Are you interested in reducing flood insurance premiums while enhancing your community's resilience? Then this webinar series, presented by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) and the Coastal States Organization (CSO), is for you. The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a federal incentive program that provides flood insurance policyholders with discounts on their premiums in exchange for their community taking actions to reduce flood risk. In 2015, ASFPM and CSO began researching elements of the CRS program that can both enhance community resilience and protect the environment. This free webinar series will specifically highlight how communities can achieve success in these “green” elements of the CRS program.
This is the third webinar in a four-part webinar series focused on the CRS program. The goal of this workshop is to introduce attendees to Activity 420 (Open Space Preservation) of the CRS program and share tools and resources that communities can use to earn credit.
Moderator:
Bradley Watson, Acting Executive Director at the Coastal States Organization
Bradley Watson is CSO’s Acting Executive Director. Spanning parts or all of four Congresses, Bradley worked for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure under the late Chairman James L. Oberstar, as a member of the investigations team for the Senate Armed Services Committee under Senator Carl Levin, and as a senior legislative staffer for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Bradley is a graduate of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and the evening program at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. Bradley is a native of Prince Georges County, Maryland, is admitted to the bar in the State of Maryland, and resides on Capitol Hill.
Presenters:
Melissa Rosa, Geospatial Specialist, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Melissa Rosa is a Geospatial Specialist with over 10 years of experience in GIS and remote sensing for natural resource management, conservation planning, and hazard mitigation. At the NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, she develops geospatial products and provides direct technical assistance to coastal managers who work on climate adaptation planning in order to increase resilience to coastal hazards on the West Coast. Melissa holds a B.A. degree in Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a M.S. degree in Geographic Information Science from San Diego State University.
John Rozum, Senior Coastal Management Specialist, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
John Rozum is the Senior Coastal Management Specialist for NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. John works on numerous climate change–related trainings and projects, with a primary focus on the integration of geospatial tools and analysis into climate adaptation planning activities and the use of green infrastructure for coastal community resilience. He also has considerable experience helping communities integrate green infrastructure practices into their plans and regulations. John is a certified land use planner with over 20 years’ experience working at the local level as a consultant, a planning commissioner and a university educator.
Laura Flessner, GIS Manager, Global Oceans Team, The Nature Conservancy
Laura Flessner is the GIS Manager for The Nature Conservancy’s Global Oceans Team. She manages the development and use of mapping technologies to advance the Climate Risk & Resilience Strategy through the Coastal Resilience program, and supports strategic partnerships and opportunities across coastal, city, floodplain, freshwater, and land environments.
Time: All webinars in this four-part series will be held from 1:00PM-2:30PM CT/2:00PM-3:30PM ET
Target Audience: Floodplain managers, planners, and other local officials who are interested in joining the CRS or learning more about its "green" elements and CRS Coordinators who would like to give more attention to elements that will enhance the resiliency of their community and the natural environment.
Did you miss this webinar? Check out the webinar recording and slides for more information.
Not familiar with FEMA’s CRS program? No problem, visit FEMA’s CRS website or CRSresources.org to view overview videos or learn about FEMA’s upcoming CRS training. The CRS Green Guide Webinar Series is based on research and interviews conducted by ASFPM and CSO and is not part of official FEMA CRS webinars or training.
Image Credit: John Tiscorina (2016), City of Bellevue, Washington.