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FEMA-Related Webinar, December 16, 2025
December 16, 2025 @ 6:00 pm
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center will host a webinar entitled “Beyond the High Water Mark: A Call for Floodplain Management Reform to Ensure Compliance with Federal Law and Bolster Community Resilience to Flooding and Climate Change.” You can sign up for this free webinar at https://oregonshores.org/?post_type=event&p=51628&preview=true
In light of recent “atmospheric rivers,” as well as the choices cities and counties must make as to which of three proposed levels of FEMA codes regarding floodplains to adopt, this webinar will be particularly relevant.
This presentation will go over the history of Northwest Environmental Defense Center et. al. v. Federal Emergency Management Agency which is the driving factor in Oregon communities moving to update their floodplain management codes. There will be a discussion of why adequate updates are necessary to ensure that local communities, developers, the State, and FEMA comply with federal law as they participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. Also, there will be talk about how protecting floodplain habitat necessarily allows building more resilient communities that are better able to withstand ever-increasing flooding events.
This webinar will provide local governments with a background on the history and reasoning for these reforms, as well as grassroots perspectives on the opportunities and implications posed by each pathway. This analysis will help to elevate and promote science-based decision making that will promote climate resilience and be responsive to various obligations under the Endangered Species Act and National Flood Insurance Program.