July 6, 2009
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
Chair, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and
Emergency Management
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Mario Diaz Balart
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings
and Emergency Management
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chair Norton and Ranking Member Graves:
The undersigned organizations are members of the Stafford Act Coalition and
are writing to support your efforts to reauthorize the Predisaster Mitigation
Program, as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act and the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K). The current
program authorization expires on September 30, 2009. Even if funding is
appropriated for the Predisaster Mitigation Program, the expiration requirement
would sunset the program. We are writing to ask the Committee to introduce and
pass legislative language reauthorizing the Predisaster Mitigation Program as
authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act and the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The undersigned organizations and
associations represent state and local officials, the nation's realtors, surveyors,
conservation interests, and others with a stake in flood management and
response, disaster mitigation and emergency response and recovery.
The Predisaster Mitigation Program is a valuable tool that allows all states to take
advantage of the opportunity to mitigate loss to life and property before a disaster
occurs. In 2005, the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council published a study that found
that for every $1 FEMA invested into mitigation projects, society saves
approximately $4. The key to the value of the programs is that predisaster
mitigation is coordinated through the Governors and the state hazard mitigation
plan as required by DMA2K.
Our group supports the Administration’s budget request of $150 million for
Predisaster Mitigation in FY 2010. At this time, we do not have enough
information on the proposal to change the program to a base plus risk formula in
order to offer comments on the proposed change. We look forward to working
with you on the reauthorization of the Predisaster Mitigation Program and for
ensuring the program’s adequate funding in FY 2010.
Sincerely,
The Stafford Act Coalition
AMERICAN CONGRESS ON SURVEYING AND MAPPING
Laurence Socci (202) 262-5843
AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION
Larry Zensinger (703) 849-0139
AMERICAN RED CROSS
Larry Decker (202) 303-4394
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
Martin Hight (202) 789-7850
ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS
Merrie Inderfurth (703) 448-0245
COASTAL STATES ORGANIZATION
Kristen Fletcher (202) 508-3860
COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS
Jim Brown (202) 624-5460
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS
Martha Braddock (703) 644-7082
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES
Dalen Harris (202) 942-4236
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
Russell Riggs (202) 383-1259
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS
Amy Linehan (202) 624-8177
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANGEMENT ASSOCIATION
Kristin Robinson (202) 624-5459
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
Leslie Wollack (202) 626-3000
NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION
Laura Schepis (703) 907-5500
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
David Conrad (202) 797-6697