1999-10-28_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Summer 1999 'T L6C Page 3 I S~1S~ by ~?ave Johnson ®ne of the important ways that Minnesota DNR Waters accomplishes it's strategic mission is through the Flood Damage Reduction Grant Program. The Flood Damage Reduction Grant Assistance Program (FDR) was established by the 1987 Legislature to provide technical and financial assistance to local government units for reducing the extent of flood dam- ages. Under this program the state makes cost-share grants for up to 50% of the total non-federal cost of flood mitigation projects. The FDR program played a key role in the recovery efforts from the 1997 Spring floods. 'The DNR, through the FDR program, was the lead agency on the Minnesota Recovers Disaster Task. Force for all acquisition and structural flood control projects. The Task Force, utilizing funds from the FDR and other continued on page 4... state and federal programs, acquired over 1200 homes from the floodplain and constructed 26 community ring levees in addition to other flood damage reduction projects such as storm water pumping stations and flood walls. The DNR administered $17 million dollars toward the efforts of the Recovery Task Force. In addition, the FDR program funded $2.4 million dollars of farmstead ring dike construction in partnership with the Red River Watershed Management Board and 9 Red Lake Watershed Districts. The FDR program also paid $550,000 for the local share of 12 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 205 studies. These studies will lead to federal flood control projects for which DNR Waters will provide additional cost share through the FDR program. Since the inception of the program, almost $61 million in state grant monies have been distributed to local units of govemment across Minnesota for flood damage reduction projects. Flood damage mitigation projects in Minnesota have averted over one-half billion dollars in damages. The 1998 Legislature recognized the cost effectiveness of FDR projects and Floodplain restoration in East Grand Forks. Acquisition of over 500 homes and the construction of setback levees are restoring over 2000 acres of floodplain.