama
  • December 16-18 Anniston, Alabama

ArcGIS for Emergency Managers

  • January 13-16 Emmitsburg, Maryland

Executive Order 11988 and 11990: Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection

  • October 16-18 Anniston, Alabama

More information on upcoming training and registration.

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