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FSM 3500 - COOPERATIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
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CHAPTER 3540 - EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROTECTION
3540.4 - Responsibilities.
3540.41 - Soil Conservation Service. State Conservationists will notify concerned
area and field offices of the U.S. fish and Wildlife Service; the Environmental
Protection Agency; and appropriate State agencies of anticipated EWP work. They
shall invite the assistance of these agencies in preparing environmental
assissments and in planning and implementing the emergency work.
3540.42b - Regional Foresters and Area Directors. The Director of Watershed,
Soils, and Minerals Area Management has staff responsibility both on National
Forest and State and private lands, including:
Notifying SCS of Forest Service involvement.
Requesting necessary exigency funds from SCS.
Coordinating with SCS State Conservationists and the State Foresters.
Providing necessary functional assistance and activity reviews.
Reviewing Forest reports on damages, accomplishment, progress, and Plans of
Work.
Recommending approval of environmental assessment and funding request
report.
1. Forest Supervisor. The Forest Supervisor shall:
Be responsible for disaster investigations and coordination on the Forest (FSM
1590, 2529, 2523). This includes reporting to the Regional Disaster
Coordinator (RDC) who will coordinate emergency efforts with appropriate
staff Directors (Exhibit 1).
Within two working days after a natural disaster, phone the RDC stating that
a request for EWP funds will be filed. The RDC will notify the State
Conservationist of the Forest Service intentions.
When making the field investigation and developing the reports and request
for funds, request SCS assistance through the District Conservationist.
When a public exigency (a compelling situation of unusual urgency) exists,
contact the RDC immediately.
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3540.42b - Exhibit 01
EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROTECTION
Sequence of Events
1. Natural disaster occurs.
2. District assesses disaster, reports to Forest Supervisors.
3. Forest Supervisor contacts Regional Disaster Coordinator (RDC).
4. RDC contacts WO Disaster Coordinator and State SCS.
5. Forest Supervisor determines extent of damage.
6. Forest and RO meet with SCS for field inspection and qualifications.
7. Forest, RO, and SCS prepare EWP joint report requesting funding.
8. Forest submits EWP joint report to Regional Forester, for approval.
9. Regional Forester submits approved report to State SCS.
10. State SCS sends combined USDA Report to SCS, WO; copy to FS, WO,
11. SCS Chief approves or disapproves funding request.
12. Congress allocates funds for EWP request.
13. Funds for NF land transferred to FS at WO level.
14. Forest prepares Plan of Work and submits to Regional Forester.
15. Regional Forester consolidates Forest POW's and submits to State SCS.
16. SCS transfers funds to FS; Forest has 220 days to complete POW measures.
17. At the end of the fiscal year, the Forest submits progress report(s) to the
Regional Forester who in turn submits the reports to the State SCS for all
operational projects.
18. When projects are complete, Forest submits a Final Accomplishment Report to
the Regional Forester, who in turn submits the report to the State SCS, and FS,
WO.
3541 - PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.
3541.43a - Exigencies. If Forest Service emergenciy assistance is not available, the
RDC will contact the Soil Conservation Service as soon as possible with a request
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for treatment of public exigency. The request will indicate the nature of the
emergency and the estimated amount of funds needed. An exigency exigency exists
when the narrator probability of damage to life or property is high enough to
demand immediate Federal action. An exigency continues to exist as long as the
probability of damage continues exigency continues at a high level. Purchases and
contracts may be negotiated without formal advertising. Federal emergency funds
may bear up to 100 percent of the construction costs of emergency measures. The
funds must be obligated within 10 days after receipt from the Washington Office,
and work must be completed within 30 days after funds are obligated. The SCS
Chief retains discretion to grant extensions; these may extend an additional 10 days
for the obligation of funds and an additional 30 days for the completion of work.
The telephone request for exigency funds shall be documented with a copy to the
Regional Forester and State Conservationist within 10 days.
3541.43b - Nonexigencies. When an exigency does not exist, requests for funds
should be made to the Regional Forester for submission to the State Conservationist
within 30 days following the disaster-causing event. The process evolves as shown
in Exhibit1. The request for funds is jointly prepared with SCS and includes the
following information:
1. Total funds needed.
a. Amount requested for SCS.
b. Amount requested for the Forest Service.
2. Endorsement of request by Regional Forester for National Forest System
lands, forestry aspects on adjacent rangelands that are administered under Federal
agreement with the Forest Service, and other forested lands.
3. Event date and cause of watershed impairment (fire, flood, and so fourth).
4. Date of funding request.
5. Members of investigating team.
6. Location of watershed impairment (county, geographic, and so forth).
7. Description of impairment and of potential damages from flooding and the
products of erosion, including:
3541.43b--2.
a. Thorough descriptions of beneficial and adverse effects on
environmental resources, including fish and wildlife habitat.
b. Types of health hazards anticipated and number of people concerned.
c. Land use of property endangered.
d. Descriptions of water quality and water conservation.
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e. Effects of downstream water rights.
8. Rationale for economic defensibility of spending Federal funds for
emergency work. Information provide in the request for emergency funds to
support economic defensibility will include, but not be limited to:
a. Residential, commercial, industrial, and other properties to be
protected, numbers and value.
b. Land to be protected, acres and value.
c. Loss of life, reduction of threat.
d. Cost of bridges, roads, railroads, utilities, and so forth, to be replaced,
if destroyed.
e. Cost to remove sediment being deposited downstream in reservoirs,
lakes, estuaries, streams, and so forth, along with the estimated amount
of loss of acre-feet capacity in reservoirs and lakes.
f. Amount of business loss and associated employment loss.
g. Thorough description of benefits to environmental resources, including
fish and wildlife habitat improvements and quantities, if available.
h. Description of water quality and water conservation.
9. Map showing:
a. Landownership or management of the endangered area.
b. Location of potential damage that would be prevented or alleviated by
emergency treatment.
c. Area to receive emergency treatment.
10. Estimated kind, quantity, and cost of emergency measures recommend.
This is a concise narrative, with photos of damages and description of hazard
reduction. Include additional maps, charts, tables, and so forth, as needed to
describe damages
11. Description of environmental impacts expected during and following
installation of recommended measures. Include a summary of substantive
comments of other agencies.
12. Identify sponsor (s) requesting assistance.
13. List the other Federal, State, and local organizations and the extent of
their involvement.
14. A statement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
USDA State Emergency Board, and any other appropriate emergency agencies have
been consulted; the assistance being recommended is being coordinated with other
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emergency assistance programs (FSM 3540.13); other sources of funds are
committed; and an environmental assessment will be made before measures are
installed.
15. Additional maps, tables and charts or photographs.
3542 - ADMINISTRATION CONTROLS.
3542.2 - Reports.
The Forest Supervisor shall:
Prepare progress reports and final accomplishment reports during and
following installation of emergency treatment measures, as required by the
Forest Service and SCS.
Provide the Regional Forester with a Natural Disaster Survey Report (FSM
2529) as soon as possible and include evaluation, photographs, and so forth,
needed for the final report as well as camera points for long-term evaluation of
EWP work.
The emergency treatment measures must be installed within 220 consecutive
calendar days after the date of receipt of funds.