Thursday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries delivered their final biological opinion (BiOp) on the National Floodplain Insurance Program (NFIP) in Oregon to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA.) The BiOp is posted on NOAA Fisheries’ website along with a break-out of the reasonable and prudent alternative (RPA) and a background/FAQ document (third through fifth bullets under “Habitat Protection, Floodplains”). AOC staff are still digesting the information.
Partners at DLCD will have a web page dedicated to the BiOp. A link will be located on their Home page and on the Natural Hazards page. DLCD will keep the site updated with information about outreach efforts. These efforts will be led by FEMA with assistance from DLCD, and will take two or three weeks to organize.
AOC staff plans on working with the League of Oregon Cities and other partners to interpret the BioOp and set up an informational meeting and round table discussion on the implications of the new information.