DR-4434-CA Public Notice 002

Notice Date

INITIAL PUBLIC NOTICE: Sonoma County Flood Elevation Program, Sonoma County, California HMGP 4434-018-08

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to provide federal financial assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to Sonoma County, California to mitigate flood risks from the Russian River and its tributaries. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management) and FEMA’s implementing regulations at Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 9, FEMA hereby provides interested parties with a notice of its intent to carry out an action affecting a floodplain.

The purpose of the proposed action is to reduce flood risks in the communities of Forestville, Guerneville, and Monte Rio. The proposed action consists of elevating six residential structures at least two feet above the base flood elevation. At each proposed location 1) structural foundation work would be performed; 2) some excavation would be required but limited to the foundation footprint and within an estimated 15 feet around the existing house; 3) staging would occur in the driveway or adjacent yard; and 4) trees and/or vegetation would be removed, if at the start of construction, they hinder the execution of the project work. If any tree over 10 inches in diameter is removed, the County's tree policy would be followed, which requires obtaining a permit and having an arborist on site.

The existing houses are in the 100-year floodplain of the Russian River as depicted on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Numbers 06097C0538E, 06097C0657E, 06097C0659E, and 06097C0685E, dated December 2, 2008. The FIRMs show that the project sites lie within Zone AE, an area that has a 1 percent probability of flooding every year and where predicted floodwater elevations have been established.

Additional information about FEMA’s proposed action, including maps showing the potential impacts on floodplains, may be obtained by writing the FEMA Region IX Environmental Officer at FEMA, 1111 Broadway, Suite 1200, Oakland, California 94607, or fema-rix-ehp-documents@fema.dhs.gov, or calling (510) 627-7027. All requests should be received within 15 days after publication of this notice.

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