Press Releases

Leeds, NY – In the wake of recent flooding events in Upstate New York, U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19) today introduced the Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act. Rep. Molinaro introduced this bipartisan bill with U.S. Rep. Don Davis (D-NC-1), Zach Nunn (R-IA-3), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) manages programs that utilize watershed restoration practices to address flooding, but these resources are not always available to rural communities due to cost, eligibility, and a lack of available data about the flood risk facing farmlands. Rep. Molinaro’s bill addresses the unique challenges rural communities face to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from flood events.

Rep. Molinaro said, “The federal government can’t just be there to pick up the pieces in the wake of a serious flood. They need to do a better job of preparing for, responding to, and preventing floods. Proactive conservation and watershed management have an important role to play in this, and my bipartisan bill makes several fixes that will help rural communities better leverage USDA resources so we can protect people, property, and our communities.”

“We congratulate Representatives Don Davis and Marcus Molinaro for introducing the Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act,” said Melissa Roberts, President and Executive Director of American Flood Coalition Action. “As Congress considers the next farm bill, this bill’s approach to unlocking resources for flood solutions at the watershed level would empower farmers and rural communities to recover swiftly from flooding and protect against future disasters.”

Specifically, Rep. Molinaro’s bill:

• Allows communities to use the USDA’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program to reconstruct flood prevention infrastructure at a standard that surpasses the infrastructure that existed before the disaster. Currently, regulations prohibit communities from rebuilding infrastructure to a higher standard – preventing communities from better protecting themselves from future flooding.
• Directs the USDA to commission an agriculture flood vulnerability report to help farmers better understand their risk for floods and to collect data on how soil conservation practices, crop selection, or other farming methods can prevent future flooding.
• Reduces the local cost share for limited resource municipalities from 35% to 10% for flood mitigation projects funded through USDA’s Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program.