FEMA has required participating communities to implement a floodplain management program, including permitting, since the 1968 National Flood Insurance Act.  The National Flood Insurance Program requires a compliant floodplain management program as a condition of continued participation.  In exchange for implementing an NFIP-compliant floodplain management program, property owners in the community to receive federally-subsidized insurance, federally-backed mortgages, and Small Business Administration loans.  Participating communities are also eligible for public assistance to repair or mitigate publicly owned property after flooding.

The Model Permit was developed to assist floodplain managers and can be adapted to a community’s floodplain characteristics.  It can also reflect the zoned development/land uses in a participating community.  This product provides checklists that coordinate with FEMA Technical Bulletins and ASCE 24.  There are also appendices that include the State Land Resource Protection permit by Rule and General Permits that must be incorporated into local decision-making as required by FEMA’s “Precedence Rule” (44 CFR 60.1(d)).  Other State requirements such as deed restrictions for enclosures greater than 6 feet in height, riparian buffers and other best practices are also incorporated into the checklists.

The Model Permits are designed to be partially completed by applicants and provide a format for Floodplain Administrators to track compliance, violations, and variances.  It also includes the new Local Design Flood Elevation Worksheet to ensure that best available data and local freeboard is determined consistently and tracked.  Examples of this worksheet filled out for different scenarios can be found on our General Resource Links for Flooding page.