A House Appropriations Committee panel will hold a hearing on the new disaster resilience Community Development Block Grant (which will actually be a competitive grant) proposed in the latest Administration-requested supplemental we reported on to our subscribers last week. For new subscribers who didn’t get that update, please email me and I’ll send it to you directly. The hearing takes place on Dec. 1st at 9:30am ET and will be webcast. For details: https://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=395069
Another panel of that subcommittee will take testimony from the Corps of Engineers on its portion of the supplemental request on November 29th at 11am ET., It’s also webcast. Details: https://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=395064 This event will feature the new Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works), Ryan Fisher. When an ASA is confirmed by the Senate (also see our last update), Mr. Fisher will resume is position as Principal Deputy Assistant to the ASA.
We’ve got an inside scoop that guidance has been issued by Corps Headquarters for the South Atlantic Comprehensive Study authorized by WRDA ’16. It’s not yet on the Corps’ website, but you can find it on WaterLog under the Policy and Alerts banner. Major Surprise: It’s cost-shared 75-25 because Headquarters has smartly decided that it should be classified as a “Watershed Management Study”. You can find out more about this type of study by clicking on the Sea Level Rise/Watershed Management buttons on this WaterLog webpage: http://www.aldenst.com/waterlog/climate-change-coasts/
Newly posted on the WaterLog website are reports on reducing regulatory and other burdens to speed infrastructure projects and a letter from several organizations calling on the Corps to be less restrictive in its application of the “Federal standard” for disposal of dredged material.
WaterLog Tip: Check out this committee report just published on HR 1735. It direct FEMA to adopt guidance for property buyouts in order to create open spaces for coastal resilience. The bill has not yet been scheduled for House floor debate.
I hope you have a very enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday.
