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Exploring Creative Roles States Are Playing to Get People Out of Harm’s Way

July 11th, 2024

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Why An Acquisition/Buyout Series?

Connect and interact as a community of practice in ways that local, state, federal governments, Tribes and NGOs are better able to create, fund, and implement watershed-scale acquisition and buyout programs to reduce flood losses and create opportunities for conservation and/or salmon recovery efforts; and

Learn from other leaders across the nation working on buyout and acquisition programs as Washington State begins to explore the possible creation of a more effective statewide acquisition program.

Welcome.

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4-Part Acquisition Series

FBD Lunch and Learn: Flood Risk: Need for acquisitions and buyouts - June 6th

This L&L provides information from Washington State EMD’s newly created Disaster Resilience Program and a national perspective of flood risk and how local communities are taking action to reduce post-disaster losses, with a focus on costs, time and impacts. This L&L starts a series of discussions in different forums in June and July exploring acquisitions and buyouts as a tool for flood risk reduction.

FEMA CTP Webinar: Crafting and Funding a local acquisition/Buyout Strategy - June 10th

Come learn and share strategies for crafting a property acquisitions and buyout strategy, either in advance of or in response to a damaging flood event. Topics will include clarifying the purpose of your strategy and establishing priority areas and parcels, equity considerations and beginning to understand considerations about funding relative to community needs, competitiveness, requirements, timing of disbursements and more. This Webinar is hosted through the Cooperating Technical Partnership between American Rivers, BEF and FEMA.

FEMA CTP Webinar: Implementing a local acquisition/buyout Approach - June 13th

Learn specifics about the acquisition process, expertise needed for success and hear a panel of local experts reflect on lessons learned and approaches to implementing successful programs. Specific topics will include landowner engagement and generating interest, outreach letters, creating and sustaining willing buyer lists, demolition and more. This Webinar is hosted through the Cooperating Technical Partnership between American Rivers, BEF and FEMA.

FBD Lunch and Learn: Exploring Creative Roles States Are Playing to Get People out of Harm’s Way - July 11th YOU ARE HERE!

As flood disasters grow increasingly destructive and costly, many states are seeking ways to serve communities with greater flexibility, responsiveness, and equity. Courtney will share an overview of the Blue Acres program and lessons learned in working with landowners and communities to fund and complete buyouts. Garin will share his research on how to support communities in buyout programs with a social justice lens.

Note Completed May 23rd CTP Webinar: On interrelated Hazard Mitigation Planning.

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Today’s Speakers:

Courtney Wald-Wittkop leads the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Blue Acres Program, which incorporates climate resilience planning into the design and execution of proactive, voluntary flood buyouts. During her 19 years at NJDEP, she has applied for and secured over $400 million in federal grants. She is a committed bridge builder, who has worked with various state and federal agencies, communities, and partners to protect and enhance New Jersey’s natural resources, and to expand open space and outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. She has a background in project management, land use planning, geography, land preservation, and grant management. Courtney is a proud graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and she holds a Master’s degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick.

Garin Bulger is a Research Specialist with the Center for Urban Policy Research at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. His research focuses on climate adaptation policy, environmental policy, community-led work, and climate justice. Specifically, he studies how communities across the world are implementing local food system programs, the policies that influence them, and food sovereignty programs as methods with which to adapt to climate change. Garin is also a PhD student in Public Policy at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.

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Agenda

12:00 - 12:05 - Welcome and Context

12:05 - 12:30 - Courtney Wald-Wittkop - Blue Acres 101

12:30-12:45 - Garin Bulger - How To Build A Better Buyout Program

12:45-12:55 - Discussion

12:55-1:00 - Closing

1:00 - 1:30 - Informal time for ongoing discussion if desired

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Stepping Stones to an Acquisition

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Courtney’s slides go here

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June 10th: Crafting and Funding

June 13th: Implementing

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How to Build a Better Buyout Program

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Effecting Community Focused Buyouts in New Jersey

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Setting the Scene

New Jersey is a water-logged state
130 miles of coast
6,450 miles of river

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Policy Response

Flood buyouts
Blue Acres
The evolution of Blue Acres
Testing municipal belief of fiscal effects of buyouts

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Unique New Jersey

564 municipalities
Home-rule state
Enormous reliance on property tax (90%+ of municipal revenue)
200k+ NFIP claims (4^th most)
$8b+ in claims (4^th most)

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Blue Acres in Action

How it works
Strengths
Weaknesses
Blue Acres 3.0

Now we get to Blue Acres, the New Jersey statewide buyouts program. Blue Acres acts as the administrative and financial interlocutor between the federal funding agencies and the municipalities. Blue Acres has substantial administrative capacity, able to execute large and complex buyouts on behalf on municipalities. However, its weaknesses are apparent. Because New Jersey is a home rule state, municipalities posses the legal ability to execute buyouts only on their terms. Blue Acres has no sustainable funding, unlike Harris Country Flood Control and Charlotte-Mecklenberg, which makes it incredibly dependent on federal funding that are often only available after disasters. Harris Country Flood Control District has a $1 billion judicial bond, while Charlotte-Mecklenberg utilizes an impervious surface that for every property in the county. Because of this lack of sustainable funding, they typically do not offer funding beyond the pre-storm appraised value, which in turn creates often financially unattractive buyout packages for homeowners. It does not attempt to create well thought out buyout packages that might include relocating funding or additional funding for staying within the municipality or county. It allows for patchwork buyouts, minimizing potential municipal savings by removing roads or utilities no longer needed. Lastly, but possibly most importantly, the formalized buyout process ends with the passing of the deed from the homeowner to the municipality. No effort is made towards assisting homeowners as they transition out of the home, and no effort is made towards ensuring something positive (whether fiscally positive or emotionally positive) happens with the lot.

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Properties in floodplains decline in value between 4-14% compared to non-floodplain neighbors

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Post Buyout Land Use Interventions

Parks
Green space value
Countless studies have shown that being near parks or greenspace will improve property value

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“One of the reasons we started redevelopment in the beginning was for flood buyouts, for people who couldn’t find a place to stay in the community. We don’t have a lot of renting available in the community (for those who) don’t want apartments. (Because of this lack of available renting options in town) we did get a small handful of those people that (don’t participate in buyouts)."

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Prevailing issues of NJ community outreach

Too little
Too late
Inflexible

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Blue Acres Lack of Flexibility

Process begins post disaster
Too many applications are dismissed
Lack of self-sustaining funding
Thus, funding is limited
No post-buyout assistance

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But… Blue Acres 3.0!

How to improve the program

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New Knowledge Generation Needed

What do buyout participants need most assistance with?
Where do they go?
How are communities effected?

Socially
Economically

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In Summary…

Blue Acres is a standout buyouts program, but can’t ignore deficiencies
Towns are losing revenue
Need to better incentive people to stay put
Need additional administrative capacity

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Thank You

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Upcoming Events and Past Event Recordings

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The End of A Series!

Links to Recordings from Past Events

May Webinar - Integrating Nature-Based Solutions for Effective Hazard Mitigation Planning

Click here for recording: https://vimeo.com/956737558

June 6th L&L: Flood Risk - A Need for Acquisition and Buyouts Click here for video: https://vimeo.com/954568495

Click here for slidedeck: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yw-X0mK1iVWqRWmq9l0I9e7aqI6kwrfQ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110040039135982504015&rtpof=true&sd=true

June 10th Webinar: Crafting and Funding a Local Acquisition & Buyout Strategy

Click here for the recording: https://vimeo.com/956571501

Click here for the slidedeck: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dklo-ESXlITzTQi6wobEW_-NfKlVXAVD/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110040039135982504015&rtpof=true&sd=true

June 13th Webinar: Implementing a Local Acquisition and Buyout Approach

Click here for the recording: https://vimeo.com/958008793/bf668e35e3

Click here for the slidedeck: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D4Uigb0vI8i_ik5r2yBwINJjIzXV2wCo/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110040039135982504015&rtpof=true&sd=true

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Upcoming Lunch and Learns and Webinars

August: SUMMER! No Lunch and Learn
September: Landowner Engagement and Trust-building

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Resources -

Compiled from the Entire Series

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Resources

RCO Manual 3: Acquisition Projects

This is a go-to resource for acquisition support as it provides information on steps and procedures relevant for many acquisitions regardless of the funding source.

USACE: National Nonstructural Committee

https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Project-Planning/nnc/

Book: Seek Higher Ground, The natural solution to our urgent flooding Crisis - by Tim Palmer

https://www.powells.com/book/seek-higher-ground-9780520382732

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https://ticforenviros.learnworlds.com/

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Links to AR Siders Work Provided in Chat

AR Siders Website: https://www.sidersadapts.com/

This report by AR Siders and L. Gerber-Chavez draws on case studies and interviews with experienced buyout administrators to understand why buyout programs are challenging and to identify how administrators have managed to reduce or overcome challenges.

https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/Buyouts_Lessons_Learned_Siders_Gerber_Chavez_TNC_Full_Report_2021.pdf

Social justice implications of US managed retreat

buyout programs - AR Siders

https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10584-018-2272-5?author_access_token=bAr_N6AU7_14U0_5I_OrxPe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY6i0pTTVhGWP4AkulV6LxNlFsRLvpYsDANA8Dx97FmnZoxIcXxln3NQ8r9bkFZGGNeqt-pFbtJ4wShJuHEqyM94XoBuXD1lTgWtyRyhVP6NIA%3D%3D

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A Few Other Acquisition Program Examples Shared by Elizabeth Bulter (WA Recreation and Conservation Office) from the 2022 Land Trust Alliance (LTA) Rally in New Orleans

The Challenges of Low Fair Market Value (LTA Rally EO1 -Wicker)

The Challenges of High Fair Market Value (LTA Rally EO1-Stiff Friel)

The Challenges of Maintaining Community (LTA Rally EO1 Keller)