Agenda - 11-04-1996 - 9d - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 • In the immediate aftermath of hurricane Fran, it was initially assumed that the US Army Corps of Engineers would to be the federal agency that would provide all debris removal assistance to the state and local governments. However, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (MRCS -formerly the Soil Conservation Service [SCS]) of the US Department of Agriculture(USDA) operates an ongoing program to fund repair or remediation activities necessary to address stream channel damage caused by storms, floods, etc. This program, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program(EWP), has been designated by the federal government as the sole instrument for its assistance to state and local governments in addressing debris removal from streams and waterways. The procedure for obtaining NRCS/EWP assistance begins with a letter requesting the assistance. The NRCS then begins helping the local government (sponsor) identify and quantify the level of assistance required. Engineers from the NRCS evaluate the each area where debris removal is proposed to develop priority ratings which are assigned on a state or regional basis. Highest priorities are assigned to those areas where potential flooding poses the greatest threat of loss of life, inhabited buildings, or public and private infrastructure. Once NRCS assistance has been requested and NRCS engineers have evaluated a debris removal project or projects as essential, the sponsor is responsible, at minimum, for: 1)obtaining legal right-of- entry documentation; 2)guaranteeing that it has and will contribute funds equal to twenty-five percent of the project cost and 3)providing local coordination of debris removal efforts. According to NRCS officials, the state has committed to providing the twenty-five percent local share on a reimbursement basis(a copy of the memo confirming state reimbursement is attached). The NRCS provides three levels of service in the EWP process. The first level is one in which the local sponsor is responsible for preparing all project plans and specifications, for all bidding and contract award activities, project administration and inspection, etc. NRCS basically evaluates and prioritizes sites and provides seventy-five percent of the funding for approved debris removal sites. NRCS must also evaluate and approve local procurement procedures. In its second level of service, the NRCS prepares all bid documents, provides all project inspection, prepares bid packages, etc. The local sponsor accepts bids, awards contracts and provides contract administration. The sponsor also makes direct payment to contractor(s)with NRCS reimbursing seventy-five percent of project costs (see attached NRCS information packet for locally contracted projects). In its third level of service, the NRCS handles all aspects of the project (with the exceptions of Right-of-Entry Agreements and local coordination) and bills the local sponsor for its twenty-five percent share(see attached MRCS information packet for federally contracted projects).