Authority: Executive Order No. 149: FEMA and Flood Plain Use.

Jurisdiction: Floodplains in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Applicability: Construction by state agencies must avoid floodplains. State-administered grant and loan programs must avoid supporting construction in flood plains, to the extent possible.

Regulatory Summary: Designates the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR, formerly the Department of Environmental Management) as the state coordinating agency to implement the National Flood Insurance Program. Requires all state agencies, to the extent possible, to avoid construction, provision of loans or grants, conveying, or permitting projects in floodplains. Provides for Massachusetts participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Review Process: Contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine if a proposed project is in a floodplain. Projects proposed in floodplains are reviewed in conjunction with Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (15), Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (17), and Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (22) reviews. Technical assistance is also available from the DCR Flood Hazard Management Program.

Forms: No additional forms for floodplain review.

Fees: No additional fees for floodplain review.

Website: FEMA at http://store.msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1
DCR Flood Hazard Management Program at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/mitigate/.

Contact: FEMA (800) 358-9616; DCR Flood Hazard Management Program (617) 626-1250.