Disaster response: Woody debris removal from streams

[David Williams]

To help prepare for hurricane season that begins Sunday, North Carolina is seeking input on states’ experiences getting federal assistance to remove storm-related debris from streams and drainage ways in the last decade. Historically, we could rely on NRCS-EWP to address this concern, but now we understand the EWP program manual limits eligibility to sites where there is a structure permanently affixed to the ground that will be threatened because of the stream blockage. This limitation has severely curtailed the opportunity to tap EWP to address blockages that impact only cropland/forestland. Our question is whether other states have been given a more favorable response to requests for federal assistance in these instances. Have states had success using the FSA-Emergency Conservation Program for this concern? How about FEMA or Army Corps of Engineers?

[Robert W. Toole]

Our experience in Oklahoma has been that there must be some structure/infrastructure that is being threatened in order to qualify for EWP funding.

[Don Underwood]

Katrina may not be the best example, due to the sheer magnitude and number of states, but we had a significant role in debris removal/drainage improvement. NRCS was appropriated money for the disaster (which we referred to as EWP funds) which they contracted with us to remove the debris and restore drainage in lower income areas of Jackson County on the coast. I believe the estimate was $5 Million and we got it done for approximately $4 Million. I can share procedures I use again and some I would refuse to ever, ever use again.

[Brian Farkas]

My experience has been it is best to work with state OES and seek FEMA reimbursement for expenses rather than wait on NRCS.

[Brad Spicer]

In LA we have not been successful in our efforts to get assistance from either FEMA or the COE to remove storm debris from waterways. After reviewing our request ( LA NRCS and the State of LA) by NRCS and FEMA attorneys at the Washington level in 2005 it was determined that the Stafford Act restricted FEMA and the COE from assisting the state or the NRCS in debris removal from our waterways. Additional they claimed that federal legislation makes it solely the NRCS’s mission to remove storm debris form waterways. Based on the attorneys’ interpretation, to get assistance from FEMA or the COE would require amending the Stafford Act. Also FSA – ECP assistance was limited to removing hazardous storm debris from farmland.

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