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flood hazards

Flood Resilience

Flood Resilience is a term that has become more commonly used, and generally means that damages are minimized during times of flooding resulting in less risk to people and infrastructure and ensuring that there is ample room for flooding and river adjustment to occur where the opportunity may exist. It also means that flood recovery may be less expensive and may get people back on their feet more quickly than in past flood events, and that the water resource is not negatively affected and is able to recover on its own.

Funding Opportunities

Becoming more flood resilient, through restoring, protecting and conserving river corridors and floodplains has several benefits.  Avoiding human encroachment in areas susceptible to flooding and erosion mitigates the loss of life and property during floods.  River corridors and floodplains also provide important terrestrial and aquatic habitat and help to maintain and improve water quality.  Additional incentives for communities to take actions to become more flood resilient include receiving priority rating in several competitive grant programs administered by the Agency of Natural Resour

Flood Hazard Area and River Corridor Protection Procedure

September 7, 2017
The Flood Hazard Area & River Corridor Protection Procedure describes how DEC: 1)Defines and maps flood hazard areas and river corridors; 2) makes floodway determinations and recommendations Under Criterion 1D – Floodways, in support of Act 250 and Section 248 proceedings; 3)involves municipalities, regional planning commissions, and other affected parties in the update and revision of river corridor maps, and 4) makes recommendations to other programs, departments, and agencies of state government regarding activities proposed in flood hazard areas and river corridors.

Vermont Flood Hazard Area and River Corridor Rule

March 1, 2015
The Flood Hazard Area and River Corridor Rule regulates development exempt from municipal regulation within designated Flood Hazard Areas and River Corridors. Development exempt from municipal regulation includes state-owned and operated institutions and facilities; accepted agricultural and silvicultural practices; and, power generation, transmission, and telecommunication facilities requiring a Certificate of Public Good from the Public Service Board (30 V.S.A. §§ 248 and 248a; statutes available online at http://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/). Permits are intended to ensure compliance with National Flood Insurance Program criteria and that development exempt from municipal regulation within in Flood Hazard Areas and River Corridors is safe and accomplished in a manner that is consistent with the public health, safety, and welfare, and does not impair stream equilibrium, floodplain services, or the river corridor.

Environmental Geology Reports, 1971-1975

The Environmental GeologyReport series are simplified versions of maps of bedrock and surficial materials, construction conditions, groundwater potential, solid waste disposal, sand and gravel reserves, and septic conditions. The series, developed for planning purposes, includes text and regional information.

Env Geology No 1: Geology for Environmental Planning in the Barre-Montpelier Region, Vermont, DP Stewart, 1971, 5 plates plus text 

National Flood Insurance Program

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a voluntary program managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Insurance Agency (FIA).  The NFIP provides access to federally-backed flood insurance.  The NFIP was created by the US congress in 1968 to try to address the rising costs of flood losses and flood-related disaster assistance across the country.  The focus of this program is aimed at reducing the impacts of flooding on private and public structures through local community adoption of a minimum set of local land use regulations in FEMA-mapped fl

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