Avoid the disaster after the disaster : healing the land with emergency watershed protection

10 Pages·1994·0.75 MB·English

by  United States. Soil Conservation Service

Document
Historic, Arcliive
Do assume
not content reflects current
scientific l<nowledge, policies, or practices.

-
hen a natural
disaster strikes
your community
whether it's fire, flood, hurricane,
tornado or earthquake - the after
effects of the emergency often times
can be just as threatening as the
emergency itself. Natural disasters
can strip the land, leaving it
susceptible to erosion by wind and
water, to floods and to other natural
When
disasters. the land is
vulnerable, lives and property are
also threatened. Before a threatening
situation arises in your community,
learn how watersheds can be
protected, in the aftermath of a
natural disaster, with assistance from
the Emergency Watershed Protection
program.

EWP
Provides the Answers!i
QA
QA
What is a What does
watershed the Emergency
emergency? Watershed Protection
program do?
when a naturaloccurrencecause? _ • " / —
or repairs necessary to protect
a sudden watershed impairment,
lives, land and property from
creating an imminent threatto
possible floods, drought and
lifeor property. Thereare two
-
types ofthreatening situations
qa:
exigencyand nonexigency. What type
of protection
Exigencyinvolves a clear threat
is ayailoble?
to lifeand propertyand requires
inmiediateaction. In a
nonexigencysituation, the
on its own
damage to lifeorpropertyis high f^J^^fSCS work
enough toconstitutea continue removing debris from
fe:
hazard,butnotanimmediate streamchannels and bridge
threatto lifeorproperty. abutments, reshaping and
QA protecting eroding streambanks,
Who
takes
repairing levees and structures
NC ^
leadership to
and reseedingdamaged land
lend assistance in a watershed
emergency situation? QA
L-ongress nas autnon^ed me Who applies for
USDASoil ConservationService the assistance?
^gh
to respond towatershed disasters the EVvr |7rt>grdIIi 15
by directing technical assistance administered by the Soil
to landowners and administering Conservation Service, individuals
funds throughthe Emergency in need ofemergency assistance
Watershed Protection (EWP) can contact a local, city, county,
program. state or watershed authority for
sponsorship. Sponsors apply to assurance that funds are not
the local SCS office in writingby available from other sources; and
stating the nature, location and appoint a representative who will Applicants must apply
scope ofthe problem. The request workto acquire land rights, through a project sponsor.
should also suggest the extent provide additional information
C Emergency work is limited to
and type ofwork that is needed and obtain funds for nonexigency
the leastcostlymeans of
and include a statement about measures that willinvolve cost-
removing the threat.
the sponsor's wiUingness to sharing.
assume operation and JPi^^!EWP funds cannotbe used to
qa::W:ho
maintenance responsibiUties and is solve problems that existed
the sponsor's intent to provide a eligible for before the disaster; they cannot
ssistance?
be used to raise the level of
portion of installation costs.
OA Public o^lPPpl landowners, protection that existed prior to
Why is a sponsor land managers and land users are the emergency; and they cannot
needed? 1 (ligible for assistance iftheir be used to work on measures
Sponsors provide the lega k^atershed area hasbeen installed by another federal
authority to obtain land and impaired by a natural disaster. To agency.
water rights to do repair work be eligible, applicants mustlack LiEWP work mustbe
and securenecessary permits. the funds or resources necessary
economically and
Sponsors also furnish local cost to provide relief.
environmentally defensible and
sharing, install the work and
hat types of sound from an engineering
provide for maintenance of
situations are standpoint. It cannot adversely
completed emergency measures
eligible for EWP assistance? affect downstream water rights.
ho can sponsor Tobe eligible for assistanc EWP funds cannotbe used for
an EWP project? measure must retard runoffto operation and maintenance work
Local officials of city, county and prevent soil erosion or flooding; or to repair private or public
state government; Indian tribes; reduce threats to life or property transportation facilities or
Soil Conservation Districts; caused by a watershed utilities.
federal agencies; watershed emergency; and benefit more QA
authorities and others may than one individual, except in an Who absorbs
sponsor EWPprojects. exigency situation where single the cost?
beneficiaries are permitted. The BCS'will pay /l^eimtrOT
What must the the construction costs forEWP
measures. Local sources must
Sponsors must certify that then provide cash or in-kind
have the legal authority to apply services for the remaining 25
for federal assistance; certify that percent. Local sponsors are also
they have passed a motion or responsible for any costs
adopted a similar resolution to associated with land rights
apply for the assistance; provide acquisition.
v.-
10 EASY STEPS
TO EWP
INITIATE
ASSISTANCE
WHEN YOU ARE
THE SPONSOR
(Pcontact your local SCS office.
EWP
2. Apply for assistar\ce as a local
sponsor.
3. Allow SCS to investigate the site.
4. Allow SCS to determine if the
EWP
situation qualifies for
assistance.
5. Allow SCS to request funding jt ..C-USS"^ NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY^
EWP
for the project.
6. Expect notification of funding
eligibility.
7. Allow SCS to coordinate and
EWP
plan the project.
Help secure land right permits.
8.
Help implement the EWP work.
9.
10. Provide for maintenance of
completed emergency measures.
TheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)prohibits
discriminationinitsprogramsonthebasisofrace,color,nationalorigin,
s(weNhxo,otrraelelliqgupiiroroneh,iaablgitete,erdndaibstaaibsvieelsimtaeyp,apnplosylifttoiorcaaclllobmpemrluoiegnfrisacmaasnt)di.omPnaerorifstoaplnrsoorgwirftaahmmidliiinsafalboisrltmiaatttiueiss.on ,fc/-~> fi"*^ ^^^^ tion Service
(braille largeprint,audiotape,etc.)shouldcontacttheUSDAOfficeof
CommunicaHonsat(202)720-5881(voice)or(202)720-7808(TDD).
Tofileacomplaint,writetheSecretaryofAgriculture,U.S.Departmentof
Agriculture,Washington,D.C.,20250,orcall(202)720-7327(voice)or(202)
720-1127(TDD).USDAisanequalemploymentopportunityemployer. :al :
^4 Printedwithsoy-basedinkonrecycledpaper