Report Shows Flood Insurance Unaffordable for California Farmers & New Guidelines are Needed Says Senator Feinstein, Congressman Garamendi, and Congressman LaMalfa

Press Release

Today, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-03), and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) announced the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report they requested titled National Flood Insurance Program: Additional Guidance on Building Requirements to Mitigate Agricultural Structures' Damage in High-Risk Flood Areas is Needed. The GAO report looks at the impact of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on agricultural producers in floodplains. GAO researchers met with producers in Sutter and Yolo counties, in addition to other counties across the country, to learn more about their experiences with the NFIP.

The three Members of Congress also sent a letter today (included below) to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate telling him that building requirements under the NFIP are so inflexible that they are forcing some producers in California "to forego plans to construct important agricultural structures in floodplains currently used for producing crops or livestock." These farmers are currently unable to expand their operations unless they flood proof buildings or build structures above the base flood elevation (BFE). In some areas of Northern California, the BFE is 15 feet above the ground and building barns or processing facilities on stilts 15 feet high is just not feasible. The letter urges FEMA to issue guidelines with additional flexibility for agricultural producers within one year.

"These inflexible regulations are like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. My constituents in Sutter and Yolo counties and residents across Northern California are constrained by rules that don't make sense. As a result, it is completely impractical and unaffordable for them to build or repair a variety of structures," said Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-03). "Congressman LaMalfa and I have introduced H.R. 3315 to protect agriculture from these unrealistic regulations. Also, together with Senator Feinstein, we are calling on FEMA to take swift action, so that agriculture can continue to serve as the backbone of California's rural economy."

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said, "The uncertainty created by the National Flood Insurance Program's new standards hurts California farmers. The GAO report clearly shows the current standards are unworkable for agricultural structures, and we strongly urge FEMA to provide farmers with additional flexibility that addresses their unique needs."

Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) said, "It's clear that current regulations fail to account for the distinction between residential and agricultural structures and impose unrealistic, unnecessary requirements on farmers and ranchers. The report makes a compelling case for updating FEMA floodplain rules to reflect the reality that farms and homes have different flood protection needs."

Kristi More, Federal Director for the Agricultural Floodplain Management Alliance said, "AFMA is incredibly thankful for the leadership of Senator Feinstein, Congressman Garamendi, and Congressman LaMalfa on this important issue. We look forward to continuing to work on finding relief for ag producers and preserving our rural communities."

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