October 2006
IN THIS ISSUE …
1. Lobby
Day 2006 was a SUCCESS!
2. H. Res.
518 Nat’l Surveyor’s Week Resolution Update
3. FEMA
Flood Map Modernization Update.
4. Meeting
with new USGS Director, Mark Myers
1. Lobby
Day 2006 was a SUCCESS! --- Lobby Day 2006 was held on September 28, right before ACSM’s Fall Meeting, and it was a huge success. We had over
20 participants and went to over 60 meetings on Capitol Hill in one day! We discussed
a number of issues with staff in the House and Senate and even had a few
meetings with actual Members of Congress. It was agreed that future Lobby Days
will be held right before the fall meetings so that we can maximize ACSM member
participation. Hope you can join us next year!
2. H.
Res. 518 Nat’l Surveyor’s Week Resolution Update --- On of the issues we discussed
with Members of Congress and staff during Lobby Day was support for H. Res.
518, the National Surveyor’s Week Resolution. As noted in earlier updates, H.
Res. 518 passed the House Government Reform Committee by unanimous consent.
However, it needs 50 co-sponsors before it can be brought to the House floor
for full debate. When Lobby Day started, we had 21 co-sponsors. When Lobby Day
ended, we had 33 co-sponsors, 17 short of the needed 50. We learned that Congress
will be back is session after the election in November and through most of
December, so there is still time to get the 17 needed co-sponsors so that the
resolution can be brought up for consideration in November. Everyone is urged
to contact their representative and ask them to co-sponsor H. Res. 518.
A list of
the current co-sponsors can be found at:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HE00518:@@@P
3. FEMA
Flood Map Modernization Update --- Laurence Socci, along with
members of the FEMA Flood Map Modernization Coalition met recently with FEMA
staff to discuss progress of the FEMA Map Modernization Project. We were told
that FEMA is making a mid-course adjustment based upon unexpected problems and
concerns raised stakeholders. One of the changes FEMA is making is that it no
longer promises to map 100% of the country. It now plans to map only the areas
of the country with the greatest risk. According to its new “adjusted course”
FEMA will now map 65% of the land area of the U.S., 30% of stream and coastal
miles will be mapped with new, updated, or validated engineering analysis, and
40% of the population will be covered by maps with new, updated or validated
engineering analysis. FEMA is focusing resources on areas with highest risk and
admits that areas with less flood risk may not receive maps at all.
FEMA also
started a new initiative called “eLOMA” which
provides licensed land surveyors and professional engineers with a web based
system to submit and print simple LOMA requests. FEMA claims the new initiative
will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for the requestor to
receive a determination from FEMA and it will include audit procedures and
automatic checks to ensure accuracy. Information on the eLOMA
initiative can be found on the FEMA website.
The new
Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP version 2.0) was recently
released and contains a 60 day comment period. It can be found at:
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/mh_main.shtm
Please take
a moment to look it over.
4. Meeting
with new USGS Director, Mark Myers --- Laurence Socci had the
opportunity to meet recently with Mark Myers, the new USGS Director. In this
“get to know” meeting, we discussed several issues including the rumored destruction
of old paper maps currently in the possession of the USGS. Director Myers said
that he would like to hear more on the issue and other issues we may have with
the USGS.
According
to his biography, USGS Director Mark Myers is an internationally recognized
geologist and former State Geologist and head of Alaska's Geological Survey. He
is an expert on North Slope sedimentary and petroleum geology, and served as
survey chief for field programs in the MacKenzie
Delta (ARCO, 1985), Cook Inlet (State of Alaska/U.S. Geological Survey, 1997),
and North Slope (ARCO, 1999). He also served as sedimentologist
for 13 other North Slope field programs.
He is a
past president and board member of the Alaska Geological Society; a certified
professional geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists;
a certified petroleum geologist with the American Association of Petroleum
Geologists; and a licensed geologist with the State of Alaska.